Experimental abiotic alteration of igneous and manufactured glasses

Pits in ocean basalt glass are often attributed to the activity of microorganisms, however, neither the mechanism of formation of pits in glass nor the involvement of microorganisms have been confirmed by experimentation. Experimental abiotic corrosion of basalt glass with 1% hydrofluoric acid (HF), a proxy for more slowly acting organic acids, produces pits that are similar in size, shape, and distribution to pits found in basalt glass collected from the ocean floor and basalt glass incubated with microorganisms. This pit formation by HF etching was demonstrated by comparing secondary electron images taken before and after the acid treatment. The formation of pits by abiotic corrosion of basalt glass is an alternate hypothesis for the origin of these features, and the interpretation of these features as biomarkers may require a resolution of these alternative hypotheses.     

A numerical model of fine sediment transport on the continental shelf

A numerical model of fine-grained sediment dispersion in the New York Bight of the North American continental shelf is presented. Large amounts of waste material have been dumped in this region and the dispersal patterns of this material are of great interest to environmental managers. The model assumes that fine sediment resuspension is determined by surface wave activity and that transport is determined by tidal currents. Considering surface wave activity to be a random process reduces sediment motion to a random walk which is governed by a diffusion equation. The diffusion equation is solved numerically by an implicit time difference, finite element algorithm for a number of initial conditions. Initial conditions corresponding to ocean dumping sites show patterns of dispersal controlled by the geometry of the study region and the anisotropy of the tides. Material dumped at currently used dump sites reaches sensitive coastal areas before it leaves the continental shelf. Examination of the diffusion coefficients suggests an alternative dump site for fine-grained material. This dump site is relatively near sources of dumped material but produces minimal impact on coastal areas. This site should be considered as a possible alternative to expensive direct disposal at deep ocean sites.     

Trace analysis of hydrocarbons in coral cores from Saudi Arabia

As part of a long-term environmental assessment of the impact of the 1991 Gulf War on coral reefs, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) conducted growth and chemistry studies on coral cores from the Arabian Gulf. Twenty-eight cores were collected from four coral reefs located offshore from Saudi Arabia.Annual coral growth bands surrounding the 1991 oil spill were analysed in selected cores. Additionally, in cores that extended to the early 1980s, annual layers from 1980 to 1986 were analysed for possible residues from the 1983–4 oil spill caused by the Nowruz oil field blowout during the Iraq–Iran war. Both major spill events were targeted to provide additional confidence in relating oil concentrations to specific pollution events. We detected petroleum biomarkers in several coral annual bands related to the major pollution events. However, the oil remaining in these cores has been altered over time and the biomarker ratios found in these oil residues differed from Gulf crude oils.The concentrations of hydrocarbons were compared with the growth parameters of the coral cores. Only one sample may have recorded an “impact” of oil exposure. There was no other correspondence between slight changes in growth parameters between years and the trace chemistry. Therefore, chemical analysis enabled detection of the exposure incident, but provided no insight into the amount of oil to which the coral had been exposed. The chemical data can only infer biological impact if growth was significantly decreased.The average coral growth characteristics of Porites from the four sites in the Arabian Gulf were normal, as predicted from the average water temperatures of the region. There was an indication of an overall decline in growth over time, which should be monitored in the future.     

Hydrocarbons in western North Atlantic surface sediments

High concentrations of hydrocarbons (500–3000 μg/g dry weight) together with a complex and wide molecular weight range of composition, and low ¹⁴C activity of δ¹⁴C = ?833 ± 50%. strongly indicate that fossil fuel hydrocarbons make up the bulk of hydrocarbons in and near the New York Bight dump site areas. The composition and concentrations of hydrocarbons in Hudson Channel sediments suggest some transport of dump site hydrocarbons to areas in the channel midway to the edge of the continental shelf. Sediments at 16 stations in other areas of the continental shelf, continental slope and abyssal plain have hydrocarbon concentrations and compositions indicating that no more than 1 μg/g dry weight of fossil fuel hydrocarbons are present.N-alkanes from land sources were among the most predominant hydrocarbons in all samples except those in the New York Bight region. Their presence in abyssal plain surface sediments documents transport of some land derived organic matter to these deep ocean areas. Two 25-carbon cycloalkenes are among the more predominant hydrocarbons in continental shelf surface sediments except for the dump site areas. These two compounds are present in lower concentrations in slope sediments and are not detected in abyssal plain sediments.     

全球深水油气勘探简论

全球深水油气资源非常丰富,估计全球深水区最终潜在石油储量有可能超过1000×108bbl。随着深水油气勘探开发的不断深入,深水油气探明储量和产量不断增加,所占比重越来越大。预测至2015年世界海洋石油的25%将来自深水区。巴西近海、美国墨西哥湾和西非沿海是当前世界三大深水勘探热点地区,这里集中了世界84%的深水钻探活动,其储量占据了全球深水储量的88%。近几年全球不断取得深水油气重大发现,对全球新增探明储量和提高产量起到了主要作用。深水油气勘探与浅海及陆上油气勘探相比,技术要求高、资金风险高、作业难度高,施工工艺也有很大区别。高科技在深水油气勘探开发中的广泛应用不仅提高了深水油气勘探开发的成功率,促进了深水勘探的发展,反过来又带动了一大批学科专业的快速发展。     

热液烃的生成与深部油气藏

热液烃不仅分布于洋底,在大陆也有广泛分布,实验表明:热液对碳酸盐岩和沉积有机质的作用均有油气生成;洋底火山岩流体包裹体、原油、有机质Pb、Sr、Nd同位素均表明地幔流体在油气生成中的作用。认识热液烃的存在对开拓深部油气藏的勘探有重要意义。     

Statistical evaluation of oil and gas prospects in the outer continental shelf of the U.S. Gulf Coast

Areas of the U.S. Gulf Coast, both onshore and offshore, are among the petroliferous regions of the United States. In offshore Louisiana and Texas, most oil and gas is associated with structurally controlled traps on the crest or flanks of domes created by the diapiric movement of salt. These structures can be detected and mapped by seismic techniques that directly indicate favorable prospective areas. The characteristics of seismically defined structures provide information in advance of drilling about the probable size of reservoirs contained within these structures. Simple statistical relationships can be determined between the size, shape, and other attributes of structures detected by seismic mapping and the presence and size of petroleum and natural gas reservoirs. Gulf Coast OCS lease tracts presently are evaluated by the U.S. government using a Monte Carlo simulation procedure adapted from reservoir analysis. Specification of the parameters of the Monte Carlo model are obtained subjectively in advance of drilling and thus are highly uncertain. Comparisons of predrill predictions with postdiscovery reservoir evaluations show very low correlations. In contrast, predrill predictions based on regressions between seismic structural properties and reservoir volumes show highly significant correlations. In addition, statistical analysis of seismic structure is much simpler than the Monte Carlo procedure, and can be applied rapidly and inexpensively. A statistical analysis of the “Pleistocene Trend” of offshore Louisiana and Texas, an area of about 3 million acres, yielded results that are sufficiently encouraging to suggest that similar evaluations be made of the remaining Gulf Coast OCS and of OCS regions off of other coasts of the United States.     

Light hydrocarbons in Gulf of Mexico water: Sources and relation to structural highs

Analyses of Gulf of Mexico water samples indicate that methane arises from both biologic and thermal sources. Thermal generation of methane and other light hydrocarbons found in the water is demonstrated by: (1) the ratio of methane to ethane of less than 500 is below that expected for bacterial gases; (2) vertical profiles of hydrocarbon concentrations indicate multiple sources for methane, but not for ethane or propane; (3) the correlation between ethane, propane and butane is high indicating a common source, whereas methane correlates in only some areas suggesting multiple sources assumed to be bacterial and thermal; and (4) carbon isotope ratios. Hydrocarbons in the water result from seepage from the sea floor, and a relationship between hydrocarbons and fault systems can be observed. Petroleum production activities did not increase the hydrocarbon content of the non-surface water beyond that often found above petroliferous structures. To avoid surface contamination, analyses were made on water samples taken from near the sea floor. Special equipment for analyses was designed for the survey in the Gulf of Mexico offshore from Galveston, Texas, to Grand Isle, Louisiana, at water depths to 120 m.     

The exploitation of off-shore mineral resources

The exploitation of offshore mineral wealth is generally higher cost than from land based developments. Given the availability of adequate resources relative to expected demand, interest in the exploitation of most offshore minerals seems likely to remain minimal. There are two exceptions, viz. first, sands and gravels and second, hydrocarbons. Offshore exploitation of the former is restricted to shallow sea floor deposits close to nearby onshore areas of high demand. Their extraction is a highly localised phenomenon. Offshore hydrocarbons production had similar locational characteristics as extensions of pre-existing onshore developments. Recently, however, offshore hydrocarbons have been increasingly exploited in their own right: in areas where market opportunities made such higher-cost operations economically and/or geo-politically attractive. The North Sea stands out in significance. Here, development has been highly pro-active, in terms of political, technological and entrepreneurial considerations. This has produced a unique geographical phenomenon in the maritime environment which will continue to be important for two more decades, and be extended to other north-west European offshore locations. What remains to emerge is the strength of its demonstration effect elsewhere, where the combination of the highly favourable circumstances of Western Europe for such intensive offshore hydrocarbons activities may not reoccur.     

Minerals of Bauxites and Residues: Problems of Processing and Enrichment (Russia)

The complex of mineralogical methods was developed to obtain reliable data about mineral composition of bauxites and new crystal-chemical information (the whole cycle of used chemical elements, methods of residue utilization, position of residue tails in dump pits). Natural and technogenic structures were studied as sources of necessary chemical elements and useful properties.     

Geology in the Falkland Islands

In the next few years we are likely to hear and learn much about the offshore geology of the Falkland Islands as exploratory drilling for hydrocarbons begins. The offshore geology may become better known than the onshore, of which there has been little detailed investigation in the 200+ years since settlements were established. Here we outline the history of geological investigations and present information gathered during recent fieldwork.     

Hydrocarbons in Mississippi Fan and intraslope basin sediments

Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of the middle and lower Mississippi Fan and two intraslope basins in the Gulf of Mexico are derived from terrestrial organic matter and thermogenic, mature hydrocarbons. The terrestrial hydrocarbon component consists primarily of terrigenous, plant biowaxes (n-alkanes with 21 to 33 carbons). The occurrence of thermogenic hydrocarbons in immature near-surface sediments, their molecular distributions and concentration variations with depth suggest that the majority of these mature hydrocarbons have migrated from a source much deeper in the sediment column. A portion of the thermogenic hydrocarbons may be derived from recycled material and includes phenanthrene, methyl phenanthrenes, chrysene and benzopyrenes. The migrated, thermogenic hydrocarbons include normal and isoprenoid alkanes with less than 21 carbons, naphthalene, methyl naphthalenes, ethyl naphthalenes and other aromatics of similar volatility (i.e., biphenyl, acenaphthene and fluorene). Triterpane, sterane and aromatized sterane distributions suggest that the thermogenic hydrocarbons at both sites have a common source and are overprinted with immature sediment hydrocarbons. The biomarker distributions and carbon isotopic compositions of the thermogenic hydrocarbons are atypical for petroleum produced in the Gulf of Mexico. Molecular distributions of the hydrocarbons are constant, regardless of the present depth of occurrence, suggesting that they have migrated in a separate phase. The upward migration of hydrocarbons from deeper sources is a wide-spread phenomenon in the Gulf of Mexico with several documented cases of massive seepage (visible oil) as well as the more diffuse permeation of Pleistocene sediments of the Mississippi Fan and two intraslopes reported here.     

Nutrient changes in the Mississippi River and system responses on the adjacent continental shelf

The Mississippi River system ranks among the world's top 10 rivers in freshwater and sediment inputs to the coastal ocean. The river contributes 90% of the freshwater loading to the Gulf of Mexico, and terminates amidst one of the United States' most productive fisheries regions and the location of the largest zone of hypoxia, in the western Atlantic Ocean. Significant increases in riverine nutrient concentrations and loadings of nitrate and phosphorus and decreases in silicate have occurred this century, and have accelerated since 1950. Consequently, major alterations have occurred in the probable nutrient limitation and overall stoichiometric nutrient balance in the adjacent continental shelf system. Changes in the nutrient balances and reduction in riverine silica loading to, the continental shelf appear to have led to phytoplankton species shifts offshore and to an increase in primary production. The phytoplankton community response, as indicated by long-term changes in biological uptake of silicate and accumulation of biologically bound silica in sediments, has shown how the system has responded to changes in riverine nutrient loadings. Indeed, the accumulation of biologically bound silica in sediments beneath the Mississippi River plume increased during the past two decades, presumably in response to, increased nitrogen loading. The duration, size, and severity of hypoxia has probably increased as a consequence of the increased primary production. Management alternatives directed at water pollution issues within the Mississippi River watershed may have unintended and contrasting impacts on the coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico.     

Tidal pumping drives nutrient and dissolved organic matter dynamics in a Gulf of Mexico subterranean estuary

We hypothesize that nutrient cycling in a Gulf of Mexico subterranean estuary (STE) is fueled by oxygen and labile organic matter supplied by tidal pumping of seawater into the coastal aquifer. We estimate nutrient production rates using the standard estuarine model and a non-steady-state box model, separate nutrient fluxes associated with fresh and saline submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), and estimate offshore fluxes from radium isotope distributions. The results indicate a large variability in nutrient concentrations over tidal and seasonal time scales. At high tide, nutrient concentrations in shallow beach groundwater were low as a result of dilution caused by seawater recirculation. During ebb tide, the concentrations increased until they reached a maximum just before the next high tide. The dominant form of nitrogen was dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in freshwater, nitrate in brackish waters, and ammonium in saline waters. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) production was two-fold higher in the summer than in the winter, while nitrate and DON production were one order of magnitude higher. Oxic remineralization and denitrification most likely explain these patterns. Even though fresh SGD accounted for only ∼5% of total volumetric additions, it was an important pathway of nutrients as a result of biogeochemical inputs in the mixing zone. Fresh SGD transported ∼25% of DOC and ∼50% of total dissolved nitrogen inputs into the coastal ocean, with the remainder associated with a one-dimensional vertical seawater exchange process. While SGD volumetric inputs are similar seasonally, changes in the biogeochemical conditions of this coastal plain STE led to higher summertime SGD nutrient fluxes (40% higher for DOC and 60% higher for nitrogen in the summer compared to the winter). We suggest that coastal primary production and nutrient dynamics in the STE are linked.     

涠西南地区岩石特性及钻井液技术研究

北部湾盆地涠西南油田群是南海西部重要的原油产区，同时油田群紧邻众多国家级自然保护区，属于环境敏感区域。针对北部湾盆地涠西南地区环保要求，以及涠洲组和流沙港组钻井过程经常出现井壁失稳导致的憋卡、起下钻阻卡等问题，开展了涠西南地区地层泥页岩特性及环保钻井液技术研究。通过地层岩石黏土矿物分析、孔喉结构分析以及理化性能评价，明确了涠西南地区泥页岩井壁失稳的机理；提出以类油基的水溶性复合基基液为核心，构建了一套具有油基钻井液工程特性和水基钻井液环保特性的新型环保防塌钻井液技术，并进行了相关的现场应用。现场应用显示：应用井与邻井相比，12-1/4″井段阻卡划眼时间减少，井径扩大率大幅度降低，并且在128 h的长时间浸泡过程中没有复杂情况产生，有效地解决了涠洲组、流沙港组易失稳地层的井壁稳定问题；同时，钻井液环保性能达到一级海域环保要求，可以替代目前应用的油基钻井液体系，解决了海上使用油基钻井液存在配制成本高、含油钻屑需全回收及环境危害隐患大等技术难题。该研究对于涠西南油田环保、井壁失稳和钻井液技术发展具有较高的理论价值和借鉴意义。     

Assessment of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) as a Source of Dissolved Radium and Nutrients to Moorea (French Polynesia) Coastal Waters

Previous work has documented large fluxes of freshwater and nutrients from submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into the coastal waters of a few volcanic oceanic islands. However, on the majority of such islands, including Moorea (French Polynesia), SGD has not been studied. In this study, we used radium (Ra) isotopes and salinity to investigate SGD and associated nutrient inputs at five coastal sites and Paopao Bay on the north shore of Moorea. Ra activities were highest in coastal groundwater, intermediate in coastal ocean surface water, and lowest in offshore surface water, indicating that high-Ra groundwater was discharging into the coastal ocean. On average, groundwater nitrate and nitrite (N + N), phosphate, ammonium, and silica concentrations were 12, 21, 29, and 33 times greater, respectively, than those in coastal ocean surface water, suggesting that groundwater discharge could be an important source of nutrients to the coastal ocean. Ra and salinity mass balances indicated that most or all SGD at these sites was saline and likely originated from a deeper, unsampled layer of Ra-enriched recirculated seawater. This high-salinity SGD may be less affected by terrestrial nutrient sources, such as fertilizer, sewage, and animal waste, compared to meteoric groundwater; however, nutrient-salinity trends indicate it may still have much higher concentrations of nitrate and phosphate than coastal receiving waters. Coastal ocean nutrient concentrations were virtually identical to those measured offshore, suggesting that nutrient subsidies from SGD are efficiently utilized.     

Ecological and geochemical investigations in the Ob estuary at sites of hydrocarbon exploration drilling

During recent years, the basins of the Kara Sea (Kamennomysskaya, Obskaya, and Chugor’yakhinskaya structures) in the Russian Federation have been considered as promising regions for oil and gas exploration and, simultaneously, as possible paths of relatively cheap pipeline and tanker transportation of hydrocarbons projected for recovery. On the other hand, exploration operations, recovery, and transportation of gas pose a considerable risk of accidents and environmental pollution, which causes a justified concern about the future state of the ecological system of the Gulf of Ob and the adjoining parts of the Kara Sea. Therefore, regular combined environmental investigations (monitoring) are the most important factor for estimating the current state and forecasting the dynamics of the development of estuary systems. The program of investigations (schedule, station network, and measured parameters) is standardized in accordance with the international practice of such work and accounts for the experience of monitoring studies of Russian and foreign researchers. Two measurement sessions were performed during ecological investigations in the region of exploration drilling: at the beginning at final stage of drilling operations and borehole testing; in addition, natural parameters were determined in various parts of the Ob estuary before the beginning of investigations. Hydrophysical and hydrochemical characteristics of the water medium were determined and bottom sediments and water were analyzed for various pollutants (petroleum products, heavy metals, and radionuclides). The forms of heavy-metal occurrence in river and sea waters were determined by the method of continuous multistep filtration, which is based on water component fractionation on membrane filters of various pore sizes. These investigations revealed environmental pollution by chemical substances during the initial stage of drilling operations, when remains of fuels, oils, and solutions could be spilled, and part of the chemical pollutants could enter the environment. Owing to horizontal and vertical turbulent diffusion, wave mixing, and the effect of the general direction of currents in the Ob estuary from south to north, areas are formed with elevated concentrations of the analyzed elements and compounds. However, the concentration levels of chemical pollutants are practically no higher than the maximum admissible concentrations, and their substantial dissipation to the average regional background contents can be expected in the near future. Our investigations allowed us to determine in detail the parameters of anthropogenic pollution in the regions affected by hydrocarbon exploration drilling in the Obskii and Kamennomysskii prospects in the Gulf of Ob and estimate their influence on the ecological state of the basin of the Ob River and the Kara Sea on the whole.     

Probabilistic risk assessment of major accidents: application to offshore blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico

Major accidents are low-frequency, high-consequence accidents which are not well supported by conventional statistical methods due to the scarcity of directly relevant data. Modeling and decomposition techniques such as event tree have been proved as robust alternatives as they facilitate incorporation of partially relevant near accident data–accident precursor data—in probability estimation and risk analysis of major accidents. In this study, we developed a methodology based on event tree and hierarchical Bayesian analysis to establish informative distributions for offshore blowouts using data of near accidents, such as kicks, leaks, and failure of blowout preventers collected from a variety of offshore drilling rigs. These informative distributions can be used as predictive tools to estimate relevant failure probabilities in the future. Further, having a set of near accident data of a drilling rig of interest, the informative distributions can be updated to render case-specific posterior distributions which are of great importance in quantitative risk analysis. To cope with uncertainties, we implemented the methodology in a Markov Chain Monte Carlo framework and applied it to risk assessment of offshore blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico.     

钻井现场有机地球化学录井与油气识别评价技术

在现场钻进过程中，尤其是在油基泥浆及各种添加剂烃类污染、地质录井难以确定真假油气显示的情况下，有机地球化学录井对确定油气显示有独特的作用。但由于其烃类污染对岩屑罐顶气、岩石冷溶烃、岩石热解等常规地球化学录井技术有不同程度的影响，其检测数据通过校正污染后才能用于含油气性评价。为此，在现场开展了钻井泥浆及各种添加剂中烃类有机地化检测试验，对泥浆中轻烃（C1－C12）、萃取烃（C1－C35）和岩石冷溶烃进行动态检测，研究其烃类组成及变化特征，对钻进中真假油气显示、油气层质量及产能大小、油气烃类母质类型、储油层确定等及时作出解释与评价，为油气勘探与开发快速提供地球化学依据。     

Generation and migration of hydrocarbons in offshore South Texas Gulf Coast sediments

The hydrocarbon content of two thick Tertiary sequences from the offshore Gulf Coast (South Padre Island and Mustang Island) was studied using a headspace technique, thermal distillation, pyrolysis and solvent extraction. The threshold of oil generation was determined to occur in the range of 3050 m (10,000 ft; 120°C) in Miocene sediments.In the South Padre Island well, the distribution of the different classes of hydrocarbons along the sedimentary column suggests some updip migration processes are occurring.