Fluid venting and seepage at accretionary ridges: the Four Way Closure Ridge offshore SW Taiwan

Abstract

Within the accretionary prism offshore SW Taiwan, widespread gas hydrate accumulations are postulated to occur based on the presence of a bottom simulating reflection. Methane seepage, however, is also widespread at accretionary ridges offshore SW Taiwan and may indicate a significant loss of methane bypassing the gas hydrate system. Four Way Closure Ridge, located in 1,500 m water depth, is an anticlinal ridge that would constitute an ideal trap for methane and consequently represents a site with good potential for gas hydrate accumulations. The analysis of high-resolution bathymetry, deep-towed sidescan sonar imagery, high-resolution seismic profiling and towed video observations of the seafloor shows that Four Way Closure Ridge is and has been a site of intensive methane seepage. Continuous seepage is mainly evidenced by large accumulations of authigenic carbonate precipitates, which appear to be controlled by the creation of fluid pathways through faulting. Consequently, Four Way Closure Ridge is not a closed system in terms of fluid migration and seepage. A conceptual model of the evolution of gas hydrates and seepage at accretionary ridges suggests that seepage is common and may be a standard feature during the geological development of ridges in accretionary prisms. The observation of seafloor seepage alone is therefore not a reliable indicator of exploitable gas hydrate accumulations at depth.