Economic Geology of Natural Gas Hydrate

verfasst von: Michael D. Max, Arthur H. Johnson, William P. Dillon

Verlag: Springer Netherlands

Buchreihe : Coastal Systems and Continental Margins

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

This book is a companion to “Natural Gas Hydrate in Oceanic and Permafrost Environments” (Max, 2000, 2003), which is the first book on gas hydrate in this series. Although other gases can naturally form clathrate hydrates (referred to after as ‘hydrate’), we are concerned here only with hydrocarbon gases that form hydrates. The most important of these natural gases is methane. Whereas the first book is a general introduction to the subject of natural gas hydrate, this book focuses on the geology and geochemical controls of gas hydrate development and on gas extraction from naturally occurring hydrocarbon hydrates. This is the first broad treatment of gas hydrate as a natural resource within an economic geological framework. This book is written mainly to stand alone for brevity and to minimize duplication. Information in Max (2000; 2003) should also be consulted for completeness. Hydrate is a type of clathrate (Sloan, 1998) that is formed from a cage structure of water molecules in which gas molecules occupying void sites within the cages stabilize the structure through van der Waals or hydrogen bonding.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Introduction

Chapter 1. Why Gas Hydrate?

Chapter 2. Physical Chemical Characteristics of Natural Gas Hydrate

John P. Osegovic, Shelli R. Tatro, Sarah A. Holman

Chapter 3. Oceanic Gas Hydrate Character, Distribution, and Potential for Concentration

Conclusion

We have reviewed the character of gas hydrate in marine sediments, considered briefly how gas hydrate is studied, and examined some processes that cause concentration of gas hydrates in nature, with a few examples. In order to locate concentrations of gas hydrate to use as exploitable resources, we must be prepared to evaluate how the gas hydrate-controlling processes interact with the infinitely variable geological situations that we see in nature. Our examples are not expected to cover all conceivable possibilities because there are innumerable geological situations that will lead to concentration of gas hydrate. The hope is to prepare ourselves to anticipate the behavior of gas hydrate in nature under a variety of situations. Louis Weeks, a renowned oil finder, once was asked how to find oil - his answer was “think like an oil droplet”. We need to think like gas hydrate.

Chapter 4. Natural Gas Hydrate: A Diagenetic Economic Mineral Resource

Chapter 5. State of Development of Gas Hydrate as an Economic Resource

5.10. Conclusions

Although the rewards of success for commercial hydrate development may be extremely high, a relatively small proportion of high-risk projects are perceived to be able to succeed to the level of breakthrough. Commercial development of hydrate natural gas deposits has the potential to be paradigm shifting because of the amount of natural gas sequestered in hydrate. If only a small part of the gas can be produced, especially adjacent to countries that are presently energy importers, there will be major economic and geopolitical consequences that would dramatically change the present energy supply and consumption system.

The drift from a low cost combustible energy resource base to a higher cost level has now begun because of increasing world demand combined with political insecurity. It is unlikely that low cost energy will ever return, especially if demand outside the United States continues to increase. Therefore, although commercialization of hydrate natural gas would almost certainly have been profitable at somewhat lower energy cost levels than about $40–$50 per bbl, energy costs in excess of that level will inevitably spur development of unconventional energy resources such as hydrate natural gas.

The topic of hydrate as a natural resource is beginning to become considered seriously by industry, although not necessarily by major energy companies. At the 2005 Offshore Technology Conference, for instance, as many people attended the technical session “Hydrate as a Resource” as attended “Hydrate as a Drilling Hazard”, for the first time. Smaller, innovative companies, in which other energy innovations have commonly taken place during the last 40 years, are beginning to consider issues of hydrate recovery.

Chapter 6. Oceanic Gas Hydrate Localization, Exploration, and Extraction

Conclusions

Means for identifying the most likely locations for economic deposits of gas hydrate will depend, as with conventional hydrocarbon deposits, on an understanding of the processes that control the generation, the migration, and the concentration of the natural gas. Methodology for identifying target areas exists. Current exploration technology, such as the processing of multi-channel and 3D seismic surveys developed for conventional hydrocarbon exploration and now being used in water depths where hydrate deposits are liable to be found, is directly applicable, as are some EM analysis techniques. Drilling capabilities, especially CTD technologies, are directly applicable to hydrate exploration and exploitation, as are the seafloor completion and processing technologies. Little technique or technology needs be invented for hydrate exploration; considerable innovation, new modeling, and focus, however, must be applied to make the economic exploitation of ocean hydrate a reality.

Chapter 7. Gas Production from Unconfined Class 2 Oceanic Hydrate Accumulations

George J. Moridis, Michael Kowalsky

Chapter 8. Regulatory and Permitting Environment for Gas Hydrate

Conclusion

The international legal elements described provide a framework, which is conducive to the exploration for, and exploitation of, oceanic gas hydrate. The regime applicable to each offshore area promotes the certainty and stability expectations essential to such commercial undertakings.

George Taft

Chapter 9. Conclusions and Summary

Backmatter

Titel: Economic Geology of Natural Gas Hydrate
verfasst von: Michael D. Max
Arthur H. Johnson
William P. Dillon
Verlag: Springer Netherlands
Electronic ISBN: 978-1-4020-3972-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-3971-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3972-7