Methane hydrate technologies in Ukraine - research and prospects

Abstract

Abstract Methane production from natural gas hydrates will enable the reduction of a great part of natural gas import deliveries and to give up them completely in the future. Gas hydrate technologies compared with existing ones, also gives the possibility to transport gas, divide gas and liquid mixtures, concentrate water solutions, utilize and store $СО_2$, etc. with greater efficiency. However, methane production technologies have not developed industrially and their study was performed with the help of experimental units and in separate gas hydrates deposits in the mode of tests and elaborations. The prospects of the hydrate technologies development in the Ukraine were determined: transportation of natural gas in the form of hydrates, long-term storage of natural gas in hydrate state, natural gas production from its hydrate deposits. Positive international experience in terms of the development of hydrate technology is studied. In order to study formation and dissociation hydrates of carbon dioxide and natural gas components, Gas Institute have made hydrate stand facility. The express method of determining thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of hydrate transformation was tested. Natural gas hydrates as well as carbon dioxide hydrates were produced with the help of the express method. It was determined that the composition of original natural gas and gas of hydrates decomposition is of great difference – it means that »selective« hydrates formation of natural gas formation is performed. A set of experiments was also performed to study the process of methane replacement with the help of carbon dioxide. According to the gaseous phase analysis, 14% increase of methane content was fixed. This fact proves its replacement in hydrates with the help of carbon dioxide.