Seismic response of gas-hydrate zones: a case study from the Oman Sea

Abstract

An offshore vintage 2D seismic dataset acquired in the Oman Sea recently has been reprocessed to achieve two objectives: mapping gas-hydrate zones and structural imaging beneath the bottom-simulating reflector (BSR). We present results of the analysis of the seismic data associated with three seismic lines in the project area. The sea-bottom water-saturated sediment column (WSZ) has an average thickness of 100 m and an interval velocity range of 1550–1700 m/s. The underlying gas-hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) has an average thickness of 180 m and an interval velocity range of 2000–2200 m/s. The BSR with its low-frequency, large-amplitude character is very prominent in the seismic images derived from prestack time migration (PSTM). The BSR defines the base of the GHSZ and thus is a crucial indicator of the presence of a gas-hydrate zone. Velocities close to the top of the GHSZ interval are slightly lower at some locations along the line traverses – indicative of a transitional boundary between the WSZ and GHSZ. The overthrust tectonics during the Mid-Miocene to Pliocene caused by the counterclockwise rotation of the Arabian Plate is evident in the seismic images. The resulting thrust faults may facilitate upward migration of fluids and gas, thus forming the free-gas zone beneath the BSRs.