Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Mechanical Expansion of Steel Tubing as a Solution to Leaky Wellbores
Published on: November 20, 2014
A model for deepwater oil/gas blowouts
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699-5710, USA. pdy@clarkson.edu
A new computer model simulates deepwater oil and gas releases, accounting for gas hydrate formation and decomposition. This helps predict how hydrates affect plume behavior and gas dissolution in the ocean.
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Chemical Engineering
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Deepwater oil and gas releases can form gas hydrates under high pressure and low temperatures.
- Gas hydrates are buoyant and decompose into free gas as they rise, altering plume behavior.
- Understanding these processes is crucial for predicting the environmental impact of deepwater hydrocarbon releases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and present a computer model simulating the behavior of oil and gas released from deepwater locations.
- To integrate hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and hydrate kinetics into a unified simulation.
- To compare model results with laboratory data for gas hydrates.
Main Methods:
- Developed a computer model integrating fluid dynamics and thermodynamics of jet/plume behavior.
- Incorporated kinetics and thermodynamics of gas hydrate formation and decomposition.
- Validated the model through comparison with laboratory data for hydrates.
Main Results:
- The model successfully simulates the behavior of oil and gas releases in deepwater.
- Hydrate presence significantly impacts jet/plume buoyancy and behavior.
- Simulations demonstrate gas behavior under various deepwater conditions.
Conclusions:
- The developed model provides a valuable tool for assessing deepwater oil and gas releases.
- Accurate simulation requires considering gas hydrate formation and decomposition.
- Further scenario simulations can inform risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
More Related Videos
08:38Microfluidic Devices for Characterizing Pore-scale Event Processes in Porous Media for Oil Recovery Applications
Published on: January 16, 2018
12:18Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: October 21, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Bioremediation
Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble
The Joule and Joule–Thomson Experiments
Design Example: Flow of Oil Through Circular Pipes
Design Example: Creating a Hydraulic Model of a Dam Spillway
Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons