A Review of the Methane Hydrate Program in Japan
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Energy Supply in Japan
2.1. Changes in Energy Policies in Japan
2.2. MH 21
3. MH 21 Progress and Achievements
“In order to improve technologies for the commercial production of methane hydrate distributed offshore Japan, the following goals have been configured. To help turn the plan into reality, efficient technological developments will be promoted in conjunction with ideas from international collaborations. This scheme and associated achievements will be reflected in government energy policy.
Clarification of methane hydrate occurrences and characteristics offshore Japan; Assessment of methane gas amounts trapped in promising methane hydrate bearing offshore areas; Selection of methane hydrate resource fields from promising methane hydrate bearing offshore areas and deliberation of economic potential; Implementation of production test in the selected methane hydrate resource fields (until FY 2011); Improvement of technologies for the commercial production (until FY2016); Establishment of a development system complying with environment.”
- 2001–2002: 470 m3 of gas was successfully produced for five days using a hot water circulation (thermal) method in the first onshore methane hydrate production test. The test was carried out in the Mackenzie Delta, Canada via a collaborative research agreement between Japan, Canada, Germany, USA, and India. Hydrate depressurization also was tested.
- FY 2001–FY 2002: Two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic surveys in the eastern Nankai Trough were conducted by METI.
- 2004: METI exploratory test wells “Tokai-oki to Kumano-nada” were drilled.
- 2005: An interim project review was conducted and Phase 1 was extended for two years.
- 2006–2007: The second onshore methane hydrate production test (the first winter) was carried out in Canada with a goal of testing the depressurization method at a field scale and refining a gas production simulator code. 830 m3 of gas was produced over approximately 12.5 h of depressurization; however, the production test was interrupted by a significant amount of sand that flowed into the well earlier than expected, causing malfunction of the pump. Completion of this test was consequently postponed until 2008 [31] (p. 26).
- 2007: On 5 March 2007, METI announced that the estimated volume of methane hydrate in-place gas resources in the eastern Nankai Trough was approximately 40 Tcf (about 1.1 trillion m3) [37].
- 2008: The second onshore methane hydrate production test (the second winter) was completed in Canada. About 1.3 × 104 m3 of gas was produced continuously for six days employing the depressurization method. To prevent produced sand flow into the well, a sand screen was employed [31] (p. 26).
- 2008: Final evaluation of Phase 1 was conducted.
- METI exploratory test wells “Tokai-oki to Kumano-nada” drilled in 2004 revealed that the high-saturation methane hydrate in sand reservoirs found in 2000 comprised alternating turbidite sand and mud layers. These zones of concentrated methane hydrate in the eastern Nankai Trough area were considered to have a high potential for development [22,31].
- A method to identify concentrated methane hydrate zones based on the seismic data was established.
- The amount of in-place methane hydrate gas in the eastern Nankai Trough was calculated by using a probabilistic approach.
- The PTCS device developed earlier was improved and recorded an 80% core recovery success rate, maintaining sample in situ pressure 90% of the time during “Tokai-oki to Kumano-nada” test well drilling in 2004 [31] (p. 47). Other laboratory equipment and research techniques to measure methane hydrate properties and decomposition behavior at in situ conditions were also developed; e.g., the Microfocus X-ray CT instrument and techniques to determine porosity and hydrate saturation fraction of cores by imaging. The complete list of laboratory facilities for core testing is provided on page 60 and page 61 in “Phase 1 Comprehensive Report of Research Results (August 2008 Edition)” [31].
- Japan’s own well production simulator, MH21-HYDRES, was created to predict the behavior of methane hydrate-bearing layers.
- The depressurization method was confirmed to be a valid gas production technique through the two onshore production tests conducted in Canada.
- FY 2009–FY 2011: Preparations for the offshore production tests were undertaken. Phase 2 was extended by two years until FY 2015.
- FY 2011: An interim project review was conducted.
- FY 2012–FY 2015: The first offshore production test was conducted. On 19 March 2013, JOGMEC made a preliminary announcement reporting that approximately 120,000 m3 of gas was produced from a methane hydrate layer under the seabed utilizing the depressurization method; production continued for about six days [39]. It subsequently was officially disclosed that “a cumulative 119,500 m3 of gas at atmospheric conditions were produced” [40] (p. 301) and detailed technical reports on this offshore production test were prepared and made available in English [40,41,42]. On 6 November 2014, JOGMEC and the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the USA Department of Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a joint long-term onshore production test in Alaska, USA [43].
- FY 2015: A final evaluation of Phase 2 was conducted.
- “The first offshore MH production test took place off the coast of Japan.
- Assessments of MH resource field properties were completed.
- A conceptual subsea gas production system was evaluated.
- Continued development and refinement of gas production technology.
- Development of production behavior assessment technology.
- Methods were identified to evaluate geological layer properties.
- Exploration of MH reservoirs off the coast of Japan continued.
- Possible environmental risk analysis and counter measures were considered.
- Development of environmental assessment technologies.
- Environmental impact assessments were conducted based on the offshore production test.
- An assessment of economic feasibility was performed.”
- understanding long-term methane hydrate reservoir and gas production behaviors and developing the ability to estimate the amount of produced gas;
- confirmation of production methods and technologies that yield a high energy profit ratio and ensure well integrity; specific areas of interest are:
- -
- determining the viability of alternative production methods such as a well stimulation or enhanced recovery;
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- preventing produced sand flow into a production well and seawater and groundwater flow into a reservoir;
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- preventing release of produced gas;
- clarification of possible environmental impacts including:
- -
- effects of typhoons and other meteorological phenomena, and the Kuroshio current, on marine hydrate gas production systems;
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- how geological events might affect the safety of personnel and marine hydrate gas production systems (gas production from methane hydrate in the Nankai Trough is believed to be unlikely to induce a large-scale seafloor slide or earthquake).
4. The Great East Japan Earthquake and MH 21
5. Summary
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Oyama, A.; Masutani, S.M. A Review of the Methane Hydrate Program in Japan. Energies 2017, 10, 1447. https://doi.org/10.3390/en10101447
Oyama A, Masutani SM. A Review of the Methane Hydrate Program in Japan. Energies. 2017; 10(10):1447. https://doi.org/10.3390/en10101447
Chicago/Turabian StyleOyama, Ai, and Stephen M. Masutani. 2017. "A Review of the Methane Hydrate Program in Japan" Energies 10, no. 10: 1447. https://doi.org/10.3390/en10101447