Formation enhancement of methane hydrate for natural gas transport and storage

Methane hydrate is considered an excellent way of transporting and storing natural gas in large quantities. However, when methane hydrate is formed artificially, water/gas ratio is relatively low due to a slow reaction rate between water and methane gas. The major objective of this study is to investigate the mechanics of methane hydrate formation and to explore possible means for rapid production of hydrates and increasing its water/gas ratio. It is found that methane hydrate could be formed rapidly during pressurization if the subcooling is maintained at 8 K or above. In addition, water injection appears to be more effective in hydrate formation compared to gas injection or using a magnetic stirrer. It also gives higher water/gas ratios of 3-4 times for the methane hydrate through a nozzle at the same level of subcooling temperature, when compared to gas injection cases. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.