Physical property changes in hydrate-bearingsediment due to depressurization and subsequent repressurization [electronic resource].
- Published:
- Berkeley, Calif. : Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2008.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy. - Additional Creators:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
United States. Department of Energy. Office of Scientific and Technical Information - Access Online:
- www.osti.gov
- Summary:
- Physical property measurements of sediment cores containing natural gas hydrate are typically performed on material exposed at least briefly to non-in situ conditions during recovery. To examine effects of a brief excursion from the gas-hydrate stability field, as can occur when pressure cores are transferred to pressurized storage vessels, we measured physical properties on laboratory-formed sand packs containing methane hydrate and methane pore gas. After depressurizing samples to atmospheric pressure, we repressurized them into the methane-hydrate stability field and remeasured their physical properties. Thermal conductivity, shear strength, acoustic compressional and shear wave amplitudes and speeds are compared between the original and depressurized/repressurized samples. X-ray computed tomography (CT) images track how the gas-hydrate distribution changes in the hydrate-cemented sands due to the depressurization/repressurization process. Because depressurization-induced property changes can be substantial and are not easily predicted, particularly in water-saturated, hydrate-bearing sediment, maintaining pressure and temperature conditions throughout the core recovery and measurement process is critical for using laboratory measurements to estimate in situ properties.
- Note:
- Published through SciTech Connect.
06/01/2008.
"lbnl-664e"
Journal of Geophysical Research 113 B07102 ISSN 0148-0227; JGREA2 FT
Waite, W.F.; Kneafsey, T.J.; Kneafsey, Timothy; Winters, W.J.; Mason, D.H.
Earth Sciences Division - Funding Information:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
View MARC record | catkey: 14131827