Quantitative experiments were performed to investigate the possible CH4-CO2 hydrate exchange kinetics from injection of CO2 and CO2-N2 gas mixtures through CH4 hydrates. CH4 hydrates were formed from ice particles (75~90 micron in diameter) which were pressurized with CH4 gas at 1500 psig and 263 K. Liquid CO2 or CO2-N2 gas mixtures were injected into the cell to sweep the residual CH4 atmosphere. After soaking the hydrates for several hours, produced CH4 was measured using an in-line gas chromatograph.
The vast amounts of energy trapped within naturally occurring gas hydrate oceanic and arctic deposits has led to increasing interest over the last decade, by global energy and environmental sectors, to investigate the recovery of gas from natural gas hydrates. Naturally occurring gas hydrates, mostly containing CH4, are regarded as a future potential energy resource [1]. Also, sequestration of CO2, a global climate change gas, has the potential to be used in enhanced gas recovery techniques, as well as simultaneously releasing CH4 locked within the gas bearing hydrate sediments. (Figure 1)
URTeC 1614231
