Comparison of Kinetic and Equilibrium Reaction Models in the Simulation of Gas Hydrates in Porous Media

Michael B. Kowalsky and George Moridis
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA

In this study we compare the use of kinetic and equilibrium reaction models in the simulation of gas (methane) hydrates in porous media. Our objective is to evaluate (through numerical simulation) the importance of employing kinetic versus equilibrium reaction models for predicting the response of hydrate-bearing systems to external stimuli, such as changes in pressure and temperature. Specifically, we (1) analyze and compare the responses simulated using both reaction models for production scenarios in various geological settings and for the case of depressurization in a core during extraction; and (2) examine the sensitivity to factors such as initial hydrate saturation, hydrate reaction surface area, and numerical discretization. We find that for systems undergoing thermal stimulation and depressurization, the calculated responses for both reaction models are remarkably similar, though some differences are observed at early times. Given these observations, and since the computational demands for the kinetic reaction model far exceed those for the equilibrium reaction model, the use of the equilibrium reaction model appears to be justified and preferred for simulating the behavior of gas hydrates.