Abstract
Gas hydrates (GH) are perspective energy sources, containing significantly more gas resources compared with conventional fields. At the same time, GH pose a danger for exploration and production of hydrocarbon fields. Methane release to the atmosphere is also a substantial factor of climate change. The objective of this research was the forecast of distribution of zones, favorable for GH existence in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent offshore areas, limited by the 45° latitude. For conducting research, existent data of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on near-bottom water temperatures was analyzed. Using CSMHYD software, based on empirical equations of GH stability, minimal depths appropriate for methane hydrates formation at different temperatures were calculated. On the basis of obtained values, a cartographic scheme with a zone favorable for methane hydrates existence was created. The zone corresponded to distribution of BSRs defined in seismic sections, including those discovered for the first time on the continental slope of the Laptev Sea and in the TINRO Depression of the Sea of Okhotsk. Besides, the zone concurred with the results of other authors research, summarized in the geoinformation system “AWO” (The Arctic and the World Ocean), which could verify the validity of conducted forecast.
Highlights
It is widely accepted that the World Ocean, including its part in the Arctic, contains significant resources of liquid and gas hydrocarbons (HC) [1,2,3,4,5]
Thickness of gas hydrates (GH) stability zone depends on such parameters, as seafloor water temperature, pressure, gas composition, salinity of water, geothermal gradient [7,8,9]
Other indirect evidence (211) Distribution of these objects is demonstrated in Figure 1, created on the base of data of General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) [61]
Summary
It is widely accepted that the World Ocean, including its part in the Arctic, contains significant resources of liquid and gas hydrocarbons (HC) [1,2,3,4,5]. Apart from conventional HC, there are giant resources of gas hydrates (GH). The latter, according to various estimates, including those of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Energy Information Administration (EIA), contain from 280 to 2800 trillion cubic meters of gas, substantially exceeding world total conventional gas resources [6]. This is why GH studying is undoubtedly important in terms of supplying humankind with energy in future. Thickness of GH stability zone depends on such parameters, as seafloor water temperature, pressure, gas composition, salinity of water, geothermal gradient [7,8,9]
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