Method and system for monitoring the incursion of particulate material into a well casing within hydrocarbon bearing formations including gas hydrates

1. A method for monitoring an incursion of particulate matter from a gas hydrate formation into a well casing used for the production of the gas hydrate comprising the steps of:

drilling a well into a subterranean gas hydrate formation;

installing a well casing within the well and into the gas hydrate formation;

forming at least one opening through the side wall of the well casing for at least partially permitting depressurizing the gas hydrate formation to permit gas and water to flow from the formation into the well casing; and

monitoring the accumulation of the particulate matter into the well casing through said at least one opening through the well casing sidewall.

2. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a gas hydrate formation into the well casing used for the production of the gas hydrate as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of forming at least one opening comprises:

forming a plurality of openings laterally through the sidewall of the well casing in the region of the gas hydrate formation.

3. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a gas hydrate formation into the well casing used for the production of the gas hydrate as defined in claim 2 wherein said step of monitoring the accumulation of said particulate matter into the well casing further comprises the steps of:

monitoring the downhole pressure within the well casing at a location adjacent a submersible pump within the well casing for pumping a mixture of gas and water from the well casing;

monitoring the downhole pressure within the well casing at a location adjacent a distal end of the well casing; and

analyzing the noise waveform variation between the pressure adjacent the submersible pump and at the distal end of the well casing to estimate the accumulation of particulate matter within the well casing.

4. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a gas hydrate formation into the well casing used for the production of the gas hydrate as defined in claim 3 wherein said step of analyzing the noise waveform variation between the pressure adjacent the submersible pump and at the distal end of the well casing comprises the step of:

analyzing a phase shift in the noise waveform of pressure readings between the pressure adjacent the submerged pump within the well casing and the distal end of the well casing.

5. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a gas hydrate formation into the well casing used for the production of the gas hydrate as defined in claim 3 wherein said step of analyzing the noise waveform variation between the pressure adjacent the submersible pump and at the distal end of the well casing comprises the step of:

analyzing an amplitude variation in the noise waveform of pressure readings between the pressure adjacent the submerged pump within the well casing and the distal end of the well casing.

6. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a gas hydrate formation into the well casing used for the production of the gas hydrate as defined in claim 2 wherein said step of monitoring the accumulation of said particulate matter into the well casing further comprises the step of:

monitoring the thermal characteristics of material within the well casing between the end of the submersible pump and the distal end of the well casing to determine the position of the particulate material and fluid interface within the well casing.

7. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a gas hydrate formation into a well casing used for the production of the gas hydrate as defined in claim 6 and further comprising the step of:

heating a fiber optic sensor cable within the well casing.

8. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a gas hydrate formation into the well casing used for the production of the gas hydrate as defined in claim 2 wherein said step of monitoring the accumulation of said particulate matter into the well casing further comprises the steps of:

sending an acoustic signal from the bottom of the submersible pump;

receiving a reflected acoustic signal from the bottom of the submersible pump reflected from particulate material within the distal end of the well casing; and

analyzing the waveform of the reflected acoustic signal for estimating the position of the particulate material and fluid interface within the well casing.

9. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a gas hydrate formation into the well casing used for the production of the gas hydrate as defined in claim 2 wherein said step of monitoring the accumulation of said particulate matter into the well casing further comprises the steps of:

extending a bar from a position below the submersible pump within the well casing and into particulate material collected within the distal end of the well casing;

vibrating the bar extending into the particulate material; and

analyzing the vibration mode of the bar for estimating the ratio of fluid to particulate material between the base of the submersible pump and the distal end of the well casing.

10. A method for monitoring an incursion of particulate matter from a subterranean formation into the well casing used for the production of a hydrocarbon comprising the steps of:

drilling a well into a subterranean hydrocarbon formation;

installing a well casing within the well and into the hydrocarbon formation;

forming a plurality of openings through the side wall of the well casing for establishing fluid communication with the hydrocarbon formation; and

monitoring the accumulation of the particulate matter into the well casing through said at least one opening through the well casing sidewall.

11. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a subterranean formation into the well casing used for the production of a hydrocarbon as defined in claim 10 wherein said step of monitoring the accumulation of the particulate matter into the well casing further comprises the steps of:

monitoring the downhole pressure within the well casing at a location adjacent a submersible pump within the well casing for pumping a hydrocarbon from the well casing;

monitoring the downhole pressure within the well casing at a location adjacent a distal end of the well casing; and

analyzing the noise waveform variation between the pressure adjacent the submersible pump and the pressure at the distal end of the well casing to estimate the accumulation of particulate matter within the well casing.

12. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a subterranean formation into the well casing used for the production of a hydrocarbon as defined in claim 10 wherein said step of monitoring the accumulation of said particulate matter into the well casing further comprises the steps of:

monitoring the thermal characteristics of material within the well casing between the end of the submersible pump and the distal end of the well casing to determine the position of particulate material and fluid interface within the well casing.

13. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a subterranean formation into the well casing used for the production of a hydrocarbon as defined in claim 10 wherein said step of monitoring the accumulation of the particulate matter into the well casing further comprises the steps of:

sending an acoustic signal from the bottom of the submersible pump;

receiving a reflected acoustic signal at the bottom of the submersible pump reflected from particulate material within the distal end of the well casing; and

analyzing the waveform of the reflected acoustic signal for estimating the position of the particulate material and fluid interface within the well casing.

14. A method for monitoring the incursion of particulate matter from a subterranean hydrocarbon formation into the well casing used for the production of the hydrocarbon as defined in claim 10 wherein said step of monitoring the accumulation of the particulate matter into the well casing further comprises the steps of:

extending a bar from a position below the submersible pump within the well casing and into particulate material collected within the distal end of the well casing;

vibrating the bar extending into the particulate material; and

analyzing the vibration mode of the bar for estimating the ratio of fluid to particulate material between the base of the submersible pump and the distal end of the well casing.

15. A system for determining the degree of incursion of particulate matter into a well casing used in the production of gas from a subterranean gas hydrate formation, said system comprising:

a first pressure sensor connected to a submersible pump positioned within the well casing for pumping gas and water out of the well casing; and

a second pressure sensor connected at a distal end of the well casing, wherein measuring pressure noise variance between said first pressure sensor and said second pressure sensor provides at least an estimate of the accumulation of particulate material within the distal end of said well casing beneath the submersible pump.