Study on acoustic properties of hydrate-bearing sediments with reconstructed CO₂ hydrate in different layers during...

Natural gas hydrate (NGH), a clean energy source with huge reserves in nature, and its safe and efficient exploitation fits perfectly with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-7). However, large-scale NGH decomposition frequently results in subsea landslides, reservoir subsidence, and collapse. In this work, in order to achieve safe and efficient exploitation of NGHs, the stability variation of different reservoir layers by depressurization/intermittent CO₂/N₂ injection (80:20 mol%, 50:50 mol%) was investigated using acoustic properties (P-wave velocity, elastic modulus), as well as reservoir subsidence under an overburden stress of 10 MPa. The P-wave velocity increased from 1282 m/s to 2778 m/s in the above-reservoir and from 1266 m/s to 2564 m/s in the below-reservoir, significantly increasing reservoir strength after CO₂ hydrate formation. The P-wave velocity and elastic modulus in the top reconstructed reservoir were continually decreased by the shear damage of the overlying stress, while they remained stable in the bottom reconstructed reservoir during hydrate mining. However, due to superior pressure-bearing ability of the top CO₂ hydrate reservoir, which was lacking in the bottom CO₂ hydrate reservoir, the reservoir subsidence was relieved greatly. Despite the stiffness strength of reconstructed reservoir was ensured with CO₂/N₂ sweeping, the skeletal structure of CH₄ hydrate reservoir was destroyed, and only the formation of CO₂ hydrate could guarantee the stability of P-wave velocity and elastic modulus which was most beneficial to relieve reservoir subsidence. A large amount of CO₂ was used in reservoir reconstruction and CH₄ hydrate mining, which achieved the geological storage of CO₂ (SDG-13). This work provided a new idea for safe and efficient NGHs mining in the future, and the application of acoustic properties served as a guide for the efficient construction of reconstructed reservoirs and offers credible technical assistance for safe exploitation of NGHs.