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Water permeability in hydrate‐bearing sediments: A pore‐scale study
Author(s) -
Dai Sheng,
Seol Yongkoo
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl060535
Subject(s) - hydrate , geology , permeability (electromagnetism) , saturation (graph theory) , diagenesis , porosity , tortuosity , sediment , methane , clathrate hydrate , aquifer , geotechnical engineering , soil science , mineralogy , petrology , groundwater , geomorphology , chemistry , membrane , biochemistry , organic chemistry , mathematics , combinatorics
Permeability is a critical parameter governing methane flux and fluid flow in hydrate‐bearing sediments; however, limited valid data are available due to experimental challenges. Here we investigate the relationship between apparent water permeability ( k ′) and hydrate saturation ( S h ), accounting for hydrate pore‐scale growth habit and meso‐scale heterogeneity. Results from capillary tube models rely on cross‐sectional tube shapes and hydrate pore habits, thus are appropriate only for sediments with uniform hydrate distribution and known hydrate pore character. Given our pore network modeling results showing that accumulating hydrate in sediments decreases sediment porosity and increases hydraulic tortuosity, we propose a modified Kozeny‐Carman model to characterize water permeability in hydrate‐bearing sediments. This model agrees well with experimental results and can be easily implemented in reservoir simulators with no empirical variables other than S h . Results are also relevant to flow through other natural sediments that undergo diagenesis, salt precipitation, or bio‐clogging.