Occurrence and exploration of gas hydrate in the marginal seas and continental margin of the Asia and Oceania region
Journal
Marine and Petroleum Geology
Journal Volume
28
Journal Issue
10
Pages
1751-1767
Date Issued
2011
Author(s)
Abstract
Supplies of conventional natural gas and oil are declining fast worldwide, and therefore new, unconventional forms of energy resources are needed to meet the ever-increasing demand. Amongst the many different unconventional natural resources are gas hydrates, a solid, ice-like crystalline compound of methane and water formed under specific low temperature and high pressure conditions. Gas hydrates are believed to exist in large quantities worldwide in oceanic regions of continental margins, as well as associated with permafrost regions in the Arctic. Some studies to estimate the global abundance of gas hydrate suggest that the total volume of natural gas locked up in form of gas hydrates may exceed all known conventional natural gas reserves, although large uncertainties exist in these assessments. Gas hydrates have been intensively studied in the last two decades also due to connections between climate forcing (natural and/or anthropogenic) and the potential large volumes of methane trapped in gas hydrate accumulations. The presence of gas hydrate within unconsolidated sediments of the upper few hundred meters below seafloor may also pose a geo-hazard to conventional oil and gas production. Additionally, climate variability and associated changes in pressure-temperature regimes and thus shifts in the gas hydrate stability zone may cause the occurrence of submarine slope failures.Several large-scale national gas hydrate programs exist especially in countries such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, India, and New Zealand, where large demands of energy cannot be met by domestic supplies from natural resources. The past five years have seen several dedicated deep drilling expeditions and other scientific studies conducted throughout Asia and Oceania to understand gas hydrates off India, China, and Korea. This thematic set of publications is dedicated to summarize the most recent findings and results of geo-scientific studies of gas hydrates in the marginal seas and continental margin of the Asia, and Oceania region. © 2011.
Subjects
Bottom-simulating reflector; Deep drilling; Gas hydrate; Pore-fluid constituents; Regional distribution; Seismic evidence
Other Subjects
Bottom simulating reflector; Deep drilling; Pore-fluid constituents; Regional distribution; Seismic evidence; Anoxic sediments; Associated gas; Climatology; Energy resources; Gases; Hydration; Methane; Natural gas deposits; Natural gas well drilling; Natural resources; Proven reserves; Slope stability; Uncertainty analysis; Well drilling; Gas hydrates; continental margin; deep drilling; gas hydrate; gas supply; hydrocarbon exploration; hydrocarbon reserve; marginal sea; methane; natural gas; oil supply; permafrost; resource assessment; seafloor; seismology; submarine slope; Asia; oceanic regions
Type
journal article