Temperature-driven hydrate dissociation in pressure-preserved coring: A fully coupled modeling study with burst-decay kinetics

Abstract

Natural gas hydrate (NGH) extreme thermodynamic sensitivity poses challenges for pressure-preserved coring operations in reservoir evaluation and commercial development. Current preservation strategies employing “pressure-only” approaches fail to address temperature-induced instability, leading to sample degradation and compromised geological characterization. This study investigates temperature-pressure synergistic preservation mechanisms using fully coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) numerical simulation of hydrate cores from the Shenhu area, South China Sea. Numerical modeling incorporating hydrate dissociation kinetics, multiphase fluid dynamics, and heat/mass transfer processes reveals that temperature variations trigger cascading destabilization mechanisms. Results demonstrate that temperature field evolution follows exponential growth patterns, generating steep radial gradients up to 35 K/cm that induce pressure surges from 0.11 MPa to 0.82 MPa, establishing positive feedback loops destabilizing hydrate structures. Hydrate dissociation kinetics conform to Kim-Bishnoi laws, exhibiting “S-shaped decay” patterns with 2 times rate acceleration under elevated temperatures, reducing dissociation completion times from 1200 s to 600 s. The investigation identifies “threshold effects” in relative permeability evolution, where growth exceeding three orders of magnitude occurs when hydrate saturation drops below 0.15-0.2, transforming core hydraulic properties. Multiphase fluid migration transitions from diffusive regimes (0-0.4×10⁻³ m/s) to explosive patterns (1×10⁻³-1.25×10⁻³ m/s), exhibiting “burst-decay” kinetics that compromise sample integrity through rapid methane release and pore structure reconstruction. The study establishes quantitative criteria for developing temperature-pressure synergistic preservation technologies, with numerical results indicating potential sample quality loss reduction of 60%-80%.

Keywords

Natural gas hydrate / Combustible ice / Unconventional energy / Clean energy / Temperature-pressure synergistic preservation / Multiphysics coupling / Pressure-preserved coring / Hydrate dissociation kinetics / Numerical simulation / S-shaped decay

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