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