Risk Analysis of Gas Hydrate Formation during Deepwater Gas Well Testing

Abstract

During deep-water gas wells testing period, predicting the generating zone of hydrate precisely in the whole flow range (bore holes and surface flow lines) is the key prerequisite of guarantee for testing flow. The unusual deep-water environment and low gas density make it easy to meet the conditions of hydrate generation during deep- water gas wells testing period, such as low temperature and high pressure, especially under the testing conditions, for instance, near mud line, surface chock line, low gas generating rate and surface shut-in. Wherefore, in view of all the operational modes during testing period (clean-out, variable rate flow, downhole and surface shut-in), based on temperature field of the whole flow range and phase equilibrium condition of hydrate, predicting method of hydrate generation zone is published; by taking enthalpy as the object of study, temperature calculation model increases the accuracy of temperature prediction; by integration of bore holes and surface lines, predicting plate of hydrate generation in the whole flow range is published. During flow period, the generating condition of hydrate is affected by rate of flow, and the lower the rate of flow is, the wider the hydrate generation zone is; during the stage of shut-in and initial flow, if pressure of strings is higher and temperature is lower, risk of hydrate generation will be greater and hydrate generation zone will be larger, so relevant actions should be taken to restrain hydrate generation.