Gas Hydrate Saturation Research Articles

Geochemical and Physical Methods for Estimating the Saturation of Natural Gas Hydrates in Sediments: A Review

The saturation of natural gas hydrates is a key parameter for characterizing hydrate reservoirs, estimating hydrate reserves, and developing hydrate as an energy resource. Several methods have been proposed to estimate hydrate saturation, although most of these studies rely on logging and seismic data. However, the methods for estimating hydrate saturation from recovered core sediments have not been thoroughly reviewed, which hinders a deeper understanding, proper application, and the use of these experimental data to integrate geophysical and numerical model results with the actual geological conditions. In this paper, the methods widely used for estimating natural gas hydrate saturation from core sediments, including those based on pore water chemistry (Cl− concentration, δD, and δ18O values), gas volumetric analysis, and temperature anomaly, have been summarized in terms of the principle, estimation strategy, and issues to be considered of each method. The applicability, advantages and disadvantages, and scope of application of each method are also compared and discussed. All methods for estimating gas hydrate saturation have certain limitations. A comprehensive application of results from multiple methods could lead to a better understanding of the amount of gas hydrate in sediments, although the chlorinity of pore water is the most commonly used method of estimation.

Inversion of gas hydrate saturation and solid frame permeability in a gas hydrate-bearing sediment by Stoneley wave attenuation

Natural gas hydrate is a potential novel energy resource that is widely distributed globally. Acoustic logging can effectively provide information on the surrounding reservoir and plays an important guiding role in gas hydrate exploration and development. Natural gas hydrate-bearing sediments are composed of a solid frame with natural gas hydrates and water-filled pores. The borehole mode wave characteristics of two-phase porous media cannot be used to evaluate the parameters of such a multiphase porous medium. We explore factors that influence the monopole Stoneley wave in a borehole embedded in a multiphase porous medium containing two solids and one fluid and analyze the influence of each factor on monopole Stoneley wave attenuation systematically. The sensitivity analysis results indicate that the Stoneley wave attenuation is highly sensitive to solid frame permeability and gas hydrate saturation. Building upon this foundation, a method to invert for gas hydrate saturation and solid frame permeability is first developed using Stoneley wave attenuation. Synthetic logging data are used to demonstrate the feasibility of this method for inverting for gas hydrate-bearing sediment properties. Even in the presence of considerable noise added to the receiver signal arrays, the inversion method is stable, and reliably evaluates gas hydrate saturation and solid frame permeability.

Translation of machine learning approaches into gas hydrate saturation proxy: a case study from Krishna-Godavari (KG) offshore basin

Translation of machine learning approaches into gas hydrate saturation proxy: a case study from Krishna-Godavari (KG) offshore basin

Controlling Effect of Particle Size on Gas Hydrate Enrichment in Fine‐Grained Sediments

AbstractThe particle size of sediments below the seabed is a crucial factor affecting the formation and enrichment of gas hydrates. Apart from the formation and enrichment law of gas hydrate in coarse‐grained sediments (dominated by a sandy‐sized fraction), in the fine‐grained sediments (<62.5 μm) which accounts for more than 90% of offshore gas hydrate resources globally, the control effect of sediment particle size on gas hydrate is still unclear. Therefore, understanding the relationship between the fine‐grained sediment particle size and gas hydrate enrichment is essential for revealing the global distribution and dynamic evolution of gas hydrates. Here, we analyzed the vertical gas hydrate saturation, particle size parameters of sediments, whole‐rock minerals, and clay mineral components based on drilling data and sediment samples from fine‐grained gas hydrate reservoirs (GHRs) in the Shenhu area of the northern South China Sea. The results show that in fine‐grained sediments, the coarse particles cannot improve the reservoir quality or enrich the gas hydrate because many fine particles fill the intergranular pores formed by the coarse particles. Meanwhile, the fine particles were dominated by clay minerals, especially in the illite/smectite mixed layer, which significantly reduced the permeability of the sediment layer and was not conducive to the enrichment of gas hydrates. Moreover, sedimentary processes directly control the sediment particle size and mineral composition, which play an essential role in controlling GHRs at the macroscale. In the fine‐grained sediments, very fine sediments (<8 μm) have a more significant negative impact on gas hydrate enrichment.

Effect of Skeleton Grain Size on the Saturation of Gas Hydrate in Natural Sediments

Effect of Skeleton Grain Size on the Saturation of Gas Hydrate in Natural Sediments

Characterization of the Structural–Stratigraphic and Reservoir Controls on the Occurrence of Gas Hydrates in the Eileen Gas Hydrate Trend, Alaska North Slope

One of the most studied permafrost-associated gas hydrate accumulations in Arctic Alaska is the Eileen Gas Hydrate Trend. This study provides a detailed re-examination of the Eileen Gas Hydrate Trend with a focus on the gas hydrate accumulation in the western part of the Prudhoe Bay Unit. This integrated analysis of downhole well log data and published geophysical data has provided new insight on structural, stratigraphic, and reservoir controls on the occurrence of gas hydrates in the Eileen Gas Hydrate Trend. This study revealed the relatively complex nature of the gas hydrate occurrences in the Eileen Gas Hydrate Trend, with gas hydrates present in a series of coarsening upward, laterally pervasive, mostly fine-grained sand beds exhibiting high gas hydrate saturations. Most of the gas hydrate-bearing reservoirs in the Eileen Gas Hydrate Trend are laterally segmented into distinct northwest- to southeast-trending fault blocks, occur in a combination of structural–stratigraphic traps, and are only partially hydrate filled with distinct down-dip water contacts. These findings suggest that the traditional parts of a petroleum system (i.e., reservoir, gas source, gas migration, and geologic timing of the system formation) also control the occurrence of gas hydrates in the Eileen Gas Hydrate Trend.

Interpreting XGBoost predictions for shear-wave velocity using SHAP: Insights into gas hydrate morphology and saturation

As an elastic parameter of formations, shear-wave (S-wave) velocity has important significance for assessing the morphology and saturation of gas hydrates but is often incompletely measured in actual drilling. To acquire missing S-wave velocity data for gas hydrate research in the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II (GOM JIP Leg II), this paper introduces Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). Meanwhile, three additional machine learning models were trained for comparative analysis. The results show that XGBoost has better predictive performance than Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, and is more suitable for the small-sample well-log data in this study than Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. Based on this, Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) were used to explain the importance and specific contributions of well-logging parameters in XGBoost, and incremental learning was employed to overcome the issue of insufficient data for initial model training. Finally, the application of the prediction results provides hydrate morphology identification and saturation estimation based on S-wave velocity. This research opens a new intelligent path for recovering missing S-wave velocity in GOM JIP Leg II and enhances in-depth assessment of gas hydrate potential in the region.

A Borehole Acoustic Calculation Approach with Gas Hydrate Saturation Inversion in Gas Hydrate-Bearing Sediments

The inversion of gas hydrate saturation is a critical procedure in the evaluation of hydrate reservoirs. In this paper, a theoretical model for a borehole acoustic wavefield excited by multipole sources is established for the first time. On this basis, the attenuation of the dipole flexural waves is obtained, and in combination with the results of sensitivity analysis, an approach for inverting natural gas hydrates using the attenuation characteristics of the dipole flexural wave is proposed. The results of the sensitivity analysis demonstrate that the attenuation of the dipole flexural wave is sensitive to gas hydrate saturation. Numerical results derived from synthetic logging data are provided to illustrate the viability of the inversion of gas hydrate saturation. Even when significant noise is introduced into the receiver signal arrays, the inversion method remains stable and accurately assesses gas hydrate saturation. The correctness and effectiveness of the proposed approach are substantiated through the processing of numerical simulation data. This work provides a potent processing approach for evaluating reservoir hydrate saturation utilizing acoustic well-logging information.

Thermo-hydro-chemical modeling and analysis of methane extraction from fractured gas hydrate-bearing sediments

Hydraulic fracturing is widely used in enhancing hydrocarbon recovery efficiency of unconventional reservoirs including gas hydrate-bearing sediment (GHBS). However, the underlying mechanisms governing the influences of fractures on the intricate multi-field coupled processes during methane extraction remain poorly understood. This study develops a fully coupled thermo-hydro-chemical (THC) model for methane extraction from fractured GHBS under combined heat injection and depressurization operations. Novel dimensionless numbers are proposed to characterize the underlying heat transfer, fluid flow, and hydrate decomposition processes. The results reveal that depressurization induced fluid flow dominates methane extraction in the early stages, while heat injection induced thermal processes become the primary controlling factor in the intermediate and long-term stages. The flow field primarily governs the global-scale hydrate decomposition process, whereas the thermal field dictates the local-scale evolution of the pre-decomposition front. We find that increasing injection temperature and decreasing production pressure could improve gas recovery efficiency, although economic consideration may constrain these production strategies. Particularly, increasing injection temperature expands local hydrate decomposition zone and boosts gas production, while depressurization at the production well reduces the overall gas hydrate saturation and leads to extra gas production. Variation in well spacing show little effect on the gas recovery efficiency, but the total gas production changes for the change of reservoir scale. This study provides insights into the mechanisms of coupled thermo-hydro-chemical behaviors during methane extraction from fractured GHBS, and offers a fundamental model for the optimization of both extraction efficiency and economic viability of gas hydrate recovery.

Empirical evaluation of the strength and deformation characteristics of natural and synthetic gas hydrate-bearing sediments with different ranges of porosity, hydrate saturation, effective stress, and strain rate

Evaluating the mechanical properties of gas (primarily methane) hydrate-bearing sediments is essential for commercial production as a next-generation resource and understanding the global carbon cycle. Triaxial and uniaxial compression tests have been conducted on synthetic gas hydrate and natural core samples recovered from deep-sea beds using pressure coring techniques. The results show that four factors are vital in establishing the strength of hydrate-bearing sediments: hydrate saturation, effective confining stress, porosity, and strain rate. However, no study has evaluated these factors in a unified and quantitative manner, and even if the physical properties of the reservoir are known in detail from logging, predicting the strength has been challenging. In this study, pressure cores were drilled and recovered from the Eastern Nankai Trough in April 2018 after Japan’s second offshore production test, and triaxial or uniaxial compression tests were performed on 12 pressure core samples brought back to the laboratory. The mechanical properties of the hydrate-bearing sediments were classified with previous obtained results from 53 pressure cores and 223 synthetic cores, and empirical equations for triaxial compressive strength and deformation modulus were proposed as functions of gas hydrate saturation, effective confining pressure, porosity, and strain rate. The obtained equations were found to correlate well with the experimental data and can predict the strength and deformation modulus from logging data.

A novel evaluation method of natural gas hydrate saturation in reservoirs based on the equivalent medium theory

Natural gas hydrate saturation (NGHS) in reservoirs is one of the critical parameters for evaluating natural gas hydrate resource reserves. Current widely-accepted evaluation methods developed for evaluating conventional natural gas saturation in reservoirs, to some extents, are not sufficient enough to obtain accurate predicted results. In light of the equivalent medium theory, the natural gas hydrate is regarded as the fluid (Mode A) when NGHS is relatively low, while it is regarded as the rock matrix (Mode B) when NGHS is high. Two mathematical model are then developed for evaluating NGHS at Mode A and B. Experimental verification shows that R2 of the predicted results based upon the proposed model is 0.968, and the average absolute relative error percentage is 8.90%. The error of the predicted results gradually decreases with increasing NGHS, whereas increases with increasing confining pressure. In addition, the proposed model has been applied to the 142.9–147.7 m well section of Well DK-1 in the permafrost region, Qilian Mountains. The results show that the error of the predicted results is less than 13.92%, with its average error being 10.51%. The predicted value gradually increases with its error decreasing as the depth continues to increase, which is consistent with the change behavior of measured data. NGHS evaluation method proposed in this paper fully considers the occurrence form of natural gas hydrate in reservoirs. The model parameters are easy to determine and the predicted results are reliable.

Rock-physics model of a gas hydrate reservoir with mixed occurrence states

Seismic interpretation of gas hydrates requires the assistance of rock physics. Changes in gas hydrate saturation can alter the elastic properties of formations, and this relationship can be considerably influenced by the occurrence state of gas hydrates. Pore-filling, load-bearing, and cementing types are three single gas hydrate occurrence states commonly considered in rock-physics investigations. However, many gas hydrate-bearing formations are observed to have mixed occurrence states, and their rock-physics properties do not fully conform to models of single occurrence states. We develop a generalized rock-physics model for gas hydrate-bearing formations with three mixed occurrence states observed in the field or laboratory experiments: coexisting pore-filling-type and matrix-forming-type gas hydrates (case 1); pore-filling type when [Formula: see text] (gas hydrate saturation) < [Formula: see text] (critical saturation) and pore-filling + matrix-forming type when [Formula: see text] (case 2); and matrix-forming type when [Formula: see text] and matrix-forming + pore-filling type when [Formula: see text] (case 3). Instead of initial porosity, the apparent porosity (the volume fraction of an effective pore filler) [Formula: see text] represents the influence of occurrence states on the pore space. These three mixed occurrence states can be modeled using a unified workflow, in which the volume fractions of various gas hydrate types are expressed in general forms in terms of the apparent porosity. In addition, the model considers the effect of a pore filler on shear modulus. The developed model is validated through calibration with real well-log data and published experimental data corresponding to five gas hydrate-bearing formations. The model effectively interprets the influences of gas hydrate saturation and occurrence state on these formations. Thus, the generalized model provides a theoretical basis for the analysis of sensitive elastic parameters and quantitative interpretation for gas hydrate reservoirs.

Sensitivity Analysis of Multi‐phase Seepage Parameters Affecting the Clayey Silt Hydrate Reservoir Productivity in the Shenhu Area, South China Sea

AbstractNatural gas hydrate (NGH) is an important future resource for the 21st century and a strategic resource with potential for commercial development in the third energy transition. It is of great significance to accurately predict the productivity of hydrate‐bearing sediments (HBS). The multi‐phase seepage parameters of HBS include permeability, porosity, which is closely related to permeability, and hydrate saturation, which has a direct impact on hydrate content. Existing research has shown that these multi‐phase seepage parameters have a great impact on HBS productivity. Permeability directly affects the transmission of pressure‐drop and discharge of methane gas, porosity and initial hydrate saturation affect the amount of hydrate decomposition and transmission process of pressure‐drop, and also indirectly affect temperature variation of the reservoir. Considering the spatial heterogeneity of multi‐phase seepage parameters, a depressurization production model with layered heterogeneity is established based on the clayey silt hydrate reservoir at W11 station in the Shenhu Sea area of the South China Sea. Tough + Hydrate software was used to calculate the production model; the process of gas production and seepage parameter evolution under different multi‐phase seepage conditions were obtained. A sensitivity analysis of the parameters affecting the reservoir productivity was conducted so that: (a) a HBS model with layered heterogeneity can better describe the transmission process of pressure and thermal compensation mechanism of hydrate reservoir; (b) considering the multi‐phase seepage parameter heterogeneity, the influence degrees of the parameters on HBS productivity were permeability, porosity and initial hydrate saturation, in order from large to small, and the influence of permeability was significantly greater than that of other parameters; (c) the production potential of the clayey silt reservoir should not only be determined by hydrate content or seepage capacity, but also by the comprehensive effect of the two; and (d) time scales need to be considered when studying the effects of changes in multi‐phase seepage parameters on HBS productivity.

Seismic characterisation of multiple BSRs in the Eastern Black Sea Basin

Long offset seismic reflection data reveal the presence of four Bottom Simulating Reflectors (BSR0-3) within folded sediments of the Tuapse Trough, along the NE margin of the Eastern Black Sea Basin (EBSB). Multiple BSRs are observed in other sites worldwide, however, their origin and formation mechanisms are still debated. Here, we investigate the formation mechanisms of the EBSB multiple BSRs based on their seismic character and on their physical properties derived from reflected and refracted arrival seismic velocities. Seismic reflection data are downward continued to enhance refracted arrivals. A 2D travel-time velocity model of the sub-seabed, using combined travel-times from non-downward-continued reflected and downward-continued refracted signals, shows variations in the physical properties at the BSRs and nearby sediments. The P-wave velocity (VP) increase of 1.55–1.72 km/s between the seafloor and BSR0 (258 mbsf) reflects normal compaction trends in sediments, whereas the VP of 1.75–1.83 km/s between BSR0 and BSR1 (360 mbsf) is higher than that expected for sediments at that depth. Beneath BSR1, a VP decrease from 1.83 km/s to 1.61 km/s occurs within a 70-80 m-thick layer including BSR2 (395 mbsf) and extending to BSR3 (438 mbsf). Beneath BSR3, VP increases. Based on an analytical model linking seismic velocity to physical properties, these VP trends can be explained by a gas hydrate saturation from 0 to 2% between the seafloor and BSR0, reaching 4 ± 2% just above BSR1. A free gas saturation of up to 20–25% is estimated within the low-velocity zone between BSR1 and BSR3. BSR1 likely represents the present-day base of the gas hydrate stability zone (BGHSZ), which aligns with the theoretical BGHSZ assuming a geothermal gradient of 26–30 °C/km. Based on seismic polarities and results from travel-time analysis and rock physics modelling, we suggest that hydrate dissociation and recycling processes may explain the negative polarity of BSR2 and BSR3, which are still visible due to the presence of relict gas, and inferred higher gas hydrate saturations close to the present-day base of the stability zone at BSR1. Also, structural and stratigraphic controls seem to have favoured focused free gas flow and hydrate formation at the top of an anticlinal structure, thus likely controlling multiple BSR generation in the EBSB.

Improved Prediction Method for Gas Hydrate Saturation in Sea Areas

Ninety-eight % of the world’s natural gas hydrate (commonly known as hydrate) are distributed in the stability zone of the sea areas. There are also rich hydrates in the stability zone of the Shenhu Sea Area in China. Drilling in the Shenhu Sea Area of China reveals that a lot of hydrate exist in suspension mode. Now the Wood method is for predicting hydrate in suspension mode, but the practical application in the Shenhu Sea Area shows that this method leads to large errors in predicting hydrate saturation. In order to address the problem of low accuracy of the Wood method in predicting hydrate saturation in suspension mode, this paper has first pointed out that the low accuracy of the Wood method is primarily caused by the systematic analytic error of stratigraphic parameters, which is derived from insufficient understanding of sediment composition and porosity in sea area by existing analytic technology. The paper puts forward the Wood-SE method alternatively. The practical application in the Shenhu Sea Area shows that the absolute error of this method mainly falls within the range of -10%, 10%. Most of the absolute error of the Wood method is above 20%. The error of main hydrate occurrence section could even reach 60%.

Rock Physics Modelling for Estimation of Gas Hydrate Saturation Using NGHP-02 Well Data in the Krishna–Godavari Basin

Rock Physics Modelling for Estimation of Gas Hydrate Saturation Using NGHP-02 Well Data in the Krishna–Godavari Basin

Gas hydrate saturation from NGHP 02 LWD data in the Mahanadi Basin

During the Indian National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) Expedition 02, Logging-while-drilling (LWD) logs were acquired at three sites (NGHP-02-11, NGHP-02-12, and NGHP-02-13) across the Mahanadi Basin in area A. We applied rock physics theory to available sonic velocity logs to know the distribution of gas hydrate at site NGHP-02-11 and NGHP-02-13. Rock physics modeling using sonic velocity at well location shows that gas hydrate is distributed mainly within the depth intervals of 150–265 m and 100–215 mbsf at site NGHP-02-11 and NGHP-02-13, respectively, with an average saturation of about 4% of the pore space and the maximum concentration of about 40% of the pore space at 250 m depth at site NGHP-02-11, and at site NGHP-02-13 an average saturation of about 2% of the pore space and the maximum concentration of about 20% of the pore space at 246 m depth, as gas hydrate is distributed mainly within 100–246 mbsf at this site. Saturation of gas hydrate estimated from the electrical resistivity method using density derived porosity and electrical resistivity logs from Archie's empirical formula shows high saturation compared to that from the sonic log. However, estimates of hydrate saturation based on sonic P-wave velocity may differ significantly from that based on resistivity, because gas and hydrate have higher resistivity than conductive pore fluid and sonic P-wave velocity shows strong effect on gas hydrate as a small amount of gas reduces the velocity significantly while increasing velocity due to the presence of hydrate. At site NGHP-02-11, gas hydrate saturation is in the range of 15%–30%, in two zones between 150-180 and 245–265 mbsf. Site NGHP-02-012 shows a gas hydrate saturation of 20%–30% in the zone between 100 and 207 mbsf. Site NGHP-02-13 shows a gas hydrate saturation up to 30% in the zone between 215 and 246 mbsf. Combined observations from rock physics modeling and Archie’s approximation show the gas hydrate concentrations are relatively low (<4% of the pore space) at the sites of the Mahanadi Basin in the turbidite channel system.

Electrochemical response of unconsolidated sediment during liquid pore water phase change and its inspiration for gas hydrate saturation calculation

Electrical exploration is one of the most effective methods to estimate the location and abundance of hydrates. To better understand the relationship between electrical resistivity and gas hydrate saturation, the conduction mechanism of hydrate-bearing sediment needs to be investigated. Ice-bearing sediments with physical properties similar to hydrate-bearing sediment were synthesized using NaCl solution with different initial salinity. Electrical resistivity was detected using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Meanwhile, the distribution of relaxation time (DRT) was utilized to separate the electrochemical processes with various time constants and to analysis the conductive mechanism in depth. It is found that ion migration is the main conductive path of ice-bearing sediments. Salt ion transport is the main conducting path when ice saturation is low. Conversely, hydrogen or salt ion transport through ice is the main conducting path when ice saturation is high. The dual effects of ice on ion transport can be reflected in reducing and enhancing pore water resistivity. Based on the DRT results, increased ice saturation in larger pores hiders salt ion migration and promotes hydrogen ion movement, while the ice-sediment interface in smaller pores may form a highly conductive path. Moreover, it is also found that the DRT can be used to calculate water saturation. A cubic polynomial relationship is suggested between the DRT curve area and ice saturation. The application of electrochemical method to data analysis is very beneficial and can provide valuable information for obtaining more reliable hydrate saturation from electrical resistivity data. The results of this study are helpful to improve gas hydrate saturation interpretation models and provide significant guidance for gas hydrate production strategy design.

Theoretical evaluation of utilizing rock physics inversion for hybrid models of gas-hydrate distribution in deep water sediments of Oman sea

Most of the hydrate assessment methods are developed based on relating the elastic properties to the hydrate saturation via establishment of robust and calibrated rock physics models and among them the most practical one is Effective Medium Theory (EMT) with four models of gas hydrate distributions. Generally, considering only one of these models in hydrate characterization could be an unrealistic assumption and therefore, rock physics inversion may cause erroneous assessments (over- or under-estimation).In this paper, hybrid models of hydrate distributions have been introduced for different combinations of two possible classical models by applying some modifications in the EMT workflow. Then, based on the modified EMT for hybrid models, a statistical rock physics inversion approach has been developed for estimation of gas hydrate saturations along with porosity, simultaneously. The result shows that theoretically it is possible to combine two models of distribution in both rock physics modeling and inversion processes. This developed approach was applied on a 2-D marine pre-stack time migrated (PSTM) seismic line passing through an anticlinal-ridge type structure in deep Oman sea sediment. For comparison, this approach was applied for single hydrate distribution as well. The results recommend to use the hybrid models of cementing and non-cementing distributions in the characterization to simultaneously consider all changes on the elastic properties of the host sediment imposed by hydrate presence. The results showed even in an un-explored area (without well information), this method can provide reliable robust result for porosity (independent of hydrate distribution assumption) and qualitative output for hydrate sweet-spots detection. Finally and after drilling the first exploration well, by having well log data in hydrate zone, along with possibility of validations and parameters calibrations for hybrid models, more reliable quantification could be achieved with this method; as the in-situ data increases the certainty of the determined elastic properties in model-based inversion process and also accuracy of defined mineralogical compositions.

Salt Diapir‐Driven Recycling of Gas Hydrate

AbstractBy harnessing both hypothetical, synthetic basin and gas hydrate (GH) system models and real‐world models of well‐studied salt diapir‐associated GH sites at Green Canyon (Gulf of Mexico) and Blake Ridge (U.S. Atlantic coast), we propose and demonstrate salt movement (and in particular, diapirism) to be a new mechanism for the recycling of marine GH. At Green Canyon, for example, we show that by considering this newly proposed diapir‐driven recycling mechanism in conjunction with previously proposed lithological control on sandy‐reservoir‐hosted hydrate at the base of the GH stability zone (BGHSZ; ∼bottom‐simulating reflector, BSR), modeled GH saturations match drilling data. Overall, salt diapir movement‐induced GH recycling provides a temperature‐driven mechanism by which GH saturations at the BGHSZ may reach &gt;90 vol. % and by which GH volumes near and free gas volumes beneath the BGHSZ may be increased significantly through time. Interestingly, comparison of salt diapir‐driven recycling and sediment burial‐driven recycling scenarios suggests notably higher rates of recycling via diapir‐driven versus burial‐driven processes. Our results suggest that GH and associated free gas accumulations above salt diapir crests represent particularly attractive targets for unconventional and conventional hydrocarbon resource exploration and for scientific and academic drilling expeditions aimed at exploiting GH systems. Salt basins containing GH systems—including passive margin basins of the Gulf of Mexico, southeastern Brazil, and southwestern Africa—are therefore compelling localities for studying salt‐driven GH recycling and for salt diapir‐associated natural gas exploration.