Gas Hydrates: A Nuisance, a Blessing, or an Opportunity Highlights of the Center of Hydrate Research

L.J. ROVETTO

Delft, Paises Bajos

Jornada; TUDelft Invited Lecture Sesions; 2007

Technical University of Delft, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft, Países Bajos

The Center for Hydrate Research focuses on both fundamental and applied gas hydrate research. This is the largest research center in the world dealing with hydrates and consists of around 15 students and faculty members at the Colorado School of Mines. This laboratory applies both engineering and science to different areas of gas hydrates such as flow assurance in gas and oil flowlines, energy recovery from gas hydrates in oceanic and permafrost zones, and other potential technologies/applications like gas storage. Clathrate hydrates are inclusion compounds composed of water cages that trap guest molecules. Oil and gas flowlines provide abundant reactants and the required pressure and temperature conditions for hydrate stability. In 1934, it was found that hydrate formation causes blockages in natural gas transmission lines. These hydrates blockages present both economic and safety concerns. In this laboratory, experimental and modeling efforts have been undertaken to determine necessary thermodynamic and kinetic conditions for hydrate prevention and remediation. These clathrate compounds also occur naturally in oceanic and permafrost regions, containing mainly methane, and are recognized as a potential large energy resource. The total methane content in natural gas hydrates has been projected to be more than double of all other conventional reserves. In addition to the energy contained in the hydrates, seafloor stability and their contribution to past climate change are also issues linked to natural hydrates. Studies have been performed, both in situ and in the laboratory, on the properties of these natural gas hydrates considering gas production and seafloor stability. In addition, novel hydrate applications have been pursed in this laboratory. This includes the use of hydrates for the storage of both natural gas and hydrogen.