DOE Program in Natural Gas Hydrates

Alaska Gas Hydrate Planning Workshop

Anchorage, AlaskaAugust, 2005

Ray Boswell, Acting Technology Manager – Methane Hydrates National Energy Technology Laboratory

Office of Fossil Energy

Overview

• DOE’s program in Methane Hydrates− The initial program (1983-1992)− The Methane Hydrate R&D Act of

2000

• Hydrate R&D going forward

• Alaska’s role

1st Phase of DOE Methane Hydrates Research$8 million invested from 1983 to 1992

• 1970s and early 1980s: − Observation of hydrates in

Siberia and northwest Canada− Deep sea drilling with the

Glomar Challenger

• First DOE Hydrate program− Developed initial models for

production of gas from hydrates− Supported USGS efforts to

document hydrates on the ANS− Sponsored the first two MH

international conferences (1991 & 1994)

Alaska North Slope Hydrate Trends: USGS

Plugged Pipeline - Petrobras

Glomar Challenger; Offshore Guatemala, 1982

Mid-Late ’90s: Expanding InterestArising from the recognition of the global scale of hydrates

• USGS: first systematic appraisal of in-place resources− 320,000 Tcf (1995)

• Expanding international R&D− Mallik (1998)− Nankai Trough (1999)

• Role in the environment− Sediment stability− Carbon cycle− Global climate− Deep sea ecosystems

• Economic significance− Safety concerns for ongoing E&P− Future energy source Mallik

USGS

Mallik Sample - USGS

Drillship M. G. Hulme in the Nankai Trough - 1999

The Methane Hydrate R&D Act of 2000A collaborative, national, R&D effort

• Interagency coordination− USGS: applied science;

onshore resource assessment− MMS: safety, offshore resource

assessment− NOAA: climate, environment− NSF: basic science− NRL: physical char. of the

deep sea environment− DOE: technology

development

• Industry advisory committee

• International collaboration

Department of

Energy

NETL MethaneHydrate Projects

InteragencyCoordinatingCommittee

• DOE• USGS• MMS• NRL• NOAA• NSF

TechnicalCoordinating

Team (experts)

Industry Advisory

Panel

• Hydrate Exploration Int’l• ConocoPhillips• Env. Defense • Ga. Tech• LSU• MBARI• Schlumberger• Scripps Inst. • U. Pittsburgh• Brookhaven Lab

Enable Natural Gas Production from Hydrates• By 2005: Determine if production from hydrate is feasible

• By 2010: Establish/determine commercial viability of Arctic hydrates determine hydrate’s ultimate potential as an energy source. Do not proceed if limited potential to provide a significant share of future annual supply

• By 2015: Establish/determine commercial viability of hydrate production in the Gulf of Mexico

• By 2020: Document the extent of recoverable marine hydrate resources and assess prospects for expansion beyond GoM

Program Goals: Energy ResourceEvolved during the first 5-years of MH R&D

OTHER METHANE HYDRATE PROGRAM GOALS

Support Education & Training of Energy ProfessionalsAddress Deepwater Drilling SafetyUnderstand Methane Hydrate’s Role in the Natural Environment

U.S. Public Funding for Gas Hydrates R&DRoughly $17 Million Invested Annually

DOE

• FY 1999 0.5

• FY 2000 2.9

• FY 2001 9.9

• FY 2002 9.8

• FY 2003 9.4

• FY 2004 9.0

• FY 2005 9.4

• FY 2006 0.0request to Congress

Other U.S. (~2005 levels)

• MMS 1.5

• NOAA 0.8

• NRL 1.8

• NSF 2.5

• USGS 2.0

Figures are millions $US

Key Projects 2000-2005

• Characterization− laboratory studies

• pure hydrate• hydrates in porous media

− field studies• Mallik• Blake Ridge • IODP cruises/Pacific• Alaska North Slope• Gulf of Mexico

• Technology development− sampling & analysis tools− exploration tools− numerical models

Mallik scientific production test – Mallik

2002 consortium

2005 GoM Hydrates drilling/coring cruise – ChevronTexaco JIP

On-board, pressurized, mechanical properties measurement – Ga. Tech

Characterization: Laboratory StudiesKey Examples

• USGS/BNL/ORNL:− Use P/T simulators to

investigate the nature of hydrate reservoirs

• LBNL/PNNL: − Using advanced

technologies to image the progressive dissociation of hydrate in sediments.

• LBNL/UAF:− Investigate flow properties of

hydrate-bearing reservoirs BNL: Pore network in fine-grained sediment

XR CT Scanning - LBNL

“GHASTLI”- USGS

Resonant Ultrasound: PNNL

Supporting TechnologiesSampling and Analysis Tools

• Development/Testing − Pressure Sampling− Advanced Logging− Ship-based analyses

• Geophysical Data Acquisition− NRLs DTAGS

• Geophysical Modeling− Conventional 3D seismic− 3D 4C OBS

NRL’s Deep-tow source

On ship X-Ray CT Scanner - LBNL

IR Imaging - PNNL

Supporting TechnologiesHydrate Reservoir Modeling

• Public release− LBNL’s ToughFx/HYDRATE− HydrateResSim

• Development of hydrate simulation capability with CMG-STARS (U. Calgary; BPXA project)− Industry standard I/O

• Code comparison activity underway− Participants: Japan-MH21;

LBNL; BPXA; USGS; NETL; PNNL; Ryder Scott 20.00

22.00

24.00

26.00

28.00

30.00

32.00

34.00

36.00

38.00

40.00

0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00

Distance (m)

Tem

pera

ture

(C)

1 day 10 days

100 days

1000 days

ToughFX Modeling - LBNL

Code Comparison (ToughFX CMG-STARS STOMP-HYD MH21)

CMG-STARS Modeling - BPXA

Gulf of Mexico Hydrates Joint Industry ProjectChevronTexaco, ConocoPhillips, others

• Industry, academic, government and international partners

• Focus on drilling safety

• Intent: Test existing technologies for pre-drill hydrate appraisal

• Activities at two distinct sites− logged 1200m of wellbore− collected 200m of core− Insights gained on the role of

focused flow features− analysis of shale-encased

hydrate occurrence is ongoing

HYD

RA

TE

“Hot Ice” WellMaurer Tech. Inc., Anadarko Pet. Corp., Noble Engineering

• Exploratory setting: location down-dip of confirmed hydrate occurrence

• No hydrate encountered Est. up to 80% Sg

• Reservoir + stability zone not enough

• Major operational advances− Mobile lab− Arctic platform− Drilling and coring

systems

Arctic Platform

Hot Ice VSP: Paulsson Geophysical

Hot Ice #1

Alaska North Slope Hydrate Characterization BP Exploration, Alaska; ASRC; UAF; U. Az.; USGS

• Verification of ANS regional hydrate resource potential

• Demonstration of technologies for direct detection and assessment (H, Sh) of hydrate prospects

• Reservoir and economic modeling indicate commercial feasibility of hydrate production

• Investigation of options for production testing in the Milne Point area

“Mt. Elbert” prospects –ANS: BPXA/USGS

Lessons LearnedBeyond “hydrate stability zones” and BSRs

• The “hydrate stability zone”− Necessary, not sufficient− Complex: local perturbations

due to variations in heat flow and salinity

− Expanded petroleum system approach

• BSRs have little diagnostic value− Direct detection required

From ongoing GOM Hydrate assessment: MMS

Milne Pt. area prospects -BPXA/USGS

The Transition to “Recoverables”

• In-place resources− Large, relevant primarily to

environmental issues

• Recoverable resources − will be much smaller

(while still large) and much more relevant

− will expand with time and technology

• Clearly quantify “what’s at stake” with Hydrates R&D

The Resource Potential of HydratesR&D going forward

• Address critical issues in the lab

• Develop and validate predictive models

• Emphasis on the field

• Assess ultimate potential, particularly in the marine setting− Is the potentially-recoverable

resource significant?− Can we efficiently find them?− Can we safely/profitably

produce from them?

Alaska’s RoleProviding the Natural Laboratory

• Near-term program priority

• Concurrent with work on marine hydrates

• Determine production rates possible and actions required over a range of relevant geological conditions− Petroleum system is here− Infrastructure is here− The projects are relevant

beyond Alaska

Focus on the ReservoirThe important distinction re: hydrates-as-a-resource

• What’s it in? not Where is it?

• Marine hydrates are key, not…− bulk hydrates

(mounds, veins, etc.)− low-saturation deposits

encased in shale

Moridis et al, 2005

• Sandstone reservoirs with pore-filling hydrate− meaningful concentrations over

sizeable areas− produceability - mobile phase

(gas or water)

For More Information

www.netl.doe.gov/scngo/hydrate

Thank You!

ray.boswell@netl.doe.gov(304) 285 4541