Combining Laboratory and Field Experiments

The above suite of hydrate sensing tools (thermodynamics, geothermal gradients, kinetics, BSRs, lithology and fluid flow, logging and coring tools, and subsea tools) has enabled an assessment of where hydrates may exist worldwide. On the basis of the data provided by these tools, hydrate formation models such as that of Klauda and Sandler (2005) enable our prediction of hydrate formation sites in nature—notably the a priori prediction of 68 of the 71 sites at which hydrates have been indicated. 

Currently in the state-of-the art, hydrate experiments and modeling are synergistic partners, with the experiments serving as a calibration for models, and the model suggesting new experiments. After reliable models are generated, the models are always more cost effective than laboratory and field experiments. 

In the first principle in this chapter, it was indicated that the state-of-the-art was moving away from in situ hydrate assessment, to hydrate production. In the next section we turn to hydrate production models, which are calibrated by a number of costly field and laboratory experiments. 

Most natural hydrates are in the ocean environment. As a state-of-the-art summary of ocean hydrates, Trehu et al. (2006) list six major lessons learned during the decade from 1996 to 2006  

Lithology may exercise a primary control of hydrate deposition, resulting from permeability, faults, and traps. 

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