USGS obtains Gulf gas hydrate data

As part of a multiyear program of gas hydrate research in the Gulf of Mexico being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the U.S. Department of Energy, USGS researchers have obtained high-resolution seismic data and images of some known gas hydrate deposits.

Gas hydrates are ice-like substances, formed under certain temperature and pressure conditions, in which gas becomes trapped in a lattice of water molecules. The gas in the hydrates generally consists of methane, the primary component of natural gas. And, with the hydrates able to concentrate large volumes of gas into relatively small volumes of hydrate, people view the hydrates as a potential prolific source of natural gas for use as a fuel.

The recent seismic data acquisition built on some previous research involving an expedition in 2009 that drilled into gas hydrate deposits in reservoir-quality sands. The seismic data now allows the researchers to more fully place these deposits into their geologic context.

“This expedition represents a significant milestone,” said USGS Energy Resources Program Coordinator Brenda Pierce. “The data and imagery provide insight into the entire petroleum system at each location, including the source of gas, the migration pathways for the gas, the distribution of hydrate-bearing sediments, and the traps that hold the hydrate and free gas in place. The USGS has a globally recognized research effort studying gas hydrates in settings around the world, and this project combines our unique expertise with that of other agencies to advance research on this potential future energy resource.”

Gas hydrate research in northern Canada, on Alaska’s North Slope and offshore Japan has demonstrated the technical feasibility of producing natural gas from hydrates. But no one has yet shown that the hydrates can be viably produced on a commercial scale over extended time periods.

—Alan Bailey