Residual fluid saturation in clayey silt hydrate-bearing sediments: Effects of porosity, hydrate saturation and pore habits

Authors

  • Yaobin Li Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P. R. China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P. R. China
  • Tianfu Xu Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P. R. China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P. R. China
  • Mengwei Liu Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
  • Yilong Yuan Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P. R. China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P. R. China
  • Xin Xin Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P. R. China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P. R. China (Email: xxxx@jlu.edu.cn)

Abstract

Natural gas hydrate production is severely limited by residual methane and water from hydrate dissociation, primarily due to the inadequate understanding of hydrate morphology controls on dynamic residual fluid saturation. Traditional multiphase flow models adopt constant residual saturation and thus fail to capture in-situ reservoir dynamic responses. This limitation is pronounced in clayey silt hydrate reservoirs where fine-grained sediments produce high capillary pressure, and variable hydrate morphologies reshape pore structures, exacerbate fluid retention, as well as impair methane recovery efficiency and production safety. This study addresses this research gap via a self-developed low-temperature high-pressure multiphase displacement system. Therein, clayey silt cores with diverse initial porosities were prepared based on sediment properties of the Shenhu test area in the South China Sea. Excess-gas and excess-water approaches were used to replicate hydrate formation in gas-rich and water-rich environments, and residual fluid saturations were quantified under varied hydrate saturation. From the results, distinct residual saturation evolution patterns were identified: Residual water saturation exhibited two-stage power law growth with rising hydrate saturation, whereas residual gas saturation increased linearly. Higher initial porosity lowered residual fluid saturation, with porosity-induced differences amplified under high hydrate saturation. Water-rich environments yielded higher residual saturation than gas-rich counterparts, resulting from varied pore modifications caused by different hydrate morphologies. This study clarifies the morphology-governed dynamic evolution mechanisms of residual saturation in clayey silt hydrate sediments. The proposed dynamic saturation laws not only rectify deficiencies in traditional constant-saturation models but also provide robust parametric support for reservoir numerical simulation and offer fundamental guidance for safe, efficient and sustainable hydrate exploitation.

Document Type: Original article

Cited as: Li, Y., Xu, T., Liu, M., Yuan, Y., Xin, X. Residual fluid saturation in clayey silt hydrate-bearing sediments: Effects of porosity, hydrate saturation and pore habits. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2026, 21(3): 269-282. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2026.09.06

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2026.09.06

Keywords:

Natural gas hydrates, hydrate habit, pore structure, residual saturation, clayey silt sediments

References

Aghajanloo, M., Taghinejad, S., Voskov, D., et al. Influence of water saturation and water memory on CO₂ hydrate formation/dissociation in porous media under flowing condition. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2024, 492: 152455.

Agnissan, A., Guimpier, C., Terzariol, M., et al. Influence of clay-containing sediments on methane hydrate formation: Impacts on kinetic behavior and gas storage capacity. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 2023, 128(9): e2023JB027333.

Awag, M., Mackay, E., Ghanbari, S. Impact of CO₂ solubility on design of single well tracer tests to evaluate residual saturation during carbon capture and storage. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024, 11(1): 6-19.

Cai, J., Berg, S. Recent advances in flow through porous media for energy exploitation. Energy & Fuels, 2025, 39(20): 9181-9184.

Cai, J., Xia, Y., Lu, C., et al. Creeping microstructure and fractal permeability model of natural gas hydrate reservoir. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2020a, 115: 104282.

Cai, J., Xia, Y., Xu, S., et al. Advances in multiphase seepage characteristics of natural gas hydrate sediments. Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 2020b, 52(1): 208-223. (in Chinese)

Cai, J., Yang, X., Yang, Z., et al. Microscopic flow and reactive transport in geological media: Recent advances and challenges. Capillarity, 2025, 17(3): 77-80.

Cao, S., Li, X., Jung, J., et al. Experimental techniques for studying interfacial dynamics and sediment response during CH₄-CO₂ hydrate replacement. Capillarity, 2025, 15(3): 53-57.

Cardona, A., Bhandari, A., Bhandari, A., et al. The viscoplastic behavior of natural hydrate-bearing sandy-silts under uniaxial strain compression (K0 Loading). Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 2023, 128(7): e2023JB026976.

Chen, B., Chen, J., Wu, M., et al. Pressure and multiphase flow effects on CO₂ storage in hydrate-based cap: A comprehensive analysis. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2026, 256(2): 127960.

Cheng, H., Lai, R., Liu, J., et al. Influence of roughness on spontaneous air-water imbibition in fractures: Insights from mathematical model analysis. Capillarity, 2025, 16(3): 87-94.

Dong, L., Liu, X., Gong, B., et al. Geomechanical properties of hydrate-bearing strata and their applications. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2025, 11(3): 161-167.

Fang, B., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Q., et al. Molecular insights into two-phase flow in clay nanopores during gas hydrate recovery: Wettability-induced multiple pathways of water lock formation. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2025, 17(1): 17-29.

Feng, Y., Qu, A, Han, Y., et al. Properties and model of pore-scale methane displacing water in hydrate-bearing sediments. Applied Energy, 2023, 349: 121694.

Gao, X., Lei, G., Zhao, Y., et al. A novel theoretical method for upscaling permeability in hydrate-bearing sediments. Water Resources Research, 2024, 60(10): e2024WR037729.

Geranutti, B., Pohl, M., Rathmaier, D., et al. Multiphysics measurements for detection of gas hydrate formation in undersaturated oil coreflooding experiments with seawater injection. Energies, 2024, 17(13): 3280.

Golsanami, N., Gyimah, E., Wu, G., et al. Laboratory synthesis and characterization of natural gas hydrates for sustainable gas production from hydrate-bearing sediments. Sustainability, 2026, 18(5): 2401.

Gong, B., Lei, G., Chen, L., et al. Mitigating risks in deep sea gas hydrate production: A new perspective on interpreting thermo-hydro-mechanical feedbacks. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2025, 17(3): 267-270.

Guo, D., Ou, W., Zhang, Y., et al. Hydrate formation and agglomeration in Pickering emulsions stabilized by hydrophilic and hydrophobic nano-CaCO₃ particles. Petroleum Science, 2025, 22(9): 3817-3829.

Jang, J., Narsilio, G., Santamarina, J. Hydraulic conductivity in spatially varying media–a pore-scale investigation. Geophysical journal international, 2011, 184(3): 1167-1179.

Jang, J., Sun, Z., Santamarina, J. Capillary pressure across a pore throat in the presence of surfactants. Water Resources Research, 2016, 52(12): 9586-9599.

Ji, Y., Kneafsey, T., Hou, J., et al. Relative permeability of gas and water flow in hydrate-bearing porous media: A micro-scale study by lattice Boltzmann simulation. Fuel, 2022, 321: 124013.

Jiang, Y., Zhang, R., Ye, R., et al. Mechanical properties of nodular natural gas hydrate-bearing sediment. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024, 11(1): 41-53.

Joseph, J., Dangayach, S., Singh, D. et al. Investigation on excess gas method for synthesis of methane gas hydrates. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2017, 42: 203-215.

Kim, J., Lee, J., Ahn, T., et al. Validation of strongly coupled geomechanics and gas hydrate reservoir simulation with multiscale laboratory tests. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2022, 149: 104958.

Kou, X., Zhang, H., Chen, Z., et al. Dynamic mechanisms of gas hydrate evolution in hydrophobic sediments: Wall-climbing and secondary formation. Energy, 2026, 353: 141013.

Lei, J., Wang, Y., Guo, W. Fines migration characteristics of illite in clayey silt sediments induced by pore water under the depressurization of natural gas hydrate. Fuel, 2024, 365: 131236.

Lei, L., Seol, Y., Choi, J., et al. Pore habit of methane hydrate and its evolution in sediment matrix - Laboratory visualization with phase-contrast micro-CT. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2019, 104: 451-467.

Li, M., Jian, Z., Hassanpouryouzband, A., et al. Understanding hysteresis and gas trapping in dissociating hydrate-bearing sediments using pore network modeling and three-dimensional imaging. Energy & Fuels, 2022a, 36(18): 10572-10582.

Li, S., Zhang, N., Hu, Z., et al. Visual experimental study on hydrate occurrence patterns and growth habits in porous media. Chemical Engineering Science, 2022b, 262: 117971.

Li, X., Xin, X., Xu, T., et al. Novel wellbore-reservoir coupling fluid flow model for natural gas hydrate production. Energy & Fuels, 2025a, 39(49): 23098-23112.

Li, Y., Xin, X., Liu, M., et al. An experimental study on gas-liquid phase fluid migration in hydrate-bearing sediments during hydrate dissociation. Engineering Geology, 2025b, 354: 108163.

Li, Y., Xin, X., Zhu, H., et al. Research progress and scientific challenges in permeability evolution of hydrate bearing sediments. Petroleum Science, 2025c, 22(12): 4895-4909.

Li, Y., Xu, T., Xin, X., et al. Multi-scale comprehensive study of the dynamic evolution of permeability during hydrate dissociation in clayey silt hydrate-bearing sediments. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024a, 12(2): 127-140.

Li, Y., Xu, T., Xin, X., et al. Pore-scale study of the dynamic evolution of multi-phase seepage parameters during hydrate dissociation in clayey silt hydrate-bearing sediments. Journal of Hydrology, 2024b, 635: 131178.

Li, Y., Xu, T., Xin, X., et al. Effects of dipping and folded structure on gas production from hydrate bearing sediments. SPE Journal, 2024c, 29(2): 1129-1146.

Liu, M., Santamarina, J. Fracture sealing using precipitation reactions: Implications to long-term gas storage. Gas Science and Engineering, 2025, 153: 205962.

Liu, M., Seol, Y. A statistical and simulation-informed model for estimating permeability from pore size distribution in saturated geomaterials. Advances in Water Resources, 2025, 207: 105197.

Liu, W., Chen, Y., Shang, A., et al. Permeability anisotropy analysis of two-phase flow during hydrate dissociation process. Gas Science and Engineering, 2024, 126: 205342.

Liu, X., Li, Z., Liu, Y., et al. Surface sediment consolidation-creep characteristics in deep-sea mining areas: A quantitative microstructural perspective. Engineering Geology, 2025, 357: 108357.

Luo, Y., Sun, Y., Li, L., et al. Image-based pore-network modeling of two-phase flow in hydrate-bearing porous media. Energy, 2022, 252: 124044.

Lv, J., Zhao, J., Jiang, L., et al. A review of micro computed tomography studies on the gas hydrate pore habits and seepage properties in hydrate bearing sediments. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2020, 83: 103555.

Makogon, Y., Holditch, S., Makogon, T. Natural gas-hydrates– A potential energy source for the 21st Century. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2007, 56(1-3): 14-31.

Meng, X., Liu, X., Zhang, H., et al. A physics-informed neural network framework for wave-induced dynamic response in a poroelastic seabed. Computers and Geotechnics, 2026, 198, 108250.

Rake, L., Pinkert, S. The effect of hydrate formation conditions on the mechanics of laboratory methane hydrate-bearing sediments. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 2024, 129(10): e2024JB029217.

Seol, Y., Kneafsey, T. Methane hydrate induced permeability modification for multiphase flow in unsaturated porous media. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 2011, 116: B08102.

Song, H., Zhao, J., Yin, Z., et al. Experimental study on metastable dissociation of sandy hydrate reservoirs. Chemical Engineering Science, 2024, 286: 119685.

Sun, H., Chen, J., Yang, X., et al. Characterizing methane hydrate phase transitions and multiphase flow behavior in porous media: Insights from low-field nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2025a, 253: 127542.

Sun, H., Chen, J., Karunakaran, G., et al. System-level insights into flow-pressure-saturation coupling for safe and efficient methane hydrate production. Applied Energy, 2026, 411: 127623.

Sun, W., Kong, D., Li, Z., et al. Experimental investigation into gas migration mechanism in submarine sandy sediments at pore-scale. Advances in Geo-Energy Research. 2025b, 17(1): 30-42.

Takahisa, H., Konno, Y., Jin, Y., et al. Effect of heterogeneous hydrate distribution on permeability: Pore filling hydrate presents high permeability. Gas Science and Engineering, 2025, 142: 205682.

Terzariol, M., Park, J., Castro, G., et al. Methane hydrate-bearing sediments: Pore habit and implications. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2020, 116: 104302.

Tiong, M., Peng, W., Liu, Q., et al. Natural gas hydrate exploitation: A comprehensive review of structural properties, technical progress and environmental challenges. Gas Science and Engineering, 2025, 144: 205769.

Waite, W., Santamarina, J., Cortes, D., et al. Physical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments. Review of Geophysics, 2009, 47: RG4003.

Wang, H., Li, Y., Huang, L., et al. A pore-scale study on microstructure and permeability evolution of hydrate-bearing sediment during dissociation by depressurization. Fuel, 2024a, 358(A): 130124.

Wang, S., Kong, D., Tan, J., et al. Mechanisms driving pathway-opening migration of gas in marine clayey sediments. Engineering Geology, 2025a, 348: 107965.

Wang, X., Yuan, Y., Du, Z., et al. Mineral effects on methane hydrate formation and distribution in sand sediments. Geoenergy Science and Engineering, 2024b, 243: 213379.

Wang, Y., Ma, R., Sun, Z., et al. A novel shifting framework to describe bimodal soil hydraulic properties. European Journal of Soil Science, 2025b, 76(6): e70243.

Wang, Y., Yang, J., Wang, P., et al. Impact of multiphasic pore-scale interactions on gas hydrate formation and dissociation characteristics and kinetics: A microfluidic study. Lab on A Chip, 2025c, 25(15): 3741-3765.

Wu, P., Chen, Y., Shang, A., et al. Anisotropy analysis of two-phase flow permeability in the multi-stage shear process of hydrate-bearing sediments. Energy, 2024, 293: 130697.

Wu, X., Qin, Y., Shi, H., et al. Erosion characteristics of hydrate-bearing sediments exposed to a cavitation jet. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2025, 191: 106118.

Xia, X., Elsworth, D., Xu, S., et al. Pore-scale gas-water two-phase flow and relative permeability characteristics of disassociated hydrate reservoir. Petroleum Science. 2025, 22(8): 3344-3356.

Xin, X., Liu, X., Xu, T., et al. Mechanical response of sandy and clayey-silty hydrate-bearing sediments in horizontal depressurization production. Energy & Fuels. 2026, 40(7): 3621-3636.

Xue, K., Yang, L., Zhao, J., et al. The study of flow characteristics during the decomposition process in hydrate-bearing porous media using magnetic resonance imaging. Energies, 2019, 12(9): 1736.

Yang, Z., Zhang, L., Jiang, Y., et al. Seepage-path-dependent CO₂ hydrate formation and storage capacity enhancement in NGH reservoirs. Fuel, 2026, 422: 139217.

You, Z., Wang, A., Jia, J., et al. Multistage triaxial shear behavior of methane hydrate-bearing sands: Insights from the discrete element method. Energy & Fuels, 2025, 39(39), 18831-18844.

Zhang, W., Luo, A., Wang, J., et al. A review on gas hydrate production feasibility for permafrost and marine hydrates. Journal Of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2022, 100: 104441.

Zhang, L., Song, W., Huang, F., et al. Hydrate stability assessment in marine environments: Implications for CO₂ sequestration site optimization. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2026a, 14(2): 121641.

Zhang, Z., Guo, H., Hu, J., et al. Experimental insights into water flow path and relative permeability in porous media through visual microfluidic technology. Journal of Hydrology, 2026b, 668: 135021.

Zhang, J., Fu, H., Guo, M., et al. New insights into the deposition of natural gas hydrate on pipeline surfaces: A molecular dynamics simulation study. Petroleum Science, 2024a, 21(1), 694-704.

Zhang, Z., Liu, L., Lu, W., et al. Permeability of hydrate-bearing fine-grained sediments: Research status, challenges and perspectives. Earth-Science Reviews, 2024b, 244: 104517.

Zhao, Y., Liu, Z., Li, Y., et al. Subsidence characteristics of hydrate-bearing sediments during depressurization: Insights from experimental and discrete element method simulations. Energy & Fuels, 2024, 38(17): 16202-16217.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2026-09-03

How to Cite

Li, Y., Xu, T., Liu, M., Yuan, Y., & Xin, X. (2026). Residual fluid saturation in clayey silt hydrate-bearing sediments: Effects of porosity, hydrate saturation and pore habits. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 21(3), 269–282. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2026.09.06

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 3 (2026): September

Section

ARTICLE

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.