Associated Petroleum Gas Combustion for <i>in Situ</i> Hydrogen Generation: Experimental and Numerical Study

ABSTRACT Hydrogen production from hydrocarbon reservoirs has become a topic of growing interest in recent years. Both experimental and numerical studies have demonstrated the significant potential of this approach to produce reasonable amount of hydrogen. This research focuses on evaluating the feasibility of producing hydrogen directly from gas reservoirs, with an emphasis on in situ hydrogen generation technologies. The study investigates the key technological parameters involved in experimental combustion tube modeling. It also sheds light on the mechanisms underlying hydrogen production in the intricate processes of subsurface hydrogen generation. The application of water-soluble catalysts is shown to enhance hydrogen output by influencing critical reaction parameters. Numerical simulations of the combustion process are employed to validate the kinetic model developed for methane-rich reservoirs. Moreover, incorporating additional components into the kinetic system enables a deeper understanding of more complex gas reservoir dynamics. When compared to methane, associated petroleum gas proves to be more effective as a source for hydrogen generation, yielding 57.38 vol.% of hydrogen for associated petroleum gas and 47.58 vol.% of hydrogen for methane rich gas.