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Accurate control of natural gas flow and pressure is essential to achieving multi-gas combined production of the natural gas hydrates. In this study, a downhole stratification control tool for controlling natural gas flow rate and pressure with a multi-stage throttling structure was innovatively proposed. The multi-stage throttling structure combined an adjustable cage sleeve and a fixed nozzle. The numerical model of the internal flow field of the downhole stratification control tool was established. Through the computer fluid dynamics numerical simulation, the flow field change law inside the spool module of the downhole stratification control tool under different spool structures, different outlet pressures, and different spool openings was analyzed. Moreover, the spool module prototype was processed, and the indoor experiment of the spool's performance of reducing pressure and regulating production was carried out. The results show that the multi-stage throttling structure has the advantages of adjustable spool opening and moderate cooling range and the mass flow of gas inside the spool changes linearly with the opening of the spool. The spool module can accurately control the mass flow of natural gas under high-pressure conditions, and meet the needs of the downhole stratification control tool for accurate gas control. • A DSCT with multi-stage throttling structure is proposed. • The throttling structure composed of a cage sleeve and a fixed nozzle. • The flow field of multi-stage throttling structure is analyzed. • The DSCT can precisely control the gas mass flow under high-pressure conditions. • The pressure drop performance of the multi-stage throttling structure is the best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the heat transfer in the exploitation of offshore argillaceous‐silt natural gas hydrate reservoirs considering sand control. The temperature prediction model is established in this investigation. The coupled pressure‐temperature model of the flowing fluid inside the wellbore is also presented. The sand control for argillaceous‐silt natural gas hydrate reservoirs mainly brings two effects into the temperature and pressure profiles simulation, including the moderate sand control and the Joule–Thompson effect. The moderate sand control is reflected by the volume and particle size of produced sand into the wellbore in the mathematical derivation. The Joule–Thompson is considered in the model due to the small diameter of sand control screens. The experiment is designed to measure the pressure drop caused by various mesh diameters of sand control screens. Subsequently, the regression relationship between the pressure drop and the mesh diameter is concluded to calculate the temperature change at the sand control screen. The simulation of heat transfer helps to analyze secondary hydrate formation risk in the wellbore. The proposed model identifies the high‐risk location of the secondary hydrate formation. The sand control effect and well geometry effect are discussed quantitatively. The strict sand control in the argillaceous‐silt natural gas hydrate (NGH) sediment exploitation reduces the risk of secondary hydrate formation significantly; however, it also has a negative effect on natural gas production. To balance the sand control and the prevention of secondary hydrate formation risk, it is suggested to install the heating electrode in the high‐risk location to ensure flow safety with acceptable sand control precision. The heat provided by heat electrodes is calculated by the model presented in this paper. The model can be used to determine the proper arrangement of heat electrodes. The paper also describes the secondary hydrate formation by adjusting the well geometry. The formation depth of the NGH reservoir and the sea interval should be considered in the risk analysis of the secondary hydrate formation. Additionally, the effects of wall thickness and wall thermal properties are evaluated and discussed. It is recommended to optimize the riser thickness with a small thermal conductivity value to minimize the secondary hydrate formation risk, which is more efficient compared to adjusting the cement sheath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the natural gas hydrate (NGH) resources show a bright future, more and more commercial and technical focuses have been devoted to this area. The low productivity, the sanding problem, and the poor economic performance are vital problems hindering the long‐term commercial exploration and development of NGS sediments. Among all these problems, the sanding problem can aggravate the low productivity and the poor economic efficiency problems. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate and tackle the sanding problem for the safe, long‐term, and large‐scale commercial development of offshore NGH resources. The sanding problem of the NGH sediment is highly related to the mechanical behavior of sediment. The main influencing factors are discussed, which are hydrate saturation, effective confining pressure, sand content, hydrate distribution, and multiple‐physical fields. This article summarizes the current research achievements systematically to determine how these factors affect sand production in NGH sediments. Besides the macrolevel about mechanical behaviors of NGH sediment, the sand motion modeling is also included in this review. The source of sand production is the free‐moving sand which comes from formation deformation. The review compares most commonly used yield criteria and then recommends a proper one for NGH sediments. The paper subsequently discusses the common investigation methods for the sanding problem in this area, including numerical simulation and experiments. The design and effect of sand control techniques have also been reviewed and discussed. According to the review results, the paper concludes the current research drawbacks and generates suggestions for future research. The novel methods of sand control investigation are machine learning and optimization methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]