However, there is an important point to be noted here. It
implies that the three phases were present in hydrate layer i.e. water,
gas and solid hydrate. It is poorly understood what might cause the
water in hydrate layer to drain into the lower free gas zone (Moridis
and Kowalsky, 2005).
However, it is also suggested that hydrates at
Messoyakha were in a state of dissociation when the field was
discovered (Makogon, 2007).
It should be pointed that there is a dearth of information on effect
of porous media on hydrate equilibrium behavior and it is not
understood fully. Moreover, there is no information available on the
capillary pressures and relative permeability in presence of hydrates at
Messoyakha. It might very well be possible that the co-existence of all
the three phases is affected by capillary pressures. Given these
constraints, this problem was simplified by assuming that in the hydrate
layer there is hydrate and gas and in the lower free gas layer, gas and
water. This simplification was necessary to initialize the model.
http://www.holditch.com/Portals/66/Hydrates_Messoyakha_ISOPE.pdf