Pressure and Permeability Evolution near Hydrate Exploitation Well During Constant-Rate Water Flooding: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Dynamic damage to the seepage characteristics of the near-well zone during natural gas hydrate exploitation is a key factor limiting production stability. There is still a lack of systematic understanding of the microscopic mechanisms underlying fine-particle migration and blockage in the near-well zone. In this study, a long sand-packed column was segmentally packed with clayey-silt sediments from the South China Sea and quartz sand to simulate the near-well reservoir and the packed layer, respectively. Long-term seepage processes in the near-well zone were simulated using water flow experiments at constant flow velocities. By combining pressure distribution monitoring with particle-size analysis, the spatiotemporal evolution of seepage characteristics in the near-well zone is revealed from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. Results indicate that under long-term displacement, the reservoir permeability near the injection end increased from 0.0149 mD to 0.0159 mD; the reservoir permeability near the packed layer exhibits the greatest decline, dropping from 0.0089 mD to 0.0065 mD. Combined with the particle-size analysis of the packer layer, the boundary between the reservoir and the packed layer is identified as the critical site for permeability damage in the near-well zone. Radial flow inversion shows that a reduction in wellbore radius leads to an increase in reservoir pressure, with the increase being greater the farther from wellbore. A decrease in the permeability of packed layer causes an increase in reservoir pressure, but the magnitude of the increase is consistent across different locations. It provides a theoretical basis for the optimized design of production wells.