Geomechanical and environmental risks in deep-sea gas hydrate exploitation: Insights from multiscale multiphysics couplings

Authors

  • Lele Liu Shandong Engineering Research Center of Marine Exploration and Conservation, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, P. R. China (Email: lele.liu@ouc.edu.cn)
  • Kailun Wang Shandong Engineering Research Center of Marine Exploration and Conservation, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, P. R. China
  • Tingting Luo School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, P. R. China
  • Shuang Cindy Cao School of Urban Construction, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213000, P. R. China

Abstract

Deep-sea natural gas hydrates represent a vast energy frontier, yet commercial extraction triggers complex multiphysics couplings, posing significant geomechanical and environmental hazards. This perspective synthesizes recent advances in elucidating multiscale triggers of reservoir instability and gas leakage. Leveraging three-dimensional digital rock physics, the impact of microstructural evolution on nonlinear flow is investigated, with specific focus on hydrate morphology transitions and fines-migration-induced clogging. Geomechanical hazards are interpreted through novel stress-partitioning constitutive models coupled with acoustic-mechanical monitoring. Furthermore, the integration of multidimensional geophysical monitoring with hybrid data-driven and physics-based fusion methodologies offers a novel pathway for predicting coupled hydro-mechanical behaviors and enables real-time adaptive management. By bridging the scale gap from molecular kinetics to reservoir-scale responses, a comprehensive framework is outlined for safe and predictable hydrate production while mitigating environmental leakage risks.

Document Type: Perspective

Cited as: Liu, L., Wang, K., Luo, T., Cao, S. C. Geomechanical and environmental risks in deep-sea gas hydrate exploitation: Insights from multiscale multiphysics couplings. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2026, 20(3): 209-212. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2026.06.03

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2026.06.03

Keywords:

Natural gas hydrate, multiphysics coupling, reservoir instability, permeability evolution, intelligent monitoring

References

Cao, S. C., Cao, M., Zhang, P., et al. Impact of fines migration and clogging on gas production in hydrate-bearing sediments: A 2D microfluidic pore model and 3D DEM-CFD study. Computers and Geotechnics, 2026, 190: 107685.

Di, P., Long, J., Li, N., et al. Development of a novel deep-sea acoustic measuring device for quantifying in situ methane bubble flux from cold seeps at the seafloor. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 2026, 51(1): 491-502.

Huang, L., Xu, C., Jia, K., et al. Ultrasonic response and mechanical behavior of hydrate-bearing sediments during triaxial shearing. Energy & Fuels, 2026, 40(11): 55065517.

Huang, Z., Xue, B., Li, M., et al. A novel meshless method for solving steady seepage problems with free surface based on physics-informed neural networks. Computers and Geotechnics, 2025, 186: 107348.

Li, Z., Zhang, Z., Dai, S., et al. Machine learning-based nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of hydraulic properties in hydrate-bearing sediments. Ocean Engineering, 2025, 315: 119795.

Wang, A., Luo, T., Wang, S., et al. Resistivity response of hydrate-bearing silty-clayey sediments under temperature-electricity-mechanical coupling properties. Energy & Fuels, 2026a, 40(3): 1634-1644.

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

Wang, K., Liu, L., Liu, T., et al. Influence of pore-water salinity on the permeability of hydrate-bearing clayey sediments under isotropic and one-dimensional compression: a theoretical model. Computers and Geotechnics, 2026b, 192: 107871.

Wang, L., Shen, S., Wu, Z., et al. Strength and creep characteristics of methane hydrate-bearing clayey silts of the South China Sea. Energy, 2024b, 294: 130789.

Wang, L., Yu, W., Zhang, K., et al. Strength characteristics of fractured methane hydrate-bearing sediments. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 2025, 319: 110986.

Wu, X., Xing, L., Zuo, Y., et al. Broadband electrical spectra of hydrate-bearing sediments and saturation evaluation of hydrate and gas: A cross-scale numerical study. Energy & Fuels, 2025, 39(11): 5259-5278.

Xu, J., Xu, C., Zhang, J., et al. A Stress-PartitioningFramework constitutive model for methane hydratebearing sediment incorporating dissociation induced deformation. Computers and Geotechnics, 2026, 191: 107778.

Zhang, K., Li, G., Ma, S., et al. Molecular dynamics simulations of methane flow behavior in clay and methane hydrate nanopores. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 25a, 424: 127112.

Zhang, P., Gao, W., Ding, Y., et al. Mesoscale numerical investigation of fines detachment, migration, and erosion mechanisms in gas hydrate extraction. Acta Geotechnica, 25b, 20: 5469-5486.

Zhao, G., Zheng, J., Gong, G., et al. Production characteristics and visualization insight of top/bottom depressurization exploitation of natural gas with overpressure gas. Fuel, 2025, 379: 133030.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2026-05-10

How to Cite

Liu, L., Wang, K., Luo, T., & Cao, S. C. (2026). Geomechanical and environmental risks in deep-sea gas hydrate exploitation: Insights from multiscale multiphysics couplings. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 20(3), 209–212. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2026.06.03

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 3 (2026): June (In progress)

Section

PERSPECTIVE

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Lele Liu, Kailun Wang, Tingting Luo, Shuang Cindy Cao

Creative Commons License

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