SPE-177629-MS

Gas Hydrate Prediction and Prevention During DST in Deep Water Gas
Field in South China Sea
Zong Dai, Donghong Luo, and Wei Liang, CNOOC Limited

Copyright 2015, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 9 –12 November 2015.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
The potential for gas hydrate production is always present in deep water operation. It will cause hazardous
impact if gas hydrate plug formed during drill stem testing. This paper takes a case from south china sea,
with about 1500 meters water depth gas field, to describe hydrate prediction and prevention during drill
stem testing.
This paper will discuss:
1. The method to predict what depth the gas hydrate may be formed in the testing string.
2. Procedure optimization to reduce the risk of gas hydrate
3. Key technique to prevent gas hydrate formation
4. The result of execution
The study indicated it is viable technique to predict gas hydrate formation by simulating fluid flow in
testing string, as well as hydrate inhibitor selection and the amount of inhibitor can be simulated and
optimized. The procedure of one flow period and one build-up period reduced the operational risk to form
gas hydrate. Downhole methanol injection and closely production monitor prevented gas hydrate pro-
duction. As a result of this practice, six times of DST has been successfully implemented in deep water
gas field in south China sea. The well productivity and fluid sample has been accurately obtained for
future overall development plan.
The result of this study are most applicable to DST design in deep water gas field, however, they also
may also be appropriate for shallow water DST.

Introduction
Most of deep water gas fields in South China Sea, water depth is about 700~1500 meters, temperature at
sea bed is about 3°C, the depth of gas reservoir is about 2500~3200 mssl, and gas reservoir temperature
is about 85°C ~108°C. Assuming one gas field net pay is 25 to 30 meters, reservoir permeability
100~2500 md, reservoir porosity 14%~28%. Gas condensate ratio is expected to 10000~15000 m3/m3, the
condensed water gas ratio is expected to 0.5 bbl/MMscf. Gas specific gravity is 0.72 and geothermal
gradient is about 5.3°C/100m.
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The objectives of DST are that: 1) Determine formation properties and wellbore skin, 2) Estimate well
productivity, 3) Identify possible flow barriers, 4) Determine initial reservoir pressure, 5) Obtain
representative bottomhole and surface fluid samples.
Due to low temperature at seabed, gas hydrate will easily form during DST if no gas hydrate prevention
is implemented[1], if hydrate column forms in the test string, it not only gets none of necessary reservoir
data and fluid samples, but also greatly prolongs operational time.

Method to predict gas hydrate

Two methods are popular to predict the hydrate formation. Method one is pressure-temperature curves
shown in Figure 1, which is based on gas gravity, may be easily used for first approximation of hydrate
conditions. For example, the pressure is 3000 psi in the test string, the temperature at which hydrate forms
for a gas with 0.7 gravity is about 74°F (23°C). Therefore, when the external environment temperature and
gas fluid temperature drops down than 23°C, the gas hydrate may form in the test string.

Figure 1—Pressure-Temperature Curves for Predicting Hydrate Formation[5]

Method two is simulation by application which can choose different fluid system type. This method
needs to construct the detail model, which includes drilling profile, fluid compostion, surrounding
temperature profile, heat transfer parameters, casing and tubing parameters, fluid rate etc to simultate the
fluid condition in the wellbore. This method can accurately predict the hydrate formation at different
condition.
Take a case from South China Sea with gas composition as shown in Table1. Estimated reservoir
temperature is 86°C, temperature at sea bed is 3°C, air temperature at surface is 26°C, reservoir pressure
is 33Mpa at 3200 mssl.
SPE-177629-MS 3

Table 1—Gas Components in One Well from South China Sea

Component Mole Fraction (%)

N2 0.35
CO2 3.30
C1 85.80
C2 5.50
C3 2.10
IC4 0.42
NC4 0.53
IC5 0.26
NC5 0.20
C6 0.26
C7⫹ 1.28

Based on the above reservoir parameters and assumption water saturated in the gas, the wellbore
temperature and pressure profile simulated by a software are shown in Figure 2a~2b and Figure 3. In case
gas flow rate is higher than 20 MMscf/d, there is lower chance to form the gas hydrate due to less
temperature loss in the testing string for gas fluid. Otherwise, in case gas flow rate is less than 20
MMscf/D, there is higher chance to form the gas hydyrate in the testing string at 700 mssl. As simulation
results shown in Figure 2a~2b, in case gas well shut in as well as high pressure is maintained in the testing
string, gas hydrate will form in the test string column between 100 mssl and 1920 mssl. Meanwhile gas
hydrate will form at depth between 100 mssl and 420 meters below the sea floor as water depth is 1500
meters. Therefore, the most critical times for gas hydrate formation are during DST startup and shut-in
periods.

Figure 2a—Simulation for Gas Hydrate Formation at Well Shut-in

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Figure 2b—Simulation for Gas Hydrate Formation at Well Shut-in

Figure 3—Simultion for Gas Hydrate Formation at Different Flow Rate

In order to prevent gas hydrate formation, hydrate inhibitor was selected and simulated in the
application. Figure 4a~4c showed maximum temperature for hydrate formation decreased after combining
hydrate inhibitor methanol into gas. Three cases have been simulated for methanol amounts with different
mole fraction in gas. As CASE3 with 0.3% methanol in gas, the maximum temperature for hydrate
formation will drop approximate 25 degrees Celsius. In case of well shut-in, this case will still effectively
prevent gas hydrate formation.
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Figure 4a—Simulation for Injecting Hydrate Inhibitor Methanol at Different Mole Fraction

Figure 4b—Simulation for Injecting Hydrate Inhibitor Methanol at Different Mole Fraction
6 SPE-177629-MS

Figure 4c—Simulation for Injecting Hydrate Inhibitor Methanol at Different Mole Fraction

Procedure optimization to reduce the risk of gas hydrate

The conventional well testing procedure is two flow period and two build-up period. The short initial flow
and build-up test, normally used in the conventional DST to determine the initial reservoir pressure, is
bypassed in order to: 1). Avoid the ‘short-term’ complex situation inside the wellbore, in terms of fluid,
pressure and temperature distributions. 2). Minimize the number of well shut-ins and restarts.
In order to minimize the risk of hydrate formation, the procedure of one flow period and one build-up
period is recommended as shown in Figure 5. It is important to note that these estimated figures are
tentative and should be made flexible, depending on field results and observations during the test, in order
to meet the test objectives. A detailed explanation of each step and its objectives are shown below.
SPE-177629-MS 7

Figure 5—Designed DST Procedure for Deep Water Gas Well

a. Clean-up flow
The purpose of this 6-hour clean-up flow is to remove the drilling/completion fluids, mud filtrate
& perforation debris and produce reservoir fluid to the surface until tubing head pressure,
temperature, gas and the liquid (water, condensate and/or oil) rates are stabilized for at least 30
minutes. Gas production rate should be kept at around 25 MMcf/d to minimize the effect of
condensate drop out on bottomhole fluid sampling that will be conducted later.
b. Well conditioning
The purpose of this 3-hour period is to produce the well at the desired low/stable rate prior to the
fluid sampling. The lower pressure drawdown in this case will allow the non-representative fluid
mixtures in the wellbore to be replaced by the more representative fluid from the reservoir. The
recommended stable low gas rate for well conditioning and fluid sampling is 15 MMscf/d, which
could lift all condensate based on outflow performance analysis results.
c. Bottomhole and surface sampling
After well conditioning phase, two sets of surface samples will be taken from the separator. One
set includes three 500cc liquid samples and one 16-Liter gas sample. At the same time, eight 300cc
bottom-hole samples will be collected. The total test duration is around 6 hours.
d. Multi-rate flow test
The purpose of this test is to produce the well at higher stable rates to obtain the reservoir
productivity. Two different gas rates are designed to produce. One is 30 MMscf/d and the other is
50 MMscf/d. The each produce is required to stabilize the well for at least 30 minutes at different
rate. The total test duration is around 6 hours.
e. Shut-in (pressure build-up test)
The purpose of this 48-hour period is to allow the reservoir pressure to build-up and stabilize. To
ensure that no gas hydrate will form inside the wellbore due to the effects of fluid separation and
8 SPE-177629-MS

wellbore cooling, DHSI (downhole shut-in) should be used followed by the mitigating procedures
below to secure the wellbore for a safe shut-in and restart.

Key technique to prevent gas hydrate formation

In order to prevent hydrate formation during DST, the major requirments for DST design are as follows:
a. In order to avoid the free water production which may come from the invaded mud filtrate, an
oil-based mud or synthetic based mud, which creates little to no free water invasion, should be
properly designed or selected for drilling[4].
b. Methanol (MeOH), instead of glycol, should be used as a gas hydrate inhibitor because of its low
density (0.79g/cc), low viscosity (0.59cp at 20°C) and high vaporization to natural gas, which will
provide good spread and high efficiency for preventing the gas hydrate inside the wellbore or
flowline[2~4]. In order to effectively overcome the cold temperature and gas expansion effect, the
following three injection points are recommended. The first point is at wellhead choke, the second
point is at mud line or near the sea floor, the third point is at downhole 500 meters below the sea
floor.
c. Optimizing the testing procedure. The short initial flow and build-up test, normally used in the
conventional DST to determine the initial reservoir pressure is omitted in the test. The initial flow
should start with the clean-up flow, followed by the subsequent tests.
d. To ensure that no gas hydrate will form inside the wellbore due to the effects of fluid separation
and wellbore cooling, downhole shut-in (DHSI) should be used to secure the wellbore for a safe
shut-in and restart. At the same time, continue to flow well and inject methanol at all injection
points (downhole chemical injection valve, seabed injection valve, surface choke manifold
injection point) after downhole shut in until the flowing tubing head pressure is zero.
e. The real time bottomhole and wellhead pressure and temperature data transmission. It would help
engineers closely monitor the well performance and perform an instant flow or build-up test
analysis to ensure that all data and information are properly gathered in each phase. In case there
are any performance anomalies (gas hydrate, sand production etc.), it can be observed in time by
engineers and making necessary and promptly actions for the situation.

The result of execution

1. The most critical times for gas hydrate formation are during DST startup and shut-in periods. The
pervious simulation results showed hydrate may form at depth between 100 mssl and 420 meters
below the sea floor in case of well shut-in. As a result, the well kept injecting hydrate inhibitor
methanol at choke, seabed and 500 metres below sea floor respectively druing startup and
production process. In case of maximum gas rate 50 MMscf/d during flow peroid, methanol
injection rate was set 50 bbl/d converted from 0.3% mole fraction. It has effectively prevented
hydrate formation.
2. The procedure of one flow period and one build-up period reduced the operational risk to form gas
hydrate, as well as the high quality data of reservoir temperature and pressure, well productivity
and fluid samples has been obtained. It has reached the objective and met the requirements.
3. The real time well performance during DST was shown in Figure 6, the engineers in office could
closely monitor the temperature, pressure and fluid rate. These informations helped engineers to
make decision when each phase (Clean-up flow, well conditioning, sampling, multi-rate flow,
build-up) will be started or ended, as well as any possible anomalies for gas hydrate.
SPE-177629-MS 9

Figure 6 —The Real Time Well Performance during DST

4. As a result of this practice, six times of DST has been successfully implemented in deep water gas
field in South China Sea. One of actual DST data was shown in Figure 7. The designed flow period
is 21 hours and build-up period is 48 hours. The actual time for flow test is 23 hours, and time for
build-up is 48 hours. The actual DST data shows well productivity has been accurately obtained
and possible flow barrier has been identified, as well as representative bottomhole and surface
fluid samples has been obtained.

Figure 7—Actual DST data in South China Sea

Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thank CNOOC Limited for the permission in publishing this paper.
10 SPE-177629-MS

References
1. E.M. Reyna, S.R. Stewart. ⬙Case History of the Removal of a Hydrate Plug Formed During Deep
Water Well Testing⬙, SPE/IADC 67746, 2001
2. C. Cooley, B.K. Wallace. ⬙Hydrate Prevention and Methanol Distribution on Canyon Express⬙,
SPE84350, 2003
3. A. Singh, P. Glenat. ⬙Evaluation of Low-Dose Hydrate Inhibitors (LDHls) for a Long-Distance
Subsea Tieback in Ultradeep Water⬙, OTC18318, 2006
4. S.C. Chen, W.X.W. Gong and G. Antle. ⬙DST Design for Deepwater Wells with Potential Gas
Hydrate Problems⬙, OTC19162, 2008
5. ⬙GPSA Engineering Data Book⬙, Twelfth Edition-FPS, 2004