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Methanehydrate Research Project Team
JOGMEC is responsible for the resource assessment of methane hydrate in the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan under the National Methane Hydrate Exploitation Program (Fig 0), and has been carrying out research on exploration and development technologies.
Fig 0: Japan's Methane Hydrate Exploitation
Program |
Exploration technology research group has been working on 1)optimization of exploration techniques such as geochemical survey, geophysical survey data acquisition and processing, 2)methane hydrate accumulation mechanisms, 3)evaluation techniques of resource volume, and 3)providing resource volume with specifying the area of hydrate distribution.
Development technology research group has been working on 1)drilling and 2)production methods to identify optimum production methodologies for continuous gas production. Production test results of Mallik test well in Canada (Fig. 1) were investigated and presented in the Mallik International Symposium held in Chiba (Fig. 2).
Fig 1: Production test of Mallik 2002 Gas Hydrate Production Research Well Program |
Fig. 2: Mallik International Symposium held in Makuhari, Chiba. |
The METI multi-well drilling campaign in Tokai-oki to Kumano-nada was the prominent project in the program of 2004 (Fig. 3).
Sixteen well locations were selected by the interpretation of 2D and 3D seismic data by focusing on the distribution and
character of BSR(Bottom Simulating Reflector) (Fig. 4).
Fig. 3: Drill ship, JOIDES Resolution, used for the drilling campaign. |
Fig. 4: An example of BSR development character in a seismic section. |
Fig. 5: Hydrate core samples.
Fig. 6: Drilling bit of PTCS |
LWD(Logging While Drilling) were used to identify the hydrate distribution and further drilling of wells for wireline logging, coring,
temperature measurement and drilling experiments were carried out after the evaluation of LWD data. As a result, 32 wells were drilled totally
in the campaign. The maximum thickness of hydrate concentrated zone identified by LWD and wireline logging data was 105m. The coring recovered
hydrate cores (Fig. 5).
Especially, recovery of cores by PTCS (Pressure Temperature Core Sampler) (Fig. 6) attained about 80% in hydrate concentrated zone. The drilling experiment succeeded to drill horizontal well in a hydrate concentrated zone (Fig. 7). Those data have been investigated and correlated with seismic data to evaluate resource volume of the area and to find adequate methods of drilling and completion of hydrate concentrated zones.
Fig. 7: Horizontal well drilling result. |
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