Methane hydrates: Sampling and pressure core technology

Marco Terzariol, Carlos Santamarina

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Gas expansion in sediments mobilizes capillary forces that can cause extensive destructuration during sampling and core recovery. The situation is aggravated in marine and permafrost hydrate-bearing sediments as hydrate dissociation experiences a volume expansion of ~172 times. Pressure core technology prevents hydrate dissociation: unique samplers lock-in the in-situ fluid pressure and subsequent sediment characterization takes place without ever depressurizing the specimen. While the fluid pressure remains within the stability field, specimens experience changes in effective stress. Samplers and test chambers must be carefully designed, and test protocols meticulously executed to obtain reliable properties for analyses and design. Lessons learned in geotechnical engineering and experimental results obtained with hydrate-bearing sediments help advance pressure core sampling and testing technology. The technology has been deployed to study hydrate-bearing sediments in the Gulf of Mexico (USA), Krishna- Godavari Basin (India), Ulleung Basin (S. Korea), and Nankai Trough (Japan).
Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication19th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, ICSMGE 2017
Publisher19th ICSMGE Secretariat
Pages3471-3474
Number of pages4
StatePublished - Jan 1 2017

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-12-29

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