Experiments of methane gas solubility in formation water under high temperature and high pressure and their geological significance

ABSTRACT

The solubility of methane in formation water and water content in the coexisting gas phase were measured under the conditions of high temperature and high pressure, using an ultra-high-pressure fluid PVT system, where the experimental temperature reached up to 453 K and pressure reached up to 130 MPa. Experimental results show the following (1) The two phases of gas and liquid still exhibit an obvious interphase interface even under high temperatures and pressures. (2) When temperatures exceed 353 K, the solubility of methane in formation water increases as the temperature and pressure rise. The growth rate of solubility is faster under a relatively low temperature and pressure, and slower at a relatively high temperature and pressure, but the solubility will not increase without limit. In this experiment, the solubility of methane in formation water reached its peak when the temperature was at 453 K and the pressure at 130 MPa. (3) Water content in the coexisting gas phase increases as temperature rises, with a smaller increase at relatively low temperatures and a much greater increase at relatively high temperatures but decreases with the increasing pressure, more rapidly under low pressure and more slowly under high pressure. The solubility of methane in formation water and the water content in the coexisting gas phase are controlled by both temperature and pressure, but using classic calculation models, these two parameters under high temperatures and pressures are inconsistent with our experimental data. Therefore, the study is significant and highlights other possible effects on solubility and condensate water content. Additionally, an example from the Yinggehai Basin in the South China Sea, where the temperature and the pressure are high, demonstrates the influence of solubility and phase behaviour on natural gas migration, its formation and the distribution of gas reservoirs.

KEYWORDS:

• High temperature
• high pressure
• methane gas
• solubility
• formation water
• condensate water
• South China Sea

Acknowledgements

The research was financially supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China (No. 2011ZX05023-004-008). The authors thank CNOOC Limited, Zhanjiang Branch, for providing valuable geological data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.