Correlation between Gas Hydrate and Water Permeability of Hydrate-Bearing Sediments in the Ulleung Basin of Korea

Abstract

Under the sea-bed, methane gas is stored in form of gas hydrates. Gas hydrates are stable under low temperature and high pressure conditions. One of the production methods of methane gas hydrates is depressurization where gas hydrate-bearing sediments are depressurized to induce dissociation. The gas hydrate saturation decreases as dissociation continues, leading to changes to hydraulic properties such as permeability. In this research, laboratory-scale experiments involving permeability measurements with various gas hydrate saturation conditions were conducted on gas hydrate-bearing sediments in the Ulleung Basin of Korea.