Experimental Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of Methane Hydrate–Bearing Sediments under High Effective Confining Pressure
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 148, Issue 3
Abstract
A significant increase in effective stress can be induced in hydrate-bearing reservoirs when the depressurization method is applied. A series of drained triaxial shear tests were performed on hydrate-bearing sediments with various hydrate saturations to investigate their mechanical characteristics under effective confining pressures of up to 20 MPa. The results show that significant particle crushing of the host sand occurs during shearing under high pressures, and there is no remarkable effect of hydrate saturation on the degree of particle breakage. As the effective confining pressure increases, the stress–strain curves of the hydrate-bearing specimen transformed from strain-softening to strain-hardening. The peak stress ratio and internal friction angle of the sediments gradually decrease and tend to be constant with the increased confining stress, whereas the cohesion in hydrate-bearing sediments exhibits an increasing tendency. The critical state line (CSL) of hydrate-bearing sediments in the space under low-to-high effective confining pressures intersects with the normal consolidation line under the same hydrate saturation. Furthermore, the CSL moves upward and rotates clockwise as the hydrate saturation increases.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the National Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51722801).
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 148 • Issue 3 • March 2022
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Mar 12, 2021
Accepted: Oct 5, 2021
Published online: Dec 17, 2021
Published in print: Mar 1, 2022
Discussion open until: May 17, 2022
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