Natural Gas Storage: Feasibility of Hydrates

Introduction Natural gas is the main energy source, and about 22% of the world's energy consumption is natural gas. Natural gas originates from reservoirs, shale gas, tight gas, coal beds and natural gas hydrate (NGH), the methane hydrate present at the bottom of the ocean. Currently methane hydrate deposits are not commercialized, but Japan conducted a 6 day offshore production test in the Pacific in March 2012. In this test natural gas totaling 120,000 cubic meters per day, or 20,000 cubic meters, occurred. Methane hydrate and the Japanese government are encouraging research on alternative energy hydrates.

Natural gas storage - The Energy Information Administration Administration (EIA) is preparing a weekly natural gas storage report that measures changes in cubic feet of natural gas underground storage in the past week. Although it is a US indicator, it has had a big impact on CAD and the energy sector in Canada. If inventory of natural gas increased more than expected, it meant sluggish demand, leading to a drop in oil prices.

According to the US Energy Information Agency, US gas reserves increased by 64 billion cubic feet last week, exceeding the expected increase of 59 billion cubic feet. Compared with 39 billion cubic feet of building last week, it increased by 98 billion cubic feet a year ago and reached 77 billion cubic feet on average for five years.

Aliso Canyon seems to be a big balloon. It is one of the top five natural gas storage fields in the United States, with a working capacity of 8.6 billion cubic feet (1 billion cubic feet), total capacity is about twice. According to the American Gas Association, the average house in the United States uses approximately 200 cubic feet of natural gas per day. By then, the Aliso oil field will have enough natural gas to supply one month 's fuel to 1000 houses. Even if the balloon's knot is released, the balloon does not jump out and will not disappear immediately. It takes time to inject natural gas. This is what happened in Aliso Canyon. The pressurized gas is discharged from the leaking inlet and continues to be discharged until the balloon contracts in the manhole cover or underground.

Aliso is one of the 420 natural gas repositories in the United States. When heating demand and natural gas price are low, the company uses these fields to store natural gas during the summer. Then they sell it in the hot winter of demand and price. To store in the basement, the company pumps it up to depleted oil fields and gas fields with a lot of holes at high pressure. Think of it as a pumpable balloon covered by local geology. Although the balloon does not continue to expand, more gas can be injected by raising the pressure.