Coupled Thermo-hydro-mechano-chemical Model for Gas Hydrate Disassociation

This paper describes the development and implementation of a thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical model for the simulations of the dissociation of methane hydrate. The governing equation system for methane hydrate as a four-phase four-component composite was simplified to facilitate implementation. Auxiliary relationships were employed to mathematically close the formulation. The mathematical model was implemented using the finite element method. The simulation results were evaluated and compared with those obtained by conventional simulators for thermo-hydraulic modeling. The mechanical module was applied to evaluating geotechnical responses induced by gas recovery in a typical oceanic reservoir.