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Analysis and Modelling of Hydrate Formation |
1 Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Silver Street, Cambridge, UK
2 Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2219 Main Mall, Vancouver, Canada
Gas hydrate reservoirs are widespread on the world’s continental margins and in the Arctic, but little is known about the way in which they form. We use conservation principles to derive a set of equations that describe hydrate formation in uniform porous media. Using scaling arguments, we identify the physical processes that are most important to hydrate accumulation in different environments. This knowledge is used to construct models that quantitatively predict the development of hydrate layers under a variety of circumstances. These models compare favourably with recent field observations of hydrates in marine sediments.
