Sedimentation-reaction Process in Shenhu Area and Quantitative
Assessment of Controlling Factors for Local Hydrate-bearing Reservoirs
Abstract
The Shenhu hydrate reservoirs of northern South China Sea are speculated
to form and accumulate under the free gas-rich environment, and accord
with the flow-transportation-reaction process. During this process, the
area has also experienced simultaneous alternations of the local
geological structures and ambient environmental conditions. First-order
reaction kinetics, which controls the hydrate reaction, is coupled with
the seafloor sedimentation to quest the dynamic formation and
aggregation mechanism of the Shenhu hydrate layers. Firstly, based on
the indications from Peclet number, the hydrate reaction shall play more
active roles during the natural sedimentation in this process. Secondly,
when the average seafloor sedimentation rate and the initial seafloor
were 5 cm/ka and 988 m, respectively, three moments (50 ka, 3 Ma, and 5
Ma) are chosen to investigate the evolution process of the hydrate
reservoirs and exhibit the change of the local pressures, temperatures,
dissolved methane and salt, phase saturations, stratum permeability, and
pore capillary pressure. The results show that after 5 Ma the occurrence
and distribution of hydrate-bearing sediments proceed to be nearly
consistent with the current status. Finally, the effects of five
factors, including methane flux, kinetic coefficient, initial fluid
position, permeability and seafloor sedimentation rate which
simultaneously control the accumulation together in this zone, are
quantitatively discussed. It verifies that the reaction-sedimentation
mechanism is applicable for researching the Shenhu hydrate system. Under
this model it should have a small methane flux and relatively small
reaction coefficient here.