Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

John Thomas Balczewski

Russell Thomas Ewy

Emrys Heigh Jones

Hugh Callahan Daigle

Methods and systems for determining whether conditions exist for presence of clathrates are disclosed. One method includes determining a thickness of a clathrate stability zone based, at least in part, on a depth at which a temperature reaches a three-phase equilibrium temperature of the clathrates. The method also includes calculating a temperature and a three-phase equilibrium temperature for a range of depths in the clathrate stability zone, and determining a minimum pore size at each of the depths in the range of depths, the minimum pore size permitting a predetermined saturation level of clathrates and based at least in part on the temperature and three-phase equilibrium temperature. The method further includes converting the minimum pore size at each of the depths to a minimum porosity.

Methods and systems for determining minimum porosity for presence of clathrates in sediment

A heating system for heating a natural gas hydrate reservoir. The heating system includes a fully enclosed wellbore extending through a portion of the natural gas hydrate reservoir. A heating fluid is passed through the wellbore to heat the portion of the natural gas hydrate reservoir. Additionally, a production system includes a perforated wellbore that is used to extract the natural gas hydrate water after heating.

Natural gas hydrate reservoir heating

A method and system for initiating hydrocarbon production from a reservoir are provided. This method and system utilize thermosyphons. The system and method utilize one or more sealed, elongated, hollow tubular containers supported in earth in a geothermal heat zone below the reservoir and extending upwardly therefrom into the reservoir. The containers comprise (a) a bottom portion in the geothermal heat zone below the reservoir; (b) a top portion within the reservoir; and (c) being partially filled with a liquid that evaporates in the bottom portion forming a vapor and transferring heat via convective flow of the vapor to the top portion, the heat being dissipated at the top portion into the surrounding reservoir as the vapor condenses back into liquid and flows downward to the bottom portion. The reservoir can be a natural gas hydrate reservoir.

Enhancing production of clathrates by use of thermosyphons

A method of drilling into a geological region including a subsurface clathrate reservoir includes drilling a borehole into the geological region including the subsurface clathrate reservoir and dissociating at least a portion of the clathrate in a region near the borehole. After the dissociating, material within at least a portion of the region near the borehole in which the clathrate has been dissociated is compacted to form a compacted region at least partially surrounding the borehole within the clathrate reservoir. After the compacting, well casing is placed into the borehole within the compacted region and the well casing is cemented into the borehole in the compacted area.

System and method for pre-conditioning a hydrate reservoir

A method and system for initiating hydrocarbon production from a reservoir are provided. This method and system utilize thermosyphons. The system and method utilize one or more sealed, elongated, hollow tubular containers supported in earth in a geothermal heat zone below the reservoir and extending upwardly therefrom into the reservoir. The containers comprise (a) a bottom portion in the geothermal heat zone below the reservoir; (b) a top portion within the reservoir; and (c) being partially filled with a liquid that evaporates in the bottom portion forming a vapor and transferring heat via convective flow of the vapor to the top portion, the heat being dissipated at the top portion into the surrounding reservoir as the vapor condenses back into liquid and flows downward to the bottom portion. The reservoir can be a clathrate reservoir.

Initiating production of clathrates by use of thermosyphons

Clathrate reservoirs of Class II are modified in order to improve the ability to produce hydrocarbons from them. Specifically a method for improving producibility of subsurface clathrate formation underlain by a mobile aquifer includes drilling a borehole to a depth providing access to the mobile aquifer and injecting a material into the mobile aquifer such that the material passes through pore spaces and forms a barrier underlying the clathrate formation and substantially impeding fluid flow from the mobile aquifer into contact with the clathrate formation.

System and method for converting class II hydrate reservoirs

The present invention relates to a method and system for producing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon containing hydrate reservoir. The method includes providing at least one producer well in fluid communication with a producing facility and with a hydrocarbon containing hydrate reservoir. The hydrate reservoir is in fluid communication with a head space disposed above the hydrate formation. The head space contains disassociated hydrocarbons and water. A sweep gas is swept through the head space to remove the disassociated gas and water from the hydrate reservoir and to transport the disassociated gas and water to the at least one producer well. The additional pressure and/or heat provided by the sweep gas may help inhibit the reformation of disassociated gas and water into hydrates allowing for enhanced production rates. The additional heat will also help increase the disassociation rate of the upper part of the hydrate formation adjacent to the head space.

Method and system for producing hydrocarbons from a hydrate reservoir using a sweep gas

A method, system, and method for developing the system, for producing hydrocarbons from a plurality of hydrocarbon containing reservoirs is described. The system includes at least one conventional hydrocarbon reservoir and at least one natural gas hydrate reservoir. The system also includes a production facility, including water separation apparatus, which is in fluid communication with the at least one hydrocarbon reservoir and the at least one natural gas hydrate reservoir. The production facility can separate hydrocarbons and water concurrently received from the first conventional hydrocarbon and the second natural gas hydrate reservoirs. The at least one hydrocarbon reservoir and the at least one hydrate reservoir can be concurrently developed. Or else, the at least one hydrate reservoir can be developed later in time and then fluidly connected to the production facility.

Method and system for jointly producing and processing hydrocarbons from natural gas hydrate and conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs

A method and system of producing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon containing subterranean hydrate reservoir is disclosed. Waste heat is captured and transferred to a hydrocarbon bearing hydrate formation to dissociate hydrates into natural gas and water. The waste heat can be heat generated from surface facilities such as a Gas To Liquids (GTL) plant, a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant, an electric or power generation plant, and an onshore or offshore facility producing other conventional or unconventional hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir. Alternatively, the waste heat can be obtained from subterranean reservoirs such as hydrocarbon containing producing wells and geothermal wells producing heated water.

Method and system for producing hydrocarbons from a hydrate reservoir using available waste heat

A system, process, and apparatus are provided for the efficient continuous production of hydrates. Gas separated from a well fluid is fed into a hydrate reactor that is submerged under the sea at a predetermined depth. The hydrates generated in the hydrate reactor are then transferred to a marine vessel for shipping.

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Danville, CA, United States of America

John Thomas Balczewski