Advances of experimental study on gas production from synthetic hydrate reservoir in China

China has entered the area of new normal economy which requires the harmonious development of energy consumption, environmental protection and economic development. Natural gas hydrate is a potential clean energy with tremendous reserve in China. The successful field test of marine hydrate exploitation in South China Sea created a new record of the longest continuous gas production from natural gas hydrate. However, the corresponding fundamental research is still urgently needed in order to narrow the gap between field test and commercial production. This paper reviewed the latest advances of experimental study on gas production from hydrate reservoir in China. The experimental apparatus for investigating the performance of hydrate dissociation in China has developed from one dimensional to two dimensional and three dimensional. In addition, well configuration developed from one tube to complicated multi-well networks to satisfy the demand of different production models. Besides, diverse testing methods have been established. The reviewed papers preliminary discussed the mechanical properties and the sediment deformation situation during the process of hydrate dissociation. However, most reported articles only consider the physical factor, the coupled mechanism of physical and chemical factor for the mechanical properties of the sediment and the sand production problem should be studied further.