Oceanic Gas Hydrate Research and Activities Review
Dr. Mary C. Boatman
Presented By
Gas Hydrates:
Short term Long term
What are they?
Why are they important?
What matters to MMS?
Gas Hydrate: Ice-like structure that traps gases
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Methane, Carbon Dioxide, Ethane, Butane, Propane, Hydrogen Sulfide
Hydrate Structures
Sources: U.S. Geological Survey and Texas A&M University
Concentrates gas with a ratio of ~ 1:160
One cubic foot of gas hydrate contains 160 cubic feet of gas at standard temperature and pressure
Type I Type II Type H
Hydrate Formation Requires Five Ingredients:
Water
Pressure
Temperature
Nucleation Site
Gas - CH4, CO2, C2H6, H2S, etc.
Why the interest in Gas Hydrates?
Safety: Hydrates plug flowlinesHydrates can be geohazards
Resource:Methane Hydrates are a source of natural gas
Environmental:Sensitive Communities use hydrates as foodMethane Hydrates can contribute to global warming
Safety
Hydrates can form in flowlines and on equipment
Hydrates occur naturally in the sediment
Heat From Buried Pipelines Cause Hydrate Dissociation
Hydrates Dissociation Affects Foundation of Surface Facilities?
Heat From Production Wells Causes Hydrate Dissociation
Hydrates Form On Exterior of Subsea Equipment
Potential Impact of Natural Gas Hydrates in the Seafloor Sediments On Deepwater
Production Facilities
99-00075
Gulf
of
Mexico
Seafloor gas hydrates exist near upward migration paths
Resource
USGS Estimates of the United States In-Place Gas Resources Within Gas Hydrates
Methods of Extraction
Heat Inject CO2 to Displace Methane
Inject Inhibitors
Direct Removal
Depressurization
Environmental
Chemosynthetic Communities:
Sensitive Biological Communities
Associated with Methane Hydrates
Found in Deepwater throughout Gulf of Mexico
Global Warming
Environmental
Chemosynthetic Communities:
Sensitive Biological Communities
Associated with Methane Hydrates
Found in Deepwater throughout Gulf of Mexico
Global Warming
S. 330 and H.R. 1753
Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 1999
To promote the research, identification, assessment, exploration, and development of methane hydrateresources, and for other purposes.
Funding: $42.5 million over 5 years
Lead Agency: Department of Energy
Consultation: Department of the Interior Department of Defense
International Interest in Methane Hydrate Recovery
India: $56 million program
Japan: $50 million program
Canada: MacKenzie Delta Permafrost with Japan
United Kingdom, Brazil, and Norway
Russia: Messoyakha gas field - 1970
Hydrate Research at other Agencies:
Department of Energy: Methane Hydrates as a Resource
Naval Research Laboratory: Acoustic Properties of Sediments
National Science Foundation: Basic Research into Hydrate Properties
United States Geological Survey: Gas Hydrates as a GeohazardMethane Hydrates as a Resource
MMS Involvement in Hydrate Research
Technology Assessment & Research Program
Chemosynthetic Communities
Resource Evaluation - mapping of surface anomalies
Participation on Committees and in Consortiums
Center for Marine Resources and Environmental Technology (CMRET)
3-D Seismic view of Gulf of Mexico Sea Floor
3-D Seismic Surface Anomaly Map of Cooper Field
Close-up view of Surface Anomaly with Hydrate
Vertical view of one of the seismic lines
What’s important to MMS?
Short Term:
Safety: Technology and Geohazards
Environmental: Protecting Sensitive Biological Communities
Long Term:
Methane Hydrate Extraction
New Technology
Identification and Valuation of Resource
Environmental Impacts
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