Review and Outlook on Mechanical Responses of Hydrate-Bearing Sediments to Hydrate Phase Change: From Theories to Applications

Natural gas hydrate is considered a promising energy resource due to its extensive reserves and high energy density. However, extracting gas from hydrates involves in situ dissociation, which may weaken the mechanical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments, potentially leading to reservoir deformation or even geological hazards. Consequently, understanding the mechanical response of these sediments during hydrate phase change is essential for ensuring safe and efficient gas extraction. This review comprehensively summarizes recent studies on the mechanical behaviors during hydrate phase change, including aspects such as strength, deformation, constitutive models, and applications. Furthermore, it discusses the current challenges in further understanding the mechanical response under hydrate phase change. Future research priorities could concentrate on developing representative sample preparation methods, detailed characterization of the mesostructures, precise constitutive models, and practical numerical simulations. Successfully addressing these challenges could ensure adequate security for safer and more efficient extraction of natural gas from hydrate reservoirs, thereby promoting sustainable utilization of this promising energy source.