Concentrated Hydrate Deposits Research Articles

Three‐Dimensional Free Gas Flow Focuses Basin‐Wide Microbial Methane to Concentrated Methane Hydrate Reservoirs in Geological System

AbstractWe present a systematic model that links the generation, migration, phase partitioning, and accumulation of methane into a closed loop as the sediment is deposited from the seafloor and buried through the base of hydrate stability zone (BHSZ). In our model, methane is generated by biodegradation of organic carbon in muds. Hydrate does not form and methane is not trapped until a coarse‐grained layer is deposited, because the small pores prevent hydrate formation in muds. Instead, methane diffuses into sands/silts where methane solidifies into hydrate. As hydrate‐bearing sands/silts pass through the BHSZ during sediment burial, methane hydrate dissociates, and releases free gas. The released and the newly generated free gas below the BHSZ concentrates into a vertical/dipping zone with low capillary entry pressure and high permeability and flows upward driven its buoyancy. When free gas reaches the hydrate stability zone (HSZ), capillary forces drive free gas to flow laterally, preferentially enter sands/silts, feed hydrate growth, and elevate hydrate saturation. With three‐dimensional focused free gas flow, microbial methane that is generated from a much larger fetch area of the entire basin, both above and below the BHSZ, is concentrated into coarse‐grained layers at structural closures for hydrate formation. Our model illustrates how geological evolution, microbial methane generation, and gas flow by buoyancy couple to generate concentrated hydrate deposits in geological system. These insights can be used to explore for high‐concentration methane hydrate and are important for understanding the methane budget and carbon cycle under the seafloor.

Seismic velocity and reflectivity analysis of concentrated gas hydrate deposits on the southern Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand)

In the southern Hikurangi subduction margin, widespread gas hydrate accumulations are inferred based on the presence of bottom simulating reflections and recovered gas hydrate samples, mainly associated with thrust ridges. We present a detailed analysis of high- and medium-resolution seismic reflection data across Glendhu and Honeycomb ridges, two elongated four-way closure systems at the toe of the deformation wedge. High-amplitude reflections within the gas hydrate stability zone, coincident with high seismic velocities, suggest the presence of highly concentrated gas hydrate accumulations in the core regions of the anticlinal ridges. A novel method involving combined seismic velocity and reflectivity analysis and rock physics modelling is used to estimate hydrate saturations in localised areas. The effective medium model consistently predicts gas hydrate saturations of ~30% of the pore space at Glendhu Ridge and >60% at Honeycomb Ridge, whereas the empirical three-phases weighted equation likely underestimates the amount of gas hydrate present. We note that our estimates are dependent on the vertical resolution of the seismic data (5–14 m), and that the existence of thin layers hosting gas hydrate at higher concentrations is likely based on observations made elsewhere in similar depositional environments. A comparison between the two ridges provides insights into the evolution of thrust related anticlines at the toe of the accretionary wedge. We propose that the main driving mechanism for concentrated hydrate accumulation in the study area is along-strata gas migration. The vertical extent of these accumulations is a function of the steepness of the strata crossing the base of gas hydrate stability, and of the volume of sediments from which fluid flows into each structure. According to our interpretation, older structures situated further landward ofthe deformation front are more likely to host more extensive concentrated hydrate deposits than younger ridges situated at the deformation front and characterised by more gentle folding. The method introduced in this work is useful to retrieve quantitative estimates of gas hydrate saturations based on multi-channel seismic data.

A 3‐D Model of Gas Generation, Migration, and Gas Hydrate Formation at a Young Convergent Margin (Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand)

AbstractWe present a three‐dimensional gas hydrate systems model of the southern Hikurangi subduction margin in eastern New Zealand. The model integrates thermal and microbial gas generation, migration, and hydrate formation. Modeling these processes has improved the understanding of factors controlling hydrate distribution. Three spatial trends of concentrated hydrate occurrence are predicted. The first trend (I) is aligned with the principal deformation front in the overriding Australian plate. Concentrated hydrate deposits are predicted at or near the apexes of anticlines and to be mainly sourced from focused migration and recycling of microbial gas generated beneath the hydrate stability zone. A second predicted trend (II) is related to deformation in the subducting Pacific plate associated with former Mesozoic subduction beneath Gondwana and the modern Pacific‐Australian plate boundary. This trend is enhanced by increased advection of thermogenic gas through permeable layers in the subducting plate and focused migration into the Neogene basin fill above Cretaceous‐Paleogene structures. The third trend (III) follows the northern margin of the Hikurangi Channel and is related to the presence of buried strata of the Hikurangi Channel system. The predicted trends are consistent with pronounced seismic reflection anomalies related to free gas in the pore space and strength of the bottom‐simulating reflection. However, only trend I is also associated with clear and widespread seismic indications of concentrated gas hydrate. Total predicted hydrate masses at the southern Hikurangi Margin are between 52,800 and 69,800 Mt. This equates to 3.4–4.5 Mt hydrate/km2, containing 6.33 × 108–8.38 × 108 m3/km2 of methane.

Experimental Investigation of Gas Flow and Hydrate Formation Within the Hydrate Stability Zone

AbstractWe form methane hydrate by injecting methane gas into a brine‐saturated, coarse‐grained sample under hydrate‐stable thermodynamic conditions. Hydrate forms to a saturation of 11%, which is much lower than that predicted assuming three‐phase (gas‐hydrate‐brine) thermodynamic equilibrium (67%). During hydrate formation, there are temporary flow blockages. We interpret that a hydrate skin forms a physical barrier at the gas‐brine interface. The skin fails periodically when the pressure differential exceeds the skin strength. Once the skin is present, further hydrate formation is limited by the rate that methane can diffuse through the solid skin. This process produces distinct thermodynamic states on either side of the skin that allows gas to flow through the sample. This study illuminates how gas can be transported through the hydrate stability zone and thus provides a mechanism for the formation of concentrated hydrate deposits in sand reservoirs. It also illustrates that models that assume local equilibrium at the core‐scale and larger may not capture the fundamental behaviors of these gas flow and hydrate formation processes.

Gas hydrate accumulations related to focused fluid flow in the Pegasus Basin, southern Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand

The Hikurangi Margin, east of the North Island of New Zealand, is known to contain significant deposits of gas hydrates. This has been demonstrated by several multidisciplinary studies in the area since 2005. These studies indicate that hydrates in the region are primarily located beneath thrust ridges that enable focused fluid flow, and that the hydrates are associated with free gas. In 2009–2010, a seismic dataset consisting of 2766 km of 2D seismic data was collected in the undrilled Pegasus Basin, which has been accumulating sediments since the early Cretaceous. Bottom-simulating reflections (BSRs) are abundant in the data, and they are accompanied by other features that indicate the presence of free gas and concentrated accumulations of gas hydrate. We present results from a detailed qualitative analysis of the data that has made use of automated high-density velocity analysis to highlight features related to the hydrate system in the Pegasus Basin. Two scenarios are presented that constitute contrasting mechanisms for gas-charged fluids to breach the base of the gas hydrate stability zone. The first mechanism is the vertical migration of fluids across layers, where flow pathways do not appear to be influenced by stratigraphic layers or geological structures. The second mechanism is non-vertical fluid migration that follows specific strata that crosscut the BSR. One of the most intriguing features observed is a presumed gas chimney within the regional gas hydrate stability zone that is surrounded by a triangular (in 2D) region of low reflectivity, approximately 8 km wide, interpreted to be the result of acoustic blanking. This chimney structure is cored by a ∼200-m-wide low-velocity zone (interpreted to contain free gas) flanked by high-velocity bands that are 200–400 m wide (interpreted to contain concentrated hydrate deposits).

Gas migration into gas hydrate‐bearing sediments on the southern Hikurangi margin of New Zealand

AbstractWe present multichannel seismic data from New Zealand's Hikurangi subduction margin that show widespread evidence for gas migration into the field of gas hydrate stability. Gas migration along stratigraphic layers into the hydrate system manifests itself as highly reflective segments of dipping strata that originate at the base of hydrate stability and extend some distance toward the seafloor. The highly reflective segments exhibit the same polarity as the seafloor reflection, indicating that localized gas hydrate precipitation from gas‐charged fluids within relatively permeable layers has occurred. High‐density velocity analysis shows that these layer‐constrained gas hydrate accumulations are underlain by thick (up to ~500 m) free gas zones, which provide the source for focused gas migration into the hydrate layer. In addition to gas being channeled along layers, we also interpret gas migration through a fault zone into the field of hydrate stability; in this case, a low‐velocity layer within the hydrate stability zone extends laterally away from the fault, which might indicate that gas‐charged fluids have also migrated away from the fault along strata. At this site, where both dipping strata and faulting seem to influence fluid migration, we observe anomalously high velocities at the base of hydrate stability that we interpret as concentrated gas hydrates. Our results give insight into how shallow fluid flow responds to permeability contrasts between strata, fault zones, and perhaps also the gas hydrate system itself. Ultimately, these relationships can lead to gas migration across the base of hydrate stability and the precipitation of concentrated hydrate deposits.

Geological controls on focused fluid flow through the gas hydrate stability zone on the southern Hikurangi Margin of New Zealand, evidenced from multi-channel seismic data

Highly concentrated gas hydrate deposits are likely to be associated with geological features that promote increased fluid flux through the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). We conduct conventional seismic processing techniques and full-waveform inversion methods on a multi-channel seismic line that was acquired over a 125 km transect of the southern Hikurangi Margin off the eastern coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Initial processing, employed with an emphasis on preservation of true amplitude information, was used to identify three sites where structures and stratal fabrics likely encourage focused fluid flow into and through the GHSZ. At two of the sites, Western Porangahau Trough and Eastern Porangahau Ridge, sub-vertical blanking zones occur in regions of intensely deformed sedimentary layering. It is interpreted that increased fluid flow occurs in these regions and that fluids may dissipate upwards and away from the deformed zone along layers that trend towards the seafloor. At Eastern Porangahau Ridge we also observe a coherent bottom simulating reflection (BSR) that increases markedly in intensity with proximity to the centre of the anticlinal ridge. 1D full-waveform inversions conducted at eight points along the BSR reveal much more pronounced low-velocity zones near the centre of the ridge, indicating a local increase in the flux of gas-charged fluids into the anticline. At another anticline, Western Porangahau Ridge, a dipping high-amplitude feature extends from the BSR upwards towards the seafloor within the regional GHSZ. 1D full-waveform inversions at this site reveal that the dipping feature is characterised by a high-velocity zone overlying a low-velocity zone, which we interpret as gas hydrates overlying free gas. These results support a previous interpretation that this high-amplitude feature represents a local “up-warping” of the base of hydrate stability in response to advective heat flow from upward migrating fluids. These three sites provide examples of geological frameworks that encourage prolific localised fluid flow into the hydrate system where it is likely that gas-charged fluids are converting to highly concentrated hydrate deposits.

Physical properties of sediment from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope

This study characterizes cored and logged sedimentary strata from the February 2007 BP Exploration Alaska, Department of Energy, U.S. Geological Survey (BPXA-DOE-USGS) Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well on the Alaska North Slope (ANS). The physical-properties program analyzed core samples recovered from the well, and in conjunction with downhole geophysical logs, produced an extensive dataset including grain size, water content, porosity, grain density, bulk density, permeability, X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and petrography. This study documents the physical property interrelationships in the well and demonstrates their correlation with the occurrence of gas hydrate. Gas hydrate (GH) occurs in three unconsolidated, coarse silt to fine sand intervals within the Paleocene and Eocene beds of the Sagavanirktok Formation: Unit D-GH (614.4 m–627.9 m); unit C-GH1 (649.8 m–660.8 m); and unit C-GH2 (663.2 m–666.3 m). These intervals are overlain by fine to coarse silt intervals with greater clay content. A deeper interval (unit B) is similar lithologically to the gas-hydrate-bearing strata; however, it is water-saturated and contains no hydrate. In this system it appears that high sediment permeability ( k) is critical to the formation of concentrated hydrate deposits. Intervals D-GH and C-GH1 have average “plug” intrinsic permeability to nitrogen values of 1700 mD and 675 mD, respectively. These values are in strong contrast with those of the overlying, gas-hydrate-free sediments, which have k values of 5.7 mD and 49 mD, respectively, and thus would have provided effective seals to trap free gas. The relation between permeability and porosity critically influences the occurrence of GH. For example, an average increase of 4% in porosity increases permeability by an order of magnitude, but the presence of a second fluid (e.g., methane from dissociating gas hydrate) in the reservoir reduces permeability by more than an order of magnitude.

OCEANIC METHANE HYDRATE: THE CHARACTER OF THE BLAKE RIDGE HYDRATE STABILITY ZONE, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR METHANE EXTRACTION

Oceanic methane hydrates are mineral deposits formed from a crystalline “ice” of methane and water in sea‐floor sediments (buried to less than about 1 km) in water depths greater than about 500 m; economic hydrate deposits are probably restricted to water depths of between 1.5 km and 4 km. Gas hydrates increase a sediment's strength both by “freezing” the sediment and by filling the pore spaces in a manner similar to water‐ice in permafrost. Concentrated hydrate deposits may be underlain by significant volumes of methane gas, and these localities are the most favourable sites for methane gas extraction operations. Seismic reflection records indicate that trapped gas may blow‐out naturally, causing large‐scale seafloor collapse.In this paper, we consider both the physical properties and the structural integrity of the hydrate stability zone and the associated free gas deposits, with special reference to the Blake Ridge area, SE US offshore, in order to help establish a suitable framework for the safe, efficient, and economic recovery of methane from oceanic gas hydrates. We also consider the potential effects of the extraction of methane from hydrate (such as induced sea‐floor faulting, gas venting, and gas‐pocket collapse). We assess the ambient pressure effect on the production of methane by hydrate dissociation, and attempt to predict the likelihood of spontaneous gas flow in a production situation.