Abstract
In recent decades, the Chilean margin has been extensively investigated to better characterize the complex geological setting through the geophysical data. The analysis of seismic lines allowed us to identify the occurrence of gas hydrates and free gas in many places along the margin and the change of the pore fluid due to the potential hydrate dissociation. The porosity reduction due to the hydrate presence is linked to the slope to identify the area more sensitive in case of natural phenomena or induced by human activities that could determine gas hydrate dissociations and/or leakage of the free gas trapped below the gas-hydrate stability zone. Clearly, the gas hydrate reservoir could be a strategic energy reserve for Chile. The steady-state modelling pointed out that the climate change could determine gas hydrate dissociation, triggering slope failure. This hypothesis is supported by the presence of high concentrations of gas hydrate in correspondence of important seafloor slope. The dissociation of gas hydrate could change the petrophysical characteristics of the subsoil triggering slopes, which already occurred in the past. Consequently, it is required to improve knowledge about the behavior of the gas hydrate system in a function of complex natural phenomena before the exploitation of this important resource.
Highlights
In recent decades, the Chilean margin has been extensively investigated to better characterize the complex geological setting through the acquisition of geophysical data and, in particular, seismic lines
The presence of the gas hydrate, free gas, and features related to them was recognized of the gas hydrate, gas, andthe features related to them was recognized along The the presence entire Chilean margin
The Chilean margin is very interesting from a gas hydrate point of view, as pointed out from the analysis of seismic lines acquired along the whole margin
Summary
The Chilean margin has been extensively investigated to better characterize the complex geological setting through the acquisition of geophysical data and, in particular, seismic lines. The gas hydrate presence has been confirmed by the presence of cold seeps emitting methane at the seafloor in both active and passive margins [18,19,20,21,22,23,24] Along this margin, the gas hydrate reservoir was perforated for the first time with the ODP Leg 141, located near the Chile triple junction [1,2]. A high-amplitude reflector, called a bottom simulating reflector (BSR) representing the base of the gas hydrate reservoir, was identified on the seismic sections This reflector corresponds to the transition from gas hydrate-bearing sediments characterized by high seismic velocity to sediments containing free gas with low seismic velocity.
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