Reservoir Stimulation Technologies for Natural Gas Hydrate: Research Progress, Challenges, and Perspectives

The energy crisis has intensified in recent years. Thecurrentglobal economic environment and increasing cost of mining necessitateadditional energy access channels. Previous studies have shown thatnatural gas hydrate reservoirs (NGHRs) contain a large number of naturalgas resources. However, several problems are associated with the safeand efficient exploitation of the NGHRs. Reservoir stimulation technologyis expected to address these issues. This study introduces the propertiesand mining difficulties of NGHRs and reviews their stimulation schemeand related research progress based on three perspectives: hydraulicfracturing, burden sealing, and near-well reconstruction. The principles,advantages, and limitations of the three schemes are compared. Inaddition to the stimulation effects of the three aforementioned methods,this study focused on the fracability of NGHRs, the factors influencingfracture initiation and development, and the fracturing fluid, proppant,completion fluid, and slurry suitable for NGHR stimulation. In addition,the principles, current challenges, and future research prospectsfor reservoir stimulation are summarized to provide a reference forthe commercial exploitation of natural gas hydrates in the future.

Automated summary

The energy crisis has worsened in recent years and additional energy access channels are needed due to the current global economic environment and rising mining costs. Previous studies have shown that natural gas hydrate reservoirs (NGHRs) contain a significant amount of natural gas resources. However, there are several issues associated with their safe and efficient exploitation. This study examines the properties and mining difficulties of NGHRs and reviews the stimulation scheme and research progress from three perspectives: hydraulic fracturing, burden sealing, and near-well reconstruction. The principles, advantages, and limitations of these schemes are compared, and factors influencing fracture initiation and development, as well as suitable fluids and materials for NGHR stimulation, are discussed. The study also summarizes the principles, current challenges, and future research prospects for reservoir stimulation, aiming to provide a reference for the future commercial exploitation of natural gas hydrates.