The test of natural gas hydrate in China's seas has been successful, the world's first!

01. At 10:00 on May 18, Minister of Land and Resources, Party Secretary and National Land Chief Inspector Jiang Daming officially announced the Blue Whale No. 1 drilling platform in the Shenhu area of ​​the South China Sea - the successful trial of natural gas hydrate in the Shenhu area of ​​the South China Sea . The Central Committee of the Party sent a congratulatory message.

Congratulatory message from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on the successful trial of natural gas hydrate in the sea area

The Ministry of Land and Resources, the China Geological Survey, and participating in the sea area gas hydrate test and mining test participants and all comrades:

On the occasion of the success of the gas hydrate test in the sea area, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council expressed their warm congratulations to all the participants and personnel participating in the mission.

Natural gas hydrate is a highly efficient and clean energy source with abundant resources, and is the strategic commanding height of global energy development in the future. After nearly 20 years of unremitting efforts, China has achieved independent innovation in the theory, technology, engineering and equipment of natural gas hydrate exploration and development, and achieved a historic breakthrough. Under the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, the implementation of the new development concept, the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy, the political advantage that our socialist system can concentrate on doing big things, the deep sea entry, deep sea exploration, deep sea development, etc. The major achievements in key technologies are another landmark achievement for the Chinese people to climb the world's technological peak and have an important and far-reaching impact on promoting energy production and consumption revolution.

The successful trial and development of natural gas hydrates in the sea area is only a key step in the Long March, and the follow-up tasks are still arduous and arduous. I hope that you will be closely united around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the important speech of General Secretary Xi Jinping, especially the important guiding spirit of marching into the deep earth, relying on scientific and technological progress, protecting the marine ecology, and promoting the exploration of natural gas hydrates. The process of industrialization of mining will make new and greater contributions to promoting green development and safeguarding national energy security, and will make new contributions to the realization of the "two hundred years" struggle goal and the realization of the Chinese nation's great rejuvenation!

May 18, 2017

The natural gas hydrate test and mining work in the Shenhu area of ​​the South China Sea is under the responsibility of the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Land and Resources. From May 10th, the China Geological Survey produced natural gas from a natural gas hydrate deposit of 203-277 meters below the seabed at a depth of 1266 meters in the Shenhu area of ​​the South China Sea. After gas ignition, it has been continuously producing gas for 8 days, with a maximum output of 35,000 cubic meters per day, an average daily output of over 16,000 cubic meters, and an accumulated gas production of over 120,000 cubic meters. The natural gas production is stable and the methane content is up to 99.5%. The intended goal.

The successful trial and test is the first time in China and the world's first successful realization of the safe and controllable mining of muddy sand-type natural gas hydrate with more than 90% of the world's resources and the most difficult development. It provides technology for commercial exploitation and utilization of natural gas hydrate. Reserves have accumulated valuable experience, broke the long-term follow-up situation in China in the field of energy exploration and development, and achieved complete independent innovation in theory, technology, engineering and equipment, and realized the “running” to “leading” in this field. The historic leap will have an important and far-reaching impact on safeguarding national energy security, promoting green development, and building a maritime power.

On the morning of May 18, the Ministry of Land and Resources held a natural gas hydrate test and mining site meeting on the trial mining offshore platform. Jiang Daming, minister of the Ministry of Land and Resources and party secretary, announced the successful trial and control of natural gas hydrates in China's seas. The responsible comrades of the General Office of the State Council read out the congratulatory message from the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Zhong Tian, ​​a member of the party group of the Ministry of Land and Resources and the director of the China Geological Survey, presided over the on-site meeting. Ye Jianliang, the general commander of the natural gas hydrate test mining site command, reported the test mining situation.

Because most of it is buried in the seabed, it is very difficult to mine combustible ice. At present, Japan, Canada and other countries are stepping up trials of this future energy, but for various reasons they have failed to achieve or have not reached the target of continuous gas production. The successful mining test not only shows that the core technology of natural gas hydrate exploration and development in China has been verified, but also indicates that China's comprehensive strength in this field has reached the world's top level.

Relevant responsible comrades from the Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the National Energy Administration, the State Oceanic Administration, the Guangdong Provincial People's Government, China National Petroleum Corporation, and CIMC Group attended the meeting.

The trial production achieved stable gas production for 8 consecutive days, with an average daily output of more than 16,000 cubic meters and an accumulated gas production of over 120,000 cubic meters, achieving the target.

This means that the natural gas hydrate test mining in China's seas has made a historic breakthrough, occupying the commanding heights of natural gas hydrate theory and technology.

In this regard, the members of the Party Group of the Ministry of Land and Resources, the Party Secretary of the China Geological Survey, and the Director of the Bureau of China Geological Survey gave a high evaluation: this successful test is the first time in China that it has successfully achieved more than 90% of the global resources and the most difficult development of muddy sand-type natural gas. The safe and controllable mining of hydrates provides a technical reserve for the commercial exploitation and utilization of natural gas hydrates, and has accumulated valuable experience, breaking the long-term “follow-up” situation in the field of energy exploration and development in China, and has achieved theory, technology, engineering and The complete independent innovation of equipment has achieved a historic leap from “follow-up” to “leading” in this field, and has an important and far-reaching impact on safeguarding national energy security, promoting green development, and building a maritime power.

Start late, only keep catching up

Natural gas hydrate is an ice-like crystalline compound formed by water and gas molecules (mainly methane) at low temperature and high pressure and gas concentration greater than its solubility. It is mainly found in submarine strata or in terrestrial tundra. The pure natural gas hydrate has a white appearance and resembles ice and snow. It can be directly ignited like solid alcohol. Therefore, it is called “combustible ice”.

It can be said that since the first discovery of natural gas hydrates by British scientists in the laboratory in 1810, humans have not stopped researching and exploring it.

China's natural gas hydrate indoor research and offshore and land surveys started late, and only began to pay attention to foreign reports and research results in the early 1990s.

In 1995, with the support of the China Ocean Association, the former Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources and the State Science and Technology Commission, the Institute of Mineral Resources of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences conducted research and research on natural gas hydrates in the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and found a series of Geochemical and authigenic mineral anomalies associated with gas hydrates.

But it is undeniable that China was far behind in this field. In 1999, the Guangzhou Bureau of Marine Geological Survey of the China Geological Survey actively tracked the progress of international gas hydrate research. At that time, the United States, Canada, Japan and other countries have completed the theoretical study of natural gas hydrates, and even have obtained natural gas hydrates. Physical sample. In contrast, China is still in the stage of intelligence research, preliminary research and indoor synthesis research.

Also in this year, the Guanghai Bureau conducted a preliminary survey of natural gas hydrates in the Xisha area in the northern part of the South China Sea, and found an important seismic marker of natural gas hydrates – the BSR. After this major discovery was fed back to the Ministry of Land and Resources and the China Geological Survey, it attracted great attention from the state. In 2002, it was mainly based on the Guangzhou Oceanic Administration, and it was widely adopted by the state-owned countries, universities, research institutes, and national oil companies.

Since then, in the past, when the work was almost blank, nearly 100 people went into the deep waters of the South China Sea again and again every year, and carried out more than 60 multi-disciplinary comprehensive survey voyages such as geology, geophysics and geochemistry, and found a large amount of natural gas hydration. Through the comprehensive research and analysis, the geological, geophysical, geochemical and biological anomalies of the objects have reached a conclusion that the potential of natural gas hydrate resources in the northern part of the South China Sea is huge, and the prospecting area for the prospecting breakthrough is determined.

In 2007, under the organization of the China Geological Survey, the Guangzhou Oceanic Administration, in conjunction with advanced investigation and exploration forces at home and abroad, implemented China's first gas hydrate drilling project in the Shenhu area of ​​the northern South China Sea, and successfully obtained natural gas hydrate samples and discovered the ore layer. Dispersed gas hydrate deposits with large thickness, high saturation and high methane content.

This major breakthrough has erected the first milestone in the development and utilization of natural gas hydrates in China. While verifying that the survey and evaluation method in China is technically feasible and reliable, it has also made China the fourth country to obtain natural gas hydrate samples on the seabed after the United States, Japan and India.

In November 2008, China obtained natural gas hydrate samples in the permafrost zone of the Muli area of ​​the Qilian Mountains in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This discovery breaks through the understanding that terrestrial gas hydrates only survive in the permafrost zone of the polar regions (the land hydrates of Russia, Canada, and the United States belong to this), the first high-altitude tundra in the mid-latitude region. The discovery of natural gas hydrates has great strategic and scientific significance, and has opened a new chapter for the exploration and development of environmental gas hydrate resources in the land.

In 2011, the hydrate drilling was launched with the aim of accelerating the exploration and evaluation of the hydrate resources in the northern part of the South China Sea and selecting the target target area to carry out hydrate experimental mining. Around this goal, the Guangzhou Oceanic Administration continued to adopt an open research route. After conducting a multi-disciplinary comprehensive survey and evaluation, the drilling target area was set in the eastern waters of the Pearl River Mouth Basin, and it was attempted to implement the drilling project for China. Hydrate test mining prepares a mining area.

In 2013, according to the unified deployment of the China Geological Survey, the Guangzhou Oceanic Administration drilled various types of hydrate samples in the eastern waters of the Pearl River Mouth Basin and discovered the first 100 million-square-grade mineral deposits for the first time.

The good news continues to come. In 2015, the large-scale cold spring of the activity, “Hippo Cold Spring”, was first discovered in the western waters of the Pearl River Mouth Basin, and hydrate samples were successfully collected.

In 2015, in the Shenhu area, China once again drilled and found over 100 billion cubic hydrate deposits. The natural gas control resources in the drilling area exceed 150 billion cubic meters. The mineral deposit has the characteristics of wide distribution, large thickness and high saturation, which provides an important reference target for future hydrate test mining.

Technology leads, innovation will have a harvest

On January 14, 2014, at the site of the Nanhai Natural Gas Hydrate Drilling Project Acceptance Meeting held in Guangzhou, a “combustible ice” just taken out of the liquid nitrogen bottle attracted the attention of everyone on the scene.

The appearance of this "combustible ice" indicates that in the investigation, evaluation and exploration of natural gas hydrates in the sea, China has entered the "first group" and has become a leader in some technologies. But to a certain extent, at this time, the overall level of China's natural gas hydrates is still in the “and running” stage compared with the world's advanced level.

Natural gas hydrate exploration and test mining work is not only a hot spot in the world, but also the commanding height of today's science and technology, especially the gas hydrate test mining. It can be said that it is the crown of technology competition in the world's major countries. Many countries in the world have invested heavily in the investigation and evaluation of combustible ice. For example, the United States, Japan, Germany, India, Canada, South Korea, etc. have developed their own hydrate research and development plans, and are intensifying investigation, development and utilization research. Japan, Canada and other countries are stepping up trials of this future energy. However, for various reasons, the intended goal of continuous gas production has not been achieved or not achieved.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the exploration and development of natural gas hydrate resources. It has carried out the exploration and test mining of natural gas hydrates in China's sea and land by implementing the special projects of "118" and "127". It has accumulated a large amount of survey data and preliminary formation. The marine and land exploration technology and method system has continuously enriched and improved the geological theory of hydrate formation in the sea and land. Especially in the northern slope of the South China Sea, several hydrate drilling cores have been implemented, and many types of gas hydrate core samples have been obtained, which has continuously achieved new breakthroughs in hydrate exploration.

The Guangzhou Bureau of Marine Geological Survey of China Geological Survey is the backbone of China's investigation and evaluation of natural gas hydrate resources, research on hydrate geology and research and development of exploration technology. It has a solid working foundation and has achieved fruitful results. The Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey is the main unit of the “118” and “127” national hydrate special projects. The Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey Bureau has initially formed a comprehensive detection technology system for natural gas hydrates in China's seas, and established the theory of the basic research system of natural gas hydrates in the South China Sea for the first time, providing a leading and supporting role for the major breakthroughs in the investigation of natural gas hydrate resources in the South China Sea.

Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology is a marine geological survey and research institution affiliated to the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Land and Resources. It mainly undertakes national basic and public welfare marine geological survey research and strategic mineral resources survey research. In order to prepare for the sea area gas hydrate resource test and mining, the institute has formed a research team of nearly 100 people with the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey Bureau, Peking University, Chinese Academy of Sciences Energy Institute, and China National Petroleum Corporation, and cooperated with each other. Research, for the first time in the world, proposed a new method for gas hydrate test mining for the characteristics of China's seas - formation liquid extraction method. In the aspects of sand control and artificial lift, technologies with independent intellectual property rights have been formed. At the same time, through technology research and development and innovation, a total of more than 10 sets of experimental equipment and devices with independent property rights have been developed, and a systematic gas hydrate experimental test technology method system has been established. For the first time, synthetic hydrates are synthesized in domestic laboratories for different purposes. The hydrate indoor simulation experiment is to obtain the technical parameters of the hydrate reservoir; the hydrate mining simulation program of the coupled mechanical process is developed, and the hydrate mining technology and process monitoring comprehensive experimental system is independently developed, which is the exploration and development of natural gas hydrate resources. Theoretical research provides strong technical support.

On June 25, 2016, a landmark event occurred - "China Geological Survey Natural Gas Hydrate Engineering Technology Center" was formally established. The insiders commented that the establishment of the center is a major event in the exploration and development of natural gas hydrates in China. It marks that China's natural gas hydrate exploration and development has taken a new step and opened a new historical stage.

Energy revolution, leading the first step of the Long March

Of course, seawater gas hydrate trial mining is an innovative system engineering, which is no easy task.

For the South China Sea fox sea area, the natural gas hydrate reservoir type here is argillaceous silty sand. This type of resources accounts for more than 90% of the world's total. It is the main reservoir type in China. It has the characteristics of extremely low porosity and ultra-low permeability, and it is the most difficult to exploit. At the same time, the trial mining work also faces many problems such as “no” success precedent, “no” mature team, “no” mature platform, “no” mature technology, and “difficulty” construction.

It is no accident that we chose to conduct trial mining in the Shenhu area of ​​the South China Sea. In 2016, around the trial mining work, the Guangzhou Oceanic Administration carried out 8 drilling stations in the Shenhu area, all of which found hydrates. In order to further demonstrate the test well location, the focus is on logging and coring for the test well location, and the reservoir structure and physical parameters are carefully evaluated.

The day when trial mining is ready, the day has finally arrived. On March 28 this year, the gas hydrate test mining in the Shenhu area of ​​the South China Sea was officially opened.

The scientific goal of this trial mining is to achieve a natural gas production of more than 10,000 cubic meters per day for more than one week; to obtain complete and effective scientific data. The engineering goal is to achieve the goal of achieving gas production, to ensure safe, environmentally friendly and smooth test mining, and to form test mining technology and equipment with independent intellectual property rights.

At 9:20 on May 10, the Director of the Guangzhou Oceanic Bureau and the commander of the Natural Gas Hydrate Test and Production Command, Ye Jianliang, announced that they had started the test and started the test, and officially announced the successful ignition at 14:52 on May 10.

As of the morning of May 18, the China Geological Survey produced natural gas from a natural gas hydrate deposit of 203 m to 277 m below the seabed at a depth of 1266 m in the Shenhu area of ​​the South China Sea. After gas ignition, it has been continuously producing gas for 8 days, with a maximum output of 35,000 cubic meters per day, an average daily output of over 16,000 cubic meters, and an accumulated gas production of over 120,000 cubic meters. The natural gas production is stable and the methane content is up to 99.5%. The intended goal.

"These days, nights can't be smashed. Whether China's energy sector is shale gas or conventional oil and gas, we have been in the running stage. This time, the successful trial mining of natural gas hydrates means that we have prioritized the pre-emption of the technological highland. China's leading role in the development of natural gas hydrates. It will be after the US led the shale gas revolution, and the natural gas hydrate revolution led by China will promote the change of the world's energy utilization pattern." Director Lee Jin-fat, said excitedly in an interview.

The reporter learned that the sea area gas hydrate test mining achieved a number of major breakthroughs:

Achieving a major breakthrough in the development and utilization of natural gas hydrates - this is the first time in China, and the world's first successful realization of the safe and controllable mining of argillaceous silt-type natural gas hydrates, providing technical reserves for the extensive development and utilization of natural gas hydrates, and accumulated Valuable experience has laid a solid foundation.

A major breakthrough in the realization of natural gas hydrate exploration and development theory - the establishment of the "two-phase three-type" metallogenic theory of natural gas hydrates, guided the delineation of favorable areas for prospecting, and accurately targeted the test mining targets. The theory of gas hydrate accumulation system was established, which guided the scientific formulation of the trial production implementation plan and was confirmed in this test. The theory of “three-phase control” mining of natural gas hydrate was established, which was applied to the trial mining simulation and implementation plan formulation to ensure the safe and controllable test production process and stable production capacity.

A major breakthrough in the core technology of gas hydrate whole process test mining - the first is the formation of a new international leading test mining process. The innovation proposes the “stratigraphic fluid extraction” test mining method, which effectively solves the problem of reservoir fluid control and natural gas hydrate stability and continuous decomposition. The second is to master the core technology of drilling and completion. Developed a new type of drilling fluid, developed special balanced drilling, enhanced wellhead stability and other technologies, and built a deep water shallow drilling and completion technology system. The third is the successful development of key technologies for reservoir reformation, natural gas hydrate secondary production prevention, sand control and sand discharge. The fourth is the development of large-scale trial mining simulation experimental equipment and other special equipment.

A major breakthrough in achieving safety and control of test mining environment--the first is to establish a technical method for evaluating the environmental impact effects of natural gas hydrates, and obtain the environmental background data before trial mining. The second is to build a three-in-one environmental monitoring network of atmosphere, seawater, seabed and underground “four in one”, realizing real-time monitoring and safety warning of temperature, pressure, methane concentration and seabed stability parameters. Third, the comprehensive evaluation results show that the test mining has not affected the surrounding atmosphere and the marine environment.

"The successful trial of seawater gas hydrate test is only the first step of the long march. The follow-up task is still arduous and heavy." Zhong naturally stressed that we must resolutely drop the internship of General Secretary Jin Ping's decision to deploy to the deeper part of the earth and accelerate the gas hydrate. The process of development and utilization will make new contributions to ensuring energy security, promoting green development, and building a maritime power.

Yes, the door to the exploitation of natural gas hydrates has just begun, and we have to go a long way...

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Gas hydrates: a high energy density, a huge amount of resources, distribution of a wide range, good prospects and other characteristics, is considered one of the most potential in the 21st century new clean energy to replace coal, oil and natural gas.

There are three basic conditions for the formation of combustible ice: temperature, pressure and ample gas. The low temperature and high pressure of the sea floor are very favorable for the formation of natural gas hydrates. Therefore, about 97% of the world's natural gas hydrates are distributed in the ocean, and only 3% are distributed in the terrestrial tundra. Under standard conditions, 1 volume of natural gas hydrate can be decomposed into 164 volumes of methane gas.

There are three types of natural gas hydrates in nature, namely type I (gas is mainly composed of small molecular hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane) and type II (the gas may have a large number of hydrocarbon gas molecules such as propane and isobutane. ) and H type (gas molecules can accommodate larger molecular weight molecules). What type of gas hydrate is produced depends mainly on the type, proportion and molecular size of the gas molecules. Pure methane can only form type I gas hydrates, and may form when the proportion of ethane and other higher hydrocarbons is higher. Type II natural gas hydrate. Type I is the most widely distributed in nature, followed by type II and type H.

It is estimated that the total amount of natural gas resources in global hydrates is about 2.1×1016 m3, which is equivalent to twice the total amount of proven fossil fuels in the world, and has great potential for energy development. According to existing exploration estimates, global flammable ice reserves are huge. According to the latest conservative estimate of the United Nations Environment Program, the carbon content of global hydrates is between 1 trillion tons and 10 trillion tons, even if the estimated intermediate value is 5 trillion tons, and the world's conventional fossil fuel coal and oil. Natural gas has a carbon content equivalent. This is a very large number, enough for humans to use for 1000 years.

Since 1990, through nearly 30 years of exploration research, China's natural gas hydrate research and exploration has accumulated rich experience. According to conservative estimates, the total resources of combustible ice in China exceeds 80 billion tons of oil equivalent, which is close to the amount of conventional oil resources in China, which is about twice the amount of conventional natural gas resources. According to the current consumption level, it can meet the energy demand of China for nearly 200 years.

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