PREDICTION OF THE METHANE SUPPLY AND FORMATION PROCESS OF GAS HYDRATE RESERVOIR AT ODP1247, HYDRATE RIDGE, OFFSHORE OREGON

Abstract

The formation of gas hydrate reservoir in marine sediments is mainly controlled by methane supply and sedimentary burial. Based on the mass conservation of methane in gas hydrate system, a numerical model of gas hydrate formation was established considering the methane supplied by dissolved methane diffusion, pore water advection, and in situ methanogenesis. A case study of ODP site 1247 at the Hydrate Ridge, offshore Oregon shows that dissolved methane transported by molecular diffusion and pore water advection is the major supply of methane for gas hydrate formation, while in situ methanogenesis contributes little to the gas hydrate reservoir. The gas hydrate reservoir was also evaluated considering the changes of sedimentation rate since 1.67 Ma. Our model results show that the variations of sedimentation rate lead to little change in the size of gas hydrate reservoir at ODP 1247. The calculated hydrate saturation amounts to ∼0%∼3%, which is consistent with the measured values using pressure coring.