冲绳海槽天然气水合物稳定带特征及资源量评价

根据冲绳海槽多道地震资料的处理解释,在16条地震剖面上发现了水合物似海底反射层BSR,经过AVO、波形反演等特殊的处理技术,首次直接利用BSR圈定了冲绳海槽天然气水合物的具体分布范围,直接利用数据得出了天然气水合物稳定带厚度在冲绳海槽的分布趋势,认为海槽南部最厚,中部次之,北部最薄,并通过计算得出了冲绳海槽水合物稳定带的厚度和水合物资源量,对今后海槽水合物勘查和资源量评价具有一定的指导意义.     

冲绳海槽天然气水合物稳定带特征和资源量评价

根据冲绳海槽多道地震资料的处理解释,在16条地震剖面上发现了水合物拟海底反射层BSR,经过AVO、波形反演等特殊的处理技术,首次直接利用BSR圈定了冲绳海槽天然气水合物具体分布范围,直接利用数据得出了天然气水合物稳定带厚度在冲绳海槽的分布趋势,认为海槽南部最厚,中部次之,北部最薄,并通过计算得出了冲绳海槽水合物稳定带的厚度和水合物资源量,对今后海槽水合物勘查和资源量评价具有一定的指导意义。     

Characteristics of the bottom simulating reflectors near mud diapirs: offshore southwestern Taiwan

Single-channel seismic recording was carried out off the southwestern coast of Taiwan. Six characteristic seismic facies associated with bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) and mud diapirs are identified. The existence of reflections which mimic the seafloor, the reverse polarity, weak amplitude blocks, and strong diffraction patterns around the mud diapirs all suggest that gas hydrates exist in the deep-water regions. The bases of the hydrate stability zones upturn in the vicinity of mud volcanoes. The high heat flows of mud volcanoes provide heat sources which destabilize the gas hydrates and upturn the BSRs. Received: 24 March 1999 / Revision accepted: 10 December 1999     

Geological controls on focused fluid flow through the gas hydrate stability zone on the southern Hikurangi Margin of New Zealand, evidenced from multi-channel seismic data

Highly concentrated gas hydrate deposits are likely to be associated with geological features that promote increased fluid flux through the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). We conduct conventional seismic processing techniques and full-waveform inversion methods on a multi-channel seismic line that was acquired over a 125 km transect of the southern Hikurangi Margin off the eastern coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Initial processing, employed with an emphasis on preservation of true amplitude information, was used to identify three sites where structures and stratal fabrics likely encourage focused fluid flow into and through the GHSZ. At two of the sites, Western Porangahau Trough and Eastern Porangahau Ridge, sub-vertical blanking zones occur in regions of intensely deformed sedimentary layering. It is interpreted that increased fluid flow occurs in these regions and that fluids may dissipate upwards and away from the deformed zone along layers that trend towards the seafloor. At Eastern Porangahau Ridge we also observe a coherent bottom simulating reflection (BSR) that increases markedly in intensity with proximity to the centre of the anticlinal ridge. 1D full-waveform inversions conducted at eight points along the BSR reveal much more pronounced low-velocity zones near the centre of the ridge, indicating a local increase in the flux of gas-charged fluids into the anticline. At another anticline, Western Porangahau Ridge, a dipping high-amplitude feature extends from the BSR upwards towards the seafloor within the regional GHSZ. 1D full-waveform inversions at this site reveal that the dipping feature is characterised by a high-velocity zone overlying a low-velocity zone, which we interpret as gas hydrates overlying free gas. These results support a previous interpretation that this high-amplitude feature represents a local “up-warping” of the base of hydrate stability in response to advective heat flow from upward migrating fluids. These three sites provide examples of geological frameworks that encourage prolific localised fluid flow into the hydrate system where it is likely that gas-charged fluids are converting to highly concentrated hydrate deposits.     

Geological controls on focused fluid flow through the gas hydrate stability zone on the southern Hikurangi Margin of New Zealand,evidenced from multi-channel seismic data

Highly concentrated gas hydrate deposits are likely to be associated with geological features that promote increased fluid flux through the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). We conduct conventional seismic processing techniques and full-waveform inversion methods on a multi-channel seismic line that was acquired over a 125 km transect of the southern Hikurangi Margin off the eastern coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Initial processing, employed with an emphasis on preservation of true amplitude information, was used to identify three sites where structures and stratal fabrics likely encourage focused fluid flow into and through the GHSZ. At two of the sites, Western Porangahau Trough and Eastern Porangahau Ridge, sub-vertical blanking zones occur in regions of intensely deformed sedimentary layering. It is interpreted that increased fluid flow occurs in these regions and that fluids may dissipate upwards and away from the deformed zone along layers that trend towards the seafloor. At Eastern Porangahau Ridge we also observe a coherent bottom simulating reflection (BSR) that increases markedly in intensity with proximity to the centre of the anticlinal ridge. 1D full-waveform inversions conducted at eight points along the BSR reveal much more pronounced low-velocity zones near the centre of the ridge, indicating a local increase in the flux of gas-charged fluids into the anticline. At another anticline, Western Porangahau Ridge, a dipping high-amplitude feature extends from the BSR upwards towards the seafloor within the regional GHSZ. 1D full-waveform inversions at this site reveal that the dipping feature is characterised by a high-velocity zone overlying a low-velocity zone, which we interpret as gas hydrates overlying free gas. These results support a previous interpretation that this high-amplitude feature represents a local “up-warping” of the base of hydrate stability in response to advective heat flow from upward migrating fluids. These three sites provide examples of geological frameworks that encourage prolific localised fluid flow into the hydrate system where it is likely that gas-charged fluids are converting to highly concentrated hydrate deposits.     

东海天然气水合物的地震特征

使用中国科学院海洋研究所“科学一号”调查船于2001年以及20世纪80年代在东海地区采集的多道地震资料,以海域天然气水合物研究为目的,对这些资料进行了数据处理并获得了偏移地震剖面。通过对地震剖面的解释,在6条剖面上确定了6段异常反射为BSR,均有振幅强、与海底相位相反的特点。6段BSR基本上都没有出现和沉积地层相交的现象。分析认为,这与东海地区第四纪以来的沉积特征有关,并不能由此否认这些异常反射是BSR。6段BSR出现的水深为750~2 000 m,埋深在0.1~0.5 s(双程时间)之间。随着海底深度的增大,BSR埋深有增大的趋势。计算结果显示,6段BSR所处的温度和压力条件都满足水合物稳定赋存所需要的温度和压力条件。本文的BSR主要与北卡斯凯迪亚盆地以及智利海域水合物的温度、压力条件相似,而与日本南海海槽、美国布莱克海台等海域水合物的温度、压力条件相差比较大。在地震剖面上,6段BSR所处的局部构造位置都和挤压、断层有关,有利于水合物的发育;在空间上,它们主要分布在东海陆坡近槽底的位置以及与陆坡相近的槽底。在南北方向上,除分布在吐噶喇断裂和宫古断裂附近外,还与南奄西、伊平屋和八重山热液活动区相邻。热液活动和水合物虽然没有直接的成因关系,但岩浆活动为水合物气源的形成提供了热源条件,为流体和气体的运移、聚集提供了通道条件,从而有利于水合物的发育与赋存。根据地震剖面反射特征推断,剖面A1A2和A14A23发育BSR的位置应该有气体或者流体从海底流出,可能是海底冷泉发育的位置。剖面A14A23上BSR发育处,振幅比的异常增大和BSR埋深的降低是相关联的。这种关联支持该处发育海底冷泉的推测。     

Mapping gas hydrate and fluid flow indicators and modeling gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) in the Ulleung Basin,East (Japan) Sea: Potential linkage between the occurrence of mass failures and gas hydrate dissociation

The Ulleung Basin, East (Japan) Sea, is well-known for the occurrence of submarine slope failures along its entire margins and associated mass-transport deposits (MTDs). Previous studies postulated that gas hydrates which broadly exist in the basin could be related with the failure process. In this study, we identified various features of slope failures on the margins, such as landslide scars, slide/slump bodies, glide planes and MTDs, from a regional multi-channel seismic dataset. Seismic indicators of gas hydrates and associated gas/fluid flow, such as the bottom-simulating reflector (BSR), seismic chimneys, pockmarks, and reflection anomalies, were re-compiled. The gas hydrate occurrence zone (GHOZ) within the slope sediments was defined from the BSR distribution. The BSR is more pronounced along the southwestern slope. Its minimal depth is about 100 m below seafloor (mbsf) at about 300 m below sea-level (mbsl). Gas/fluid flow and seepage structures were present on the seismic data as columnar acoustic-blanking zones varying in width and height from tens to hundreds of meters. They were classified into: (a) buried seismic chimneys (BSC), (b) chimneys with a mound (SCM), and (c) chimneys with a depression/pockmark (SCD) on the seafloor. Reflection anomalies, i.e., enhanced reflections below the BSR and hyperbolic reflections which could indicate the presence of gas, together with pockmarks which are not associated with seismic chimneys, and SCDs are predominant in the western-southwestern margin, while the BSR, BSCs and SCMs are widely distributed in the southern and southwestern margins. Calculation of the present-day gas-hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) shows that the base of the GHSZ (BGHSZ) pinches out at water depths ranging between 180 and 260 mbsl. The occurrence of the uppermost landslide scars which is below about 190 mbsl is close to the range of the GHSZ pinch-out. The depths of the BSR are typically greater than the depths of the BGHSZ on the basin margins which may imply that the GHOZ is not stable. Close correlation between the spatial distribution of landslides, seismic features of free gas, gas/fluid flow and expulsion and the GHSZ may suggest that excess pore-pressure caused by gas hydrate dissociation could have had a role in slope failures.     

Acoustic investigations of mud volcanoes in the Sorokin Trough, Black Sea

The Sorokin Trough (Black Sea) is characterized by diapiric structures formed in a compressional tectonic regime that facilitate fluid migration to the seafloor. We present acoustic data in order to image details of mud volcanoes associated with the diapirs. Three types of mud volcanoes were distinguished: cone-shaped, flat-topped, and collapsed structures. All mud volcanoes, except for the Kazakov mud volcano, are located above shallow mud diapirs and diapiric ridges. Beyond the known near-surface occurrence of gas hydrates, bottom simulating reflectors are not seen on our seismic records, but pronounced lateral amplitude variations and bright spots may indicate the presence of gas hydrates and free gas.     

Gas hydrate accumulations related to focused fluid flow in the Pegasus Basin,southern Hikurangi Margin,New Zealand

The Hikurangi Margin, east of the North Island of New Zealand, is known to contain significant deposits of gas hydrates. This has been demonstrated by several multidisciplinary studies in the area since 2005. These studies indicate that hydrates in the region are primarily located beneath thrust ridges that enable focused fluid flow, and that the hydrates are associated with free gas. In 2009–2010, a seismic dataset consisting of 2766 km of 2D seismic data was collected in the undrilled Pegasus Basin, which has been accumulating sediments since the early Cretaceous. Bottom-simulating reflections (BSRs) are abundant in the data, and they are accompanied by other features that indicate the presence of free gas and concentrated accumulations of gas hydrate. We present results from a detailed qualitative analysis of the data that has made use of automated high-density velocity analysis to highlight features related to the hydrate system in the Pegasus Basin. Two scenarios are presented that constitute contrasting mechanisms for gas-charged fluids to breach the base of the gas hydrate stability zone. The first mechanism is the vertical migration of fluids across layers, where flow pathways do not appear to be influenced by stratigraphic layers or geological structures. The second mechanism is non-vertical fluid migration that follows specific strata that crosscut the BSR. One of the most intriguing features observed is a presumed gas chimney within the regional gas hydrate stability zone that is surrounded by a triangular (in 2D) region of low reflectivity, approximately 8 km wide, interpreted to be the result of acoustic blanking. This chimney structure is cored by a ∼200-m-wide low-velocity zone (interpreted to contain free gas) flanked by high-velocity bands that are 200–400 m wide (interpreted to contain concentrated hydrate deposits).     

Gas hydrate formation in compressional,extensional and un-faulted structural settings – Examples from New Zealand's Hikurangi margin

We investigate gas hydrate formation processes in compressional, extensional and un-faulted settings on New Zealand's Hikurangi margin using seismic reflection data. The compressional setting is characterized by a prominent subduction wedge thrust fault that terminates beneath the base of gas hydrate stability, as determined from a bottom-simulating reflection (BSR). The thrust is surrounded by steeply dipping strata that cross the BSR at a high angle. Above the BSR, these strata are associated with a high velocity anomaly that is likely indicative of relatively concentrated, and broadly distributed, gas hydrates. The un-faulted setting—sedimentary infill of a slope basin on the landward side of a prominent thrust ridge—is characterized by a strong BSR, a thick underlying free gas zone, and short positive polarity reflection segments that extend upward from the BSR. We interpret the short reflection segments as the manifestation of gas hydrates within relatively coarse-grained sediments. The extensional setting is a localized, shallow response to flexural bending of strata within an anticline. Gas has accumulated beneath the BSR in the apex of folding. A high-velocity zone directly above the BSR is probably mostly lithologically-derived, and only partly related to gas hydrates. Although each setting shows evidence for focused gas migration into the gas hydrate stability zone, we interpret that the compressional tectonic setting is most likely to contain concentrated gas hydrates over a broad region. Indeed, it is the only setting associated with a deep-reaching fault, meaning it is the most likely of the three settings to have thermogenic gas contributing to hydrate formation. Our results highlight the importance of anisotropic permeability in layered sediments and the role this plays in directing sub-surface fluid flow, and ultimately in the distribution of gas hydrate. Each of the three settings we describe would warrant further investigation in any future consideration of gas hydrates as an energy resource on the Hikurangi margin.     

Variability of the bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) and its association with tectonic structures in the Chilean margin between Arauco Gulf (37°S) and Valdivia (40°S)

Multichannel seismic reflection data recorded between Arauco Gulf (37°S) and Valdivia (40°S), on the Chilean continental margin, were processed and modeled to obtain seismic images and sub-surface models, in order to characterize the variability of the bottom-simulating reflector (BSR), which is a geophysical marker for the presence of gas hydrates. The BSR is discontinuous and interrupted by submarine valleys, canyons, as well as by faults or fractures. The BSR occurrence is more common south of Mocha Island due to moderate slopes and greater organic matter contribution by rivers in that area. Tectonic uplift and structural instability change the stability gas hydrate zone and consequently the BSR position, creating in some cases missing or double BSRs. Our modeling supports the presence of gas hydrate above the BSR and free gas below it. Higher BSR amplitudes support higher hydrate or free gas concentrations. In the study area, gas hydrate concentration is low (an average of 3.5%) suggesting disseminated gas hydrate distribution within the sediments. Also higher BSR amplitudes are associated with thrust faults in the accretionary prism, which serve as conduits for gas flow from deeper levels. This extra gas supply produces a wider thickness of gas hydrates or free gas.     

冲绳海槽西侧陆坡及其邻区天然气水合物成藏构造特征

为了解特殊地质体与天然气水合物成藏构造特征之间的关系,作者以冲绳海槽西侧陆坡和槽底为例,利用地震资料和地球化学方法对该地区上新世和第四纪沉积物厚度、有机碳含量和断裂系统进行了分析。研究表明,在冲绳海槽西侧及槽底都发育了较厚的上新统和第四系沉积层,上新统厚度约为1000—1500m,第四系厚约为1000—3500m,其中海槽南段存在巨厚的第四系,而且冲绳海槽西侧陆坡沉积物中有机质含量高达0.75%—1.25%,并且沉积速率高达10—40cm/ka,有利于有机质的保存和转化。陆坡发育有与海槽走向一致的NE-SW向断裂系统,以及横切海槽的一系列NW-SE向水平错动扭性断裂系统,其中NE-SW向断层在海槽南段方向变为NEE-SWW,这些断裂系统为烃类气(流)体的运移创造了有利条件。因此,在冲绳海槽西侧陆坡发育的海底峡谷、滑塌体、断块隆脊、泥底辟等特殊地质体与天然气水合物的形成密切相关。     

Gas hydrate within the Winona Basin, offshore western Canada

In western Canada gas hydrates have been thought to exist primarily in the Cascadia accretionary prism off southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia (BC). We present evidence for the existence of gas hydrate in folds and ridges of the Winona Basin up to 40 km seaward from the foot of the continental slope off northern Vancouver Island. The occurrence of a bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) observed in a number of vintage seismic reflection profiles is strongly correlated to faulted, and folded sedimentary ridges and buried folds. The observed tectonic structures of the Winona Basin are within the rapidly evolving Juan de Fuca - Cascadia - Queen Charlotte triple junction off BC. Re-processing of multi-channel data imaged mildly to strongly deformed sediments; the BSR is confined to sediments with stronger deformation. Changes in the amplitude character of sediment-reflections above and below the depth of the base of gas hydrate stability zone were also used as an indicator for the presence of gas hydrate. Additionally, regional amplitude and frequency reduction below some strong BSR occurrences may indicate free gas accumulations. Gas hydrate formation in the Winona Basin appears strongly constrained to folds and ridges and thus correlated to deeper-routed fluid-advection regimes. Methane production from in situ microbial activities as a source of gas to form gas hydrates, as proposed to be a major contributor for gas hydrates within the accretionary prism to the south, appears to be insufficient to produce the widespread gas hydrate occurrences in the Winona Basin. Potential reasons for the lack of sufficient in situ gas production may be that sedimentation rates are 5-100 times higher than those in the accretionary prism so that available organic carbon moves too quickly through the gas hydrate stability field. The confinement of BSRs to ridges and folds within the Winona Basin results in an areal extent of gas hydrate occurrences that is a factor of five less than what is expected from regional gas hydrate stability field mapping using water-depth (pressure) as the only controlling factor only.     

琼东南盆地气烟囱构造特点及其与天然气水合物的关系

气烟囱是由于天然气(或流体)垂向运移在地震剖面上形成的异常反射,是气藏超压、构造低应力和泥页岩封隔层综合作用而形成。气烟囱在形成过程中携带大量富含甲烷气的流体向上运移到天然气水合物稳定带,其形成之后仍可作为后期活动的油气向上运移的特殊通道。在中中新世后,气烟囱是琼东南盆地气体向上运移的通道。地震识别出的似海底反射(BSR)分布区存在大量的气烟囱构造,通过速度、泥岩含量、流体势等属性参数及钻井资料,判断该烟囱构造为有机成因的泥底辟型烟囱构造。     

冲绳海槽天然气水合物BSR的地震研究

根据多道地震反射资料分析,在冲绳海槽南部和中部发现了拟海底反射层(BSR)现象。通过对海底异常反射层的振幅特征、速度异常和AVO属性分析,说明该BSR可能反映了天然气水合物的存在,并发现冲绳海槽断层与天然气水合物的形成有密切关系。     

Evidence for gas hydrate occurrences in the Canadian Arctic Beaufort Sea within permafrost-associated shelf and deep-water marine environments

The presence of a wedge of offshore permafrost on the shelf of the Canadian Beaufort Sea has been previously recognized and the consequence of a prolonged occurrence of such permafrost is the possibility of an underlying gas hydrate regime. We present the first evidence for wide-spread occurrences of gas hydrates across the shelf in water depths of 60–100 m using 3D and 2D multichannel seismic (MCS) data. A reflection with a polarity opposite to the seafloor was identified ∼1000 m below the seafloor that mimics some of the bottom-simulating reflections (BSRs) in marine gas hydrate regimes. However, the reflection is not truly bottom-simulating, as its depth is controlled by offshore permafrost. The depth of the reflection decreases with increasing water depth, as predicted from thermal modeling of the late Wisconsin transgression. The reflection crosscuts strata and defines a zone of enhanced reflectivity beneath it, which originates from free gas accumulated at the phase boundary over time as permafrost and associated gas hydrate stability zones thin in response to the transgression. The wide-spread gas hydrate occurrence beneath permafrost has implications on the region including drilling hazards associated with the presence of free gas, possible overpressure, lateral migration of fluids and expulsion at the seafloor. In contrast to the permafrost-associated gas hydrates, a deep-water marine BSR was also identified on MCS profiles. The MCS data show a polarity-reversed seismic reflection associated with a low-velocity zone beneath it. The seismic data coverage in the southern Beaufort Sea shows that the deep-water marine BSR is not uniformly present across the entire region. The regional discrepancy of the BSR occurrence between the US Alaska portion and the Mackenzie Delta region may be a result of high sedimentation rates expected for the central Mackenzie delta and high abundance of mass-transport deposits that prohibit gas to accumulate within and beneath the gas hydrate stability zone.     

Seismic evidence and formation mechanism of gas hydrates in the Zhongjiannan Basin,Western margin of the South China Sea

An analysis of 3D seismic data from the Zhongjiannan Basin in the western margin of the South China Sea (SCS) reveals seismic evidence of gas hydrates and associated gases, including pockmarks, a bottom simulating reflector (BSR), enhanced reflection (ER), reverse polarity reflection (RPR), and a dim amplitude zone (DAZ). The BSR mainly surrounds Zhongjian Island, covering an area of 350 km² in this 3D survey area. The BSR area and pockmark area do not match each other; where there is a pockmark developed, there is no BSR. The gas hydrate layer builds upward from the base of the stability zone with a thickness of less than 100 m. A mature pockmark usually consists of an outside trough, a middle ridge, and one or more central pits, with a diameter of several kilometers and a depth of several hundreds of meters. The process of pockmark creation entails methane consumption. Dense faults in the study area efficiently transport fluid from large depths to the shallow layer, supporting the formation of gas hydrate and ultimately the pockmark.     

Gas hydrates in the western deep-water Ulleung Basin, East Sea of Korea

Geophysical surveys and geological studies of gas hydrates in the western deep-water Ulleung Basin of the East Sea off the east coast of Korea have been carried out by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) since 2000. The work included a grid of 4782 km of 2D multi-channel seismic reflection lines and 11 piston cores 5–8 m long. In the piston cores, cracks generally parallel to bedding suggest significant in-situ gas. The cores showed high amounts of total organic carbon (TOC), and from the southern study area showed high residual hydrocarbon gas concentrations. The lack of higher hydrocarbons and the carbon isotope ratios indicate that the methane is primarily biogenic. The seismic data show areas of bottom-simulating reflectors (BSRs) that are associated with gas hydrates and underlying free gas. An important observation is the numerous seismic blanking zones up to 2 km across that probably reflect widespread fluid and gas venting and that are inferred to contain substantial gas hydrate. Some of the important results are: (1) BSRs are widespread, although most have low amplitudes; (2) increased P-wave velocities above some BSRs suggest distributed low to moderate concentration gas hydrate whereas a velocity decrease below the BSR suggests free gas; (3) the blanking zones are often associated with upbowing of sedimentary bedding reflectors in time sections that has been interpreted at least in part due to velocity pull-up produced by high-velocity gas hydrate. High gas hydrate concentrations are also inferred in several examples where high interval velocities are resolved within the blanking zones. Recently, gas hydrate recoveries by the piston coring and deep-drilling in 2007 support the interpretation of substantial gas hydrate in many of these structures.     

Geothermal modeling of the gas hydrate stability zone along the Krishna Godavari Basin

A wide-spread bottom simulating reflector (BSR), interpreted to mark the thermally controlled base of the gas hydrate stability zone, is observed over a close grid of multichannel seismic profiles in the Krishna Godavari Basin of the eastern continental margin of India. The seismic data reveal that gas hydrate occurs in the Krishna Godavari Basin at places where water depths exceed 850 m. The thickness of the gas hydrate stability zone inferred from the BSR ranges up to 250 m. A conductive model was used to determine geothermal gradients and heat flow. Ground truth for the assessment and constraints on the model were provided by downhole measurements obtained during the National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 01 of India at various sites in the Krishna Godavari Basin. Measured downhole temperature gradients and seafloor-temperatures, sediment thermal conductivities, and seismic velocity are utilized to generate regression functions for these parameters as function of overall water depth. In the first approach the base of gas hydrate stability is predicted from seafloor bathymetry using these regression functions and heat flow and geothermal gradient are calculated. In a second approach the observed BSR depth from the seismic profiles (measured in two-way travel time) is converted into heat flow and geothermal gradient using the same ground-truth data. The geothermal gradient estimated from the BSR varies from 27 to 67°C/km. Corresponding heat flow values range from 24 to 60 mW/m². The geothermal modeling shows a close match of the predicted base of the gas hydrate stability zone with the observed BSR depths.