Gas Hydrate Saturation Research Articles

Drilling Cores and Geophysical Characteristics of Gas Hydrate-Bearing Sediments in the Production Test Region in the Shenhu sea, South China sea

Gas hydrate production testing was conducted in 2017 in the Shenhu Area in the northern part of the South China Sea, and unprecedented success was achieved. In order to obtain gas production and physical properties of gas hydrate reservoirs in the study area and determine the location of test production wells, the seismic and logging data and drilling cores were analyzed in detail, the physical characteristics of the sediments, faults, gas components, and reservoir were studied. The results show that 1) the gas hydrates are diffusion type, with reservoirs dominated by clayey silt sediments, and the gas hydrate-bearing layers are characterized by soup-like, porridge-like, cavity, and vein structures; 2) the resistivity and acoustic velocity of gas hydrate formation are significantly higher than those of the surrounding sediments, while the neutron porosity, density, and natural gamma are slightly lower; the Bottom Simulating Reflectors (BSRs) in seismic profiles exhibit the exist of gas hydrates; 3) gas chimneys and faults are well-developed beneath the BSRs, and hydrocarbon gases can easily migrate into the gas hydrate reservoirs in areas with stable temperature and pressure conditions; 4) the gas hydrate saturation is high, the highest saturation in site W17 was up to 76%, with an average of 33%; while the highest saturation in site W19 was up to 68%, with an average of 31%. The gas source is considered as mixed gas of thermogenic gas and microbial gas. By comparing the core samples and geophysical characteristics of sites W17 and W19 in the study area and calculating the thickness, distribution area, and saturation of the hydrate deposition layer, it was found that site W17 is characterized by a thick layer, large area, high saturation, and good sealing, and thus, site W17 was established as the test production site. The development of gas chimney and faults provides pathways for the upward migration of deep gas, and the gas migrates to gas hydrate stable zone in forms of diffusion, water soluble and free state, forming high saturation of diffusion gas hydrates.

A prediction method of suspended natural gas hydrate saturation in sea area based on P-wave impedance

A large amount of suspended natural gas hydrate (NGH) has been found in Shenhu sea area of China. At present, Wood method is considered to be a suitable method for predicting the saturation of suspended NGH. However, there are two problems in the application of this method in Shenhu sea area of China. First, this method is difficult to directly predict NGH saturation based on post-stack seismic data inversion, since it does not clarify the relationship between NGH saturation and P-wave impedance. Second, the prediction results of this method are quite different from the actual values in Shenhu sea area of China, which makes it difficult to obtain reliable resource estimation in this sea area. To clarify the relationship between NGH saturation and P-wave impedance, this paper proposes an improved Wood equation called Wood-Imp equation, which lays a foundation for predicting NGH saturation by using post-stack wave impedance data. For the second problem, the main reason for the large prediction error of Wood method is that the existing measurement technology cannot avoid the measurement errors in sediment composition, pore sizes, etc. Thus, Wood-Imp method is proposed based on non-NGH layer to reduce the of NGH saturation prediction error. Three comparison experiments are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed Wood-Imp method, including simulation data, well S data in Shenhu sea area, two-dimensional forward modeling of Shenhu sea area data. (1) Wood-Imp method has much higher accuracy in predicting NGH saturation than Wood method; (2) The predicted NGH saturation in Shenhu well S by Wood-Imp method is closer to that calculated by chloride ion method than that of Wood method; (3) Wood-Imp method has obtained better NGH saturation prediction accuracy based on P-wave impedance data obtained by post-stack inversion in two-dimensional forward modeling. Therefore, the Wood-Imp method proposed in this paper is more suitable for predicting suspended NGH saturation than the existing Wood method in Shenhu sea area.

Research Progress on Global Marine Gas Hydrate Resistivity Logging and Electrical Property Experiments

Natural gas hydrate is widely spread in marine environments around the world. It has great energy potential due to its high methane gas content. High-precision exploration and evaluation of marine gas hydrate still face great challenges as it is affected by the complex reservoir control mechanisms and distribution characteristics. Resistivity is widely used in geophysical logging and theoretical research on gas hydrate-bearing reservoirs by utilizing the high sensitivity electrical response. In this paper, based on the examination of the global marine gas hydrate occurrences, resistivity logging results are summarized. Then the key remaining gas hydrate resistivity experimental concerns are reviewed. In summary, resistivity properties are a reliable means to derive the gas hydrate reservoir characteristics, despite the effect induced by the anisotropic properties of hydrate reservoirs and drilling technology. The overall resistivity change associated with the occurrence of pore filling gas hydrate in reservoirs are relatively small, and the specific value is affected by sediment lithology and hydrate saturation. On the other hand, fracture filling hydrate reservoirs have strong anisotropy, and massive hydrate occurrences (i.e., layers of gas hydrate with no sediment) section shows very high resistivity variation. Clay minerals are an important factor restricting the accurate estimation of gas hydrate saturations from in situ resistivity measurements. Many experimental studies have proposed the correction of Archie empirical formula, but widely representative models have not yet been developed. It is worth noting that more complex resistivity measurements may be able to provide additional electrical response information on various gas hydrate systems.

Sediment Microstructure in Gas Hydrate Reservoirs and its Association With Gas Hydrate Accumulation: A Case Study From the Northern South China Sea

Exploration and pilot production have confirmed that gas hydrates in the Shenhu area on the northern continental slope of the South China Sea have enormous resource potential. However, a meticulous depiction of gas hydrate reservoirs based on sediments is limited. The distributed low-flux gas hydrates are mainly deposited in the Shenhu area, and the gas hydrate saturation exhibits extreme vertical heterogeneity. In this study, we focused on the sediment microstructure of gas hydrate reservoirs. Based on the variation in gas hydrate saturation, the study interval was divided into non-gas hydrate (non-GH) as well as I-, II-, and III-gas hydrate reservoir layers. We analyzed the relationship between sediment microstructure and gas hydrate reservoirs based on computed tomography scans, specific surface area analysis, and scanning electron microscopy observations. The results showed that the sediment in gas hydrate reservoirs had three types of pores: 1) intergranular pores between coarse grains (CG-intergranular pores), 2) intergranular pores between fine grains (FG-intergranular pores), and 3) biologic grain pores (BG-pores). The CG- and FG-intergranular pores were mainly formed by the framework, which consisted of coarse minerals (such as quartz and feldspar) and clay minerals, respectively. The BG-pores were mainly formed by the coelomes of foraminifera. CG-intergranular pores and BG-pores can provide effective reservoir space and increase the permeability of sediment, which is conducive to gas hydrate accumulation. The FG-intergranular pores reduce permeability and are not conducive to gas hydrate accumulation. Clay minerals and calcareous ultramicrofossils with small grain sizes and complex microstructures fill the effective reservoir space and reduce the permeability of sediment; additionally, they improve the adsorption capacity of sediment to free gas or pore water, which is not conducive to gas hydrate formation and accumulation. The results of our study explicitly suggest that the microstructure of sediment is an important controlling factor for gas hydrate accumulation and reveals its underlying mechanism.

Methane migration mechanisms for the Green Canyon Block 955 gas hydrate reservoir, northern Gulf of Mexico

In marine continental margins, high saturations of natural gas hydrate are observed within the gas hydrate stability zone, but the gas migration pathways to the hydrate reservoir are not often clear. We focus on a site in Green Canyon Block 955 (GC 955) in the Gulf of Mexico, where gas hydrate occurs in a 35 m-thick reservoir with saturations of 79-93% in numerous centimeter- to decimeter-thick sandy silt layers and little to no gas hydrate in the interbedded cm to decimeter-thick clayey silt layers. Different datasets (well logging, coring, and seismic data) suggest different types of potential methane migration mechanisms. For example, relatively high particulate organic carbon content in the reservoir and the microbial methane source indicated by gas chromatography and methane isotopes suggest gas might be made locally and migration could occur through dissolved methane sources or water advection. In contrast, the visible deeply rooted faults intersecting the gas hydrate reservoir and the gas pockets adjacent to the faults on seismic data suggest that free gas may migrate directly into the reservoir. We tested three different mechanisms to form gas hydrate at GC 955: short-range methane diffusion, short-range methane diffusion coupled with upward water advection, and free gas flow. The 1-D and 2-D numerical models show that both the short-range migration and the upward water advection are not enough to form high saturations gas hydrate at GC 955, and that free gas flow is required to form the high saturations of gas hydrate observed at GC 955.

Rock Physics Modeling of Gas Hydrate Reservoirs Through Integrated Core and Well-Log Data in NGHP-02 Area in KG Offshore Basin, India

Since gas hydrates are unconventional reservoirs, they pose unique challenges for identification, characterization, quantification, and extraction. The conventional approach—elastic logs—can provide a better method for identification through attribute analysis. On the other hand, geomechanical studies for wellbore stability analysis pave the way for the effective exploitation of gas hydrates. It is crucial to predict elastic logs against gas-hydrate-bearing sediments, which requires an effective rock physics model. In the present work, a study pertaining to the National Gas Hydrate Program-02 (NGHP-02) campaign in the Krishna‐Godavari (KG) Offshore Basin, India, where gas hydrates are deposited primarily in two facies—a shale-dominated shallower one and a sand-dominated deeper one that has been identified by responses of conventional and spectroscopy logs—is discussed. It is commonly known that depositional heterogeneity impacts petrophysical and elastic properties. To address this issue, an innovative approach has been adopted to model compressional and shear log data using rock physics modeling of gas hydrate reservoirs based on the depositional type of gas hydrate. Guidance from the change of compressional velocity data from log and core with an increase of gas hydrate saturation shows gas hydrate deposition in the study area can be explained through a matrix/grain-supported model. The Jason grain-supported rock physics model appeared best suited among different available rock physics models, depending on the clay volume and porosity in our study area. Using input from a robust multimineral petrophysical evaluation and rock physics modeling, the finalized model is propagated to test wells for predicting compressional, shear, and density logs, with the predicted data validated by core-measured compressional and shear data. Model consistency is indicated by a high correlation from multiwell crossplots of modeled and recorded elastic logs (compressional and shear velocity) with acoustic impedance. The developed rock physics model better discriminates gas hydrate in the shaly sand layer and gas hydrate in the sand-dominated layer, calcite, and shale in the VpVs domain.

Sedimentation-driven cyclic rebuilding of gas hydrates

Gas hydrate recycling is an important process in natural hydrate systems worldwide and frequently leads to the high gas hydrate saturations found close to the base of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). However, to date it remains enigmatic how, and under which conditions, free gas invades back into the GHSZ. Here we use a 1D compositional multi-phase flow model that accounts for sedimentation to investigate the dominant mechanisms that control free gas flow into the GHSZ using a wide-range of parameters i.e. hydrate formation kinetics, sediment permeability, and capillary pressure. In the first part of this study, we investigate free gas invasion into the GHSZ without any sedimentation, and analyse the dynamics of hydrate formation in the vicinity of the base of GHSZ. This helps establish plausible initial conditions for the main part of the study, namely, hydrate recycling due to rapid and continuous sedimentation. For the case study, we apply our numerical model to the Green Canyon Site 955 in the Gulf of Mexico, where the reported high hydrate saturations are likely a result of hydrate recycling driven by rapid sedimentation. In the model, an initial hydrate layer forms due to the invasion of a specified volume of rising free gas. This hydrate layer is consistent with the local pressure, temperature and salinity state. This hydrate layer is then thermally de-stabilised by sedimentation resulting in free gas formation and hydrate recycling. A key finding of our study is that gas hydrate recycling is a cyclic process which can be divided into three phases of 1) gas hydrate melting and free gas nozzling through the hydrate layer, 2) formation of a new gas hydrate layer as the old layer vanishes, and 3) fast uninhibited grow of a new hydrate layer. High hydrate saturations of about 80% can be attained purely through physical, burial-driven recycling of gas hydrates, without any additional gas input from other sources. Hydrate recycling is, therefore, highly dynamic with its own inherent cyclicity rather than a gradual process paced by the rate of sediment deposition.

Quantitative seismic characterization for gas hydrate- and free gas-bearing sediments in the Shenhu area, South China sea

During China's first gas hydrate drilling expedition, a gas hydrate-bearing layer (GHBL) of ≈25 m thickness was identified above a bottom-simulating reflection (BSR) at site SH2 in the Shenhu area, South China Sea. This study considers the GHBL and the underlying free gas-bearing layer (FGBL) as a whole and evaluates them using quantitative seismic characterization. The reprocessed seismic data, correlated to well log data, reveal the BSR to be accompanied by newly-identified reflections of positive polarity from the top of the GHBL and the base of the FGBL. Of note are phase reversals along individual reflections that cross the top of the GHBL and the base of the FGBL. Phase reversals at the top of the GHBL are a previously little known seismic feature, and seismic forward modeling shows them to provide a direct indicator for the presence of gas hydrate. Amplitude versus offset (AVO) analysis indicates that the two new reflections have characteristics distinct from those of the BSR. Gas hydrate and free gas saturations derived by AVO analysis and seismic impedance inversion, respectively, are consistent with values estimated from sonic velocities, chloride anomalies and pressure cores. The saturations calculated from acoustic impedance inversion show that both gas hydrate and free gas of high saturation are discontinuous, and that free gas has a clear stratified distribution. The distribution of gas hydrate is generally consistent with that of free gas below the BSR, indicating that gas hydrate near site SH2 is mainly controlled by free gas in the underlying FGBL. The quantitative interpretation presented in this study provides a new and reliable method for the characterization of gas hydrate-bearing sediments in areas with no wells, and for the pre-drilling assessment of free gas hazard.

Gas Hydrate Saturation Estimates, Gas Hydrate Occurrence, and Reservoir Characteristics Based on Well Log Data from the Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope

The Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well was drilled at the Kuparuk 7-11-12 site on the Alaska North Slope in December 2018. Sonic log data provide compressional (P) and shear (S) slowness from which we determine gas hydrate saturation (Sgh) estimates using effective medium theory. The sonic Sgh estimates compare favorably with Sgh estimated from resistivity and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logs, showing that gas hydrate occupies up to approximately 90% of the pore space in the target reservoir sands. The informally named B1 sand (2294 feet below mean sea level) shows lower VP/VS ratios than the D1 sand (2770 feet below mean sea level), with the lower part of the B1 sand showing lower VP/VS ratios than the upper part of the B1 sand. This corresponds to a stiffer, or more “cemented”, behavior for the lower B1 sand and less cemented behavior for the D1 sand. This trend could be due to differences in the reservoirs themselves or in the gas hydrate morphology or to both factors. We observe that the presence of gas hydrate in the upper B1 sand has greater impact on hydraulic permeability (measurements suggest a greater difference between intrinsic and effective permeability) than in the D1 sand, possibly related to gas hydrate morphology but more likely due simply to higher gas hydrate saturations in the upper B1 sand. Analyses of Sgh relative to porosity, shale fraction, and intrinsic permeability show that reservoir quality (as represented by these three metrics) exerts control on gas hydrate saturation. Grain size and mineralogy data show somewhat smaller grains and better sorting in the D1 reservoir relative to the upper B1 reservoir and smaller grains and greater clay fraction in the lower B1 reservoir relative to the other two reservoir zones. Together, these data suggest that reservoir characteristics play a role in the observed VP/VS patterns, but gas hydrate morphology (possibly varying with saturation) must also be considered.

Coupled multiphase flow and pore compression computational model for extraction of offshore gas hydrates

During gas hydrate extraction multiphase flow occurs with transitioning gas hydrate phase followed by pore compression. Effective theoretical and numerical models with the ability to account gas hydrate are key to evaluate the feasibility of gas hydrate extraction and understand the physical mechanisms behind it. In this manuscript, a coupled multiphase flow computational model is developed to simulate the gas hydrate extraction where phase transition and pore compression occurs. The compressibility of each phase is coupled with the variation of gas hydrate saturation and porosity. An efficient decoupled implicit iteration method is proposed to solve the highly non-linear equations. Differing from the known implicit iteration, an algorithm with dynamic time step was used to consider gas hydrate mass in each grid and to maintain the stability of simulation. The proposed model is validated using Masuda’s core sample experimental data. Then a conceptual offshore gas hydrate chimney is simulated, and the impacts of intrinsic permeability, lithology and gas hydrate saturation heterogeneity, and reservoir compression modulus on gas hydrate extraction efficiency are investigated using the model. The model shows the ability to predict the long-term gas hydrate production and correlated seabed stability problems.

Acoustic Wave Propagation in a Borehole with a Gas Hydrate-Bearing Sediment

A knowledge of wave propagation in boreholes with gas hydrate-bearing sediments, a typical three-phase porous medium, is of great significance for better applications of acoustic logging information on the exploitation of gas hydrate. To study the wave propagation in such waveguides based on the Carcione–Leclaire three-phase theory, according to the equations of motion and constitutive relations, a staggered-grid finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) scheme and a real axis integration (RAI) algorithm in a two-dimensional (2D) cylindrical coordinate system are proposed. In the FDTD scheme, the partition method is used to solve the stiff problem, and the nonsplitting perfect matched layer (NPML) scheme is extended to solve the problem of the false reflection waves from the artificial boundaries of the computational region. In the RAI algorithm, combined with six boundary conditions, the displacement potentials of waves are studied to calculate the borehole acoustic wavefields. The effectiveness is verified by comparing the results of the two algorithms. On this basis, the acoustic logs within a gas hydrate-bearing sediment are investigated. In particular, the wave field in a borehole is analyzed and the amplitude of a Stoneley wave under different hydrate saturations is studied. The results indicate that the attenuation coefficient of the Stoneley wave increases with the increase of gas hydrate saturation. The acoustic responses in a borehole embedded in a horizontally stratified hydrate formation are also simulated by using the proposed FDTD scheme. The result shows that the amplitude of the Stoneley wave from the upper interface is smaller than that from the bottom interface.

Evaluation of saturation changes during gas hydrate dissociation core experiment using deep learning with data augmentation

This study proposes a reliable evaluation method for three-phase saturation (water, gas hydrate (GH), and gas) evaluation during the GH dissociation core experiment using deep learning. A convolutional neural network (CNN) takes computed tomography (CT) images obtained during the GH core experiment as an input and provides three-phase saturation as an output. Although machine/deep learning methods have been applied to the saturation evaluation from CT images in previous research, they were not reliable due to the lack of adequate amount of training data where the model could not find appropriate parameters. Besides, non-zero gas hydrate saturation showed where it was supposed to be zero. This study improved the evaluation of three-phase saturation and solved the non-zero GH saturation problem by acquirement of extra data and application of data augmentation with CNN. The results of CNN and CNN with data augmentation presented 34% and 29% error compared to those of random forest. CNN with data augmentation brought 85% and 44% of error and its variance compared to those of CNN without data augmentation, respectively. Consequently, based on domain knowledge for GH, when it comes to the robustness of random data composition and consistency of performance, the evaluation of three-phase saturation can be boosted using CNN with data augmentation. • Machine learning was used to evaluate saturations of gas hydrate core experiment. • Adequate training data brought a successful learning performance of CNN. • Improved evaluation method using CNN for three-phase saturations was proposed. • Data augmentation can improve reliability and robustness of CNN performance. • Data augmentation is expected to be a solution for data shortage and overfitting.

Advances in Characterizing Gas Hydrate Formation in Sediments with NMR Transverse Relaxation Time

The formation process, structure, and distribution of gas hydrate in sediments have become focal points in exploring and exploiting natural gas hydrate. To better understand the dynamic behavior of gas hydrate formation in sediments, transverse relaxation time (T2) of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is widely used to quantitatively characterize the formation process of gas hydrate and the change in pore characteristics of sediments. NMR T2 has been considered as a rapid and non-destructive method to distinguish the phase states of water, gas, and gas hydrate, estimate the saturations of water and gas hydrate, and analyze the kinetics of gas hydrate formation in sediments. NMR T2 is also widely employed to specify the pore structure in sediments in terms of pore size distribution, porosity, and permeability. For the recognition of the advantages and shortage of NMR T2 method, comparisons with other methods as X-ray CT, cryo-SEM, etc., are made regarding the application characteristics including resolution, phase recognition, and scanning time. As a future perspective, combining NMR T2 with other techniques can more effectively characterize the dynamic behavior of gas hydrate formation and pore structure in sediments.

Assessment of natural gas hydrate reservoirs at Site GMGS3-W19 in the Shenhu area, South China Sea based on various well logs

To obtain the characteristics of the gas hydrate reservoirs at GMGS3-W19, extensive geophysical logging data and cores were analyzed to assess the reservoir properties. Sediment porosities were estimated from density, neutron, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logs. Both the resistivity and NMR logs were used to calculate gas hydrate saturations, the Simandoux model was employed to eliminate the effects of high clay content determined based on the ECS and core data. The density porosity was closely in agreement with the core-derived porosity, and the neutron porosity was higher while the NMR porosity was lower than the density porosity of sediments without hydrates. The resistivity log has higher vertical resolution than the NMR log and thus is more favorable for assessing gas hydrate saturation with strong heterogeneity. For the gas hydrate reservoirs at GMGS3-W19, the porosity, gas hydrate saturation and free gas saturation was 52.7%, 42.7% and 10%, on average, respectively. The various logs provide different methods for the comprehensive evaluation of hydrate reservoir, which supports the selection of candidate site for gas hydrate production testing.©2022 China Geology Editorial Office.

Petrophysical experiment-based evaluation method for the saturation of gas hydrate

The seas around China contain abundant non-diagenetic gas hydrate deposits. The traditional logging and evaluation techniques based on conventional oil and gas no longer satisfy the evaluation requirements of offshore gas hydrate layers, and it remains difficult to calculate the hydrate saturation accurately, which seriously restricts the accurate evaluation of the resources. Petrophysical experiments are an important means to study gas hydrate. By simulating the hydrate formation conditions in sediments under natural conditions, the study of various petrophysical properties of gas hydrate is essential to the exploration and development of hydrates and the prediction of reservoir parameters. In this study, a tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution, montmorillonite, and natural sea sand were selected to simulate the growth of gas hydrate based on its characteristics in the study area, and in situ CT scanning experiments were carried out at different hydrate formation stages to determine the microscopic morphologies of gas hydrates within the pore space. In addition, the acoustic wave and resistivity of hydrates with different saturations were measured. Forward modeling of a differential effective medium (DEM) model was conducted for the hydrate reservoirs with different saturations, and the gas hydrate morphology was analyzed. Thereafter, the hydrate saturation predictions based on the petrophysical experiments were analyzed. The results of these analyses indicate that the microscopic morphology of hydrates in the study area is primarily pore-filling form. Based on the saturation estimations using the Archie's law, Wood equation, time-average equation and the DEM method, and under the constraint of the acoustic and electrical measurement results of the petrophysical experiments, an electric acoustic joint model was built by integrating the resistivity and acoustic waves. The estimation results indicate that the joint electro–acoustic model is the best method for calculating the saturation in the study area. • Design of experiments to simulate gas hydrate generation with THF, montmorillonite, and natural sea sand. • Multiple hydrate saturation prediction methods based on acoustic, electrical, and petrophysical models. • Determination of microscopic morphologies of gas hydrate. • A joint acoustic and resistivity hydrate saturation prediction model based on hydrate petrophysical experiments.

Estimation of porosity and gas hydrate saturation by inverting 2D seismic data using very fast simulated Annealing in the Krishna Godavari offshore basin, India

ABSTRACTGas hydrate saturation and porosity are the two essential parameters for characterizing a gas hydrate reservoir. Generally, porosities determined at the well locations are interpolated and extrapolated over the seismic volume, which is not so appropriate to get an estimate of gas hydrate saturation. Here, we propose a method to predict both porosity and gas hydrate saturation directly by inverting seismic data using a global optimization technique known as Very Fast Simulated Annealing. Acoustic impedance, as a function of water saturation and porosity, is defined by a second‐degree polynomial equation used as a forward problem. These are used as the primary model parameters. Acoustic impedance derived from these values is then used to compute synthetic seismograms that are compared against observed traces. We demonstrate our approach on a 23.5 km two‐dimensional seismic line crossing four wells in the Krishna Godavari Basin, eastern Indian offshore. First, the proposed method is tested on well log data and then applied on post‐stack seismic data. The posterior probability density function and the correlation matrix between the model parameters (gas hydrate saturation and porosity) are calculated to measure the associated uncertainty in prediction. Inversion results illustrate that the approach can be efficiently used for the prediction of porosity and gas hydrate saturation directly from the seismic data.

Gas hydrate accumulation in shelf break setting: Example from the Qiongdongnan Basin in the northern slope of the South China Sea

Based on interpretation and inversion of high‐resolution seismic data, a previously undocumented occurrence of pore‐filled gas hydrates that are associated with a submarine canyon system was discovered in the shelf break of the north‐east Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB) in the northern South China Sea (SCS). Continuous bottom simulating reflections (BSRs) were recognized in the submarine striking NW‐SE ridges along the shelf break. The two‐way travel times (TWTs) of the BSRs are about 200–250 ms below the sea floor and the burial depths are mapped at ~180–225 mbsf after time‐depth conversion. The distribution of the enhanced reflections (ERs) and acoustic blanking zone overlying the BSRs indicate possible pore‐filled gas hydrate enrichment. ERs have been commonly observed immediately below the BSRs, indicating the accumulation of free gas, which exhibits distinct amplitude versus offset (AVO) anomalies. The acoustic impedance inversion results show that the gas hydrate saturation is 20–50%, and the thickness of the gas hydrate‐bearing layers is usually ~10–40 m, with a maximum thickness of up to ~90 m in local regions. Large‐scale listric faults originating from the deep sag connect the hydrocarbon source region and the shallow gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) and act as migration pathways for biogenic gas and potentially thermogenic gas. In addition, hydrocarbons may also be transported into the GHSZ along the sidewalls of the canyon. Canyon incision is believed to cause the increase in the burial depth of the BSRs on the flank of the ridge toward the base of the channel and thereby to trap the hydrocarbons migrating along the sidewall in permeable beds due to the decrease in permeability caused by the gas hydrate accumulation, resulting in the occurrence of ERs immediately below the BSRs. It is speculated that in the channel‐levee system, the coarse‐grained sediments should be deposited within the GHSZ, and the reservoir's physical properties are conducive to the wide distribution and enrichment of pore‐filled gas hydrates in the shelf break of the northern QDNB.

Characterization of bacterial and archaeal community structure in deep subsurface sediments in the Shenhu area, northern South China Sea

Gas hydrate-bearing sediments provide an extreme and unique habitat for bacteria and archaea, but the relationship between the microbial community and gas hydrate formation is poorly known. In the Shenhu area of the northern South China Sea, it was inferred that the gas source is mixed biogenic-thermogenic, and contradictions exist between relatively low total organic carbon content and high saturation of gas hydrates. The synthesized geophysical and geological evidence showed that deep thermogenic fluid could migrate upward through migrating pathways. In this study, samples were collected from Shenhu area from 224 to 271 mbsf (meters below the seafloor), which covered gas hydrate-bearing sediments (GHBS), free gas-bearing sediments (FGBS), and non-gas hydrate-bearing sediments (NGHBS), and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to characterize bacterial and archaeal community structure. The results revealed significant differences of microbial community structure among the three sediment types as indicated by alpha (richness and diversity indices) and beta (Bray-Curtis-based non-metric multidimensional scaling) diversity analyses as well as community composition analyses. In bacterial community, abundant genera included Pseudomonas, Halomonas, Alcanivorax, Thiobacillus, Marinobacter, Rhodococcus, and Dietzia, some of which were identified as putative hydrocarbon degraders. Most abundant archaeal genera were potential methanogenic archaea, and the dominant genera between GHBS and FGBS differed. Multiple types of methanogenesis were noted, and the hydrogenotrophic type was inferred to be predominant. Deviations of temperature of methanogens from the geothermal gradient of the study area again suggested the migration of organic matters. Based on the characterization of bacterial and archaeal community structure in the deep subsurface sediments, we proposed a geological model for the gas hydrate formation and accumulation of the gas hydrate reservoir, emphasizing the possibility of microbially-mediated secondary microbial gas formation from deep thermogenic fluid. This study characterized bacterial and archaeal community structure in deep subsurface sediments, which can provide insight into the potential roles of bacteria and archaea including hydrocarbon degradation and methanogenesis in gas hydrate formation and help reevaluate the contribution of deep thermogenic fluid to gas hydrate formation in the Shenhu area of the northern continental slope of the South China Sea.

Shear wave velocity prediction based on LSTM and its application for morphology identification and saturation inversion of gas hydrate

Compressional wave velocity (Vp) and shear wave velocity (Vs) are important geophysical parameters for studying gas hydrate systems. However, the Vs parameter is not commonly used in logging-while-drilling because of the high costs of acquiring it. To address this issue, we propose a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network for predicting a complete shear wave velocity curve at wells in Alaminos Canyon Block 21 (AC 21) based on the limited measurement of Vs logs. The LSTM method performs better than the LSF method when comparing the Vs curves generated by them with the measured one. The measured Vp and predicted Vs curves were applied to determine the distribution of hydrates using the ratio of Vp increment to Vs increment, and we projected velocity samples into the cross plot of modelled Vp and Vs by assuming pore- and fracture-filling hydrate reservoirs to identify the hydrate morphologies. The pore- and fracture-filling gas-hydrate-bearing reservoirs were proved at 541–633 feet below sea floor (fbsf) and 1200–1500 fbsf in hole AC 21-A, respectively. However, the gas hydrate saturations estimated using the joint usage of Vp and Vs at shallow and deep depths are less than 10% (at most 30% locally) and 10%–20%, respectively. Because less Vs data is measured, a transfer learning technique is introduced to estimate a Vs curve at well AC 21-B. Comparing velocity samples with the theoretical velocity curves, the morphology of the hydrate in well AC 21-B is observed to be a horizontal fracture-filling type, and its gas hydrate saturation is approximately 10%–20% at the depth intervals of hydrate occurrence. According to our numerical calculations, the hydrate occurrence at well AC 21-B shows a better continuity than in well AC 21-A. • A LSTM model is developed to predict a complete VS curve in JIP wells. • Morphologies and distributions of gas hydrates are determined. • Gas hydrate saturation is estimated based on the jointly usage of Vp and Vs data. • transfer learning to predict a Vs curve and further analyse gas hydrates.

Establishment of the productivity prediction method of Class III gas hydrate developed by depressurization and horizontal well based on production performance and inflow relationship

Productivity prediction is one of the important issues for the economic and effective development of gas hydrate deposit. Therefore, this paper proposes a method to establish productivity prediction for the Class III gas hydrate developed by depressurization and horizontal wells. The method are divided into four steps, including numerical simulation, production performance analysis, revision of formulas and quantitative calculation of key factors. The prediction method is based on inflow performance relationship (IPR) of gas hydrate. Considering the shape of IPR curves, Fetkovich’s formula and Vogel’s formula are selected as the basic formulas respectively for the increasing part and decreasing part of gas hydrate production. To revise Fetkovich’s formula, the deposit pressure is replaced by comprehensive deposit pressure, which is determined by energy coefficient B0. Through the analysis and evaluation of influencing factors, B0 is described by a equation related to gas hydrate saturation. To revise the Vogel’s formula, the lowest production pressure is set as the four phase point pressure, leading to the change of production pressure difference and maximum gas production rate. The key coefficient C is calculated by a equation related to gas hydrate saturation and well spacing. Compared with simulation results, the results of proposed formulas show good accuracy in the prediction of production rate of gas hydrate. The results of test point predicted by revised Fetkovich’s formula almost coincide with simulation results. The average error between results of revised Vogel’s formula and simulation results is 4.24%. So the proposed method can be applied to predict the productivity of gas hydrate for its good accuracy, fast speed and simple calculation.