Measuring gas hydrate formation and exchange with CO2 in Bentheim sandstone using MRI tomography

Formation of methane hydrate in Bentheim sandstone was monitored in situ with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Sequestration of CO2 in hydrate accumulations was achieved by exposing the hydrate to liquid CO2. The spontaneous exchange of methane with CO2 within the hydrate structure was monitored by MRI. The process of CO2-CH4 exchange in hydrates without the addition of heat or melting hydrate has the potential as a viable strategy for thermodynamically stable long term CO2-sequestration, with the added benefit of associated natural gas production. The MRI proved to give excellent information about the spatial distribution of the hydrate growth, the rate of the hydrate formation and the rate of the CO2-CH4 exchange. A standardized and reliable data analysis software package was developed to handle the huge amount of MRI-generated data. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.