On the Importance of Advective Versus Diffusive Transport in Controlling the Distribution of Methane Hydrate in Heterogeneous Marine Sediments

VanderBeek, Brandon P.; Rempel, Alan W.

doi:10.1029/2017jb015298

Title: On the Importance of Advective Versus Diffusive Transport in Controlling the Distribution of Methane Hydrate in Heterogeneous Marine Sediments

Journal Article · 14 June 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2017jb015298 · OSTI ID:1539724

^[1];

^[2]

Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR (United States); DOE/OSTI
Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR (United States)

The occurrence of methane hydrate in marine reservoirs often correlates with the physical properties of the host sediments. High hydrate saturations (>60% of the pore volume) found in association with coarser-grained strata have been attributed to both enhanced advective transport through more permeable sediment layers and to perturbations in phase equilibrium related to pore space geometry that results in increased diffusive transport. To assess the relative importance of these mechanism in controlling hydrate occurrence, we develop a 1-D model for hydrate growth along dipping, coarse-grained layers embedded in a fine-grained sediment package. We explicitly account for pore size effects on methane solubility and permeability-driven variations in fluid flux. We show how the vertical distribution of hydrate varies in response to changes in grain size and rates of fluid advection, sedimentation, and in situ methane production. We then use our model to simulate centimeter-scale variations in hydrate saturation observed at Walker Ridge Block 313, Hole H in the Gulf of Mexico. We find that the largest concentrations of hydrate are controlled by diffusion, while increased advective methane supply favors more distributed growth throughout high-permeability regions. Our results hold promise for using well log-derived estimates of hydrate saturation to infer sediment properties and the sources and rates of methane supply during reservoir emplacement.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)

Grant/Contract Number:: FE0013565

OSTI ID:: 1539724

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 123; ISSN 2169-9313

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (56)

The impact of lithologic heterogeneity and focused fluid flow upon gas hydrate distribution in marine sediments: LITHOLOGY, FOCUSED FLOW AND GAS HYDRATES Chatterjee, Sayantan; Bhatnagar, Gaurav; Dugan, Brandon Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 119, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JB011236	journal	September 2014
Linking basin-scale and pore-scale gas hydrate distribution patterns in diffusion-dominated marine hydrate systems: DIFFUSION-DRIVEN HYDRATE GROWTH IN SANDS Nole, Michael; Daigle, Hugh; Cook, Ann E. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol. 18, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GC006662	journal	February 2017
Submarine landslides triggered by destabilization of high-saturation hydrate anomalies: LANDSLIDES CAUSED BY HYDRATE ANOMALIES Handwerger, Alexander L.; Rempel, Alan W.; Skarbek, Rob M. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol. 18, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GC006706	journal	July 2017
Short-range, overpressure-driven methane migration in coarse-grained gas hydrate reservoirs: Short Advection in Gas Hydrate Systems Nole, Michael; Daigle, Hugh; Cook, Ann E. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070096	journal	September 2016
Physically representative network models of transport in porous media Bryant, Steven L.; Mellor, David W.; Cade, Christopher A. AIChE Journal, Vol. 39, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.690390303	journal	March 1993
Short migration of methane into a gas hydrate-bearing sand layer at Walker Ridge, Gulf of Mexico: SHORT MIGRATION OF METHANE Cook, Ann E.; Malinverno, Alberto Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol. 14, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/ggge.20040	journal	February 2013
Well Logging for Earth Scientists Ellis, Darwin V.; Singer, Julian M. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4602-5	book	January 2007
Rethinking the global carbon cycle with a large, dynamic and microbially mediated gas hydrate capacitor Dickens, Gerald R. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 213, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00325-X	journal	August 2003
Methane solubility in marine hydrate environments Davie, M. K.; Zatsepina, O. Y.; Buffett, B. A. Marine Geology, Vol. 203, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-3227(03)00331-1	journal	January 2004
Review of natural gas hydrates as an energy resource: Prospects and challenges Chong, Zheng Rong; Yang, She Hern Bryan; Babu, Ponnivalavan Applied Energy, Vol. 162 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.12.061	journal	January 2016
Global estimates of hydrate-bound gas in marine sediments: how much is really out there? Milkov, Alexei V. Earth-Science Reviews, Vol. 66, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2003.11.002	journal	August 2004
Methane hydrate formation in turbidite sediments of northern Cascadia, IODP Expedition 311 Torres, M. E.; Tréhu, A. M.; Cespedes, N. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 271, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.03.061	journal	July 2008
Methane sources and production in the northern Cascadia margin gas hydrate system Pohlman, J. W.; Kaneko, M.; Heuer, V. B. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 287, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.08.037	journal	October 2009
Marine gas hydrates in thin sand layers that soak up microbial methane Malinverno, Alberto Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 292, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.02.008	journal	April 2010
Testing short-range migration of microbial methane as a hydrate formation mechanism: Results from Andaman Sea and Kumano Basin drill sites and global implications Malinverno, Alberto; Goldberg, David S. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 422 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.04.019	journal	July 2015
Dissolution rates of pure methane hydrate and carbon-dioxide hydrate in undersaturated seawater at 1000-m depth Rehder, Gregor; Kirby, Stephen H.; Durham, William B. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 68, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2003.07.001	journal	January 2004
The fabric of consolidation in Gulf of Mexico mudstones Day-Stirrat, Ruarri J.; Flemings, Peter B.; You, Yao Marine Geology, Vol. 295-298 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2011.12.003	journal	February 2012
Ocean warming and gas hydrate stability on the mid-Norwegian margin at the Storegga Slide Mienert, Jürgen; Vanneste, Maarten; Bünz, Stefan Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 22, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2004.10.018	journal	January 2005
Fluid flow in the Keathley Canyon 151 Mini-Basin, northern Gulf of Mexico Dugan, Brandon Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 25, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2007.12.005	journal	November 2008
Assessing sulfate reduction and methane cycling in a high salinity pore water system in the northern Gulf of Mexico Pohlman, J. W.; Ruppel, C.; Hutchinson, D. R. Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 25, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2008.01.016	journal	November 2008
Physical properties of sediment from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope Winters, William; Walker, Michael; Hunter, Robert Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 28, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.01.008	journal	February 2011
Particle size effect on the saturation of methane hydrate in sediments – Constrained from experimental results Lu, Hailong; Kawasaki, Tatsuji; Ukita, Toshiyasu Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 28, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.11.007	journal	November 2011
Core lithologies and their constraints on gas-hydrate occurrence in the East Sea, offshore Korea: Results from the site UBGH1-9 Bahk, Jang-Jun; Um, In-Kwon; Holland, Melanie Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 28, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.12.003	journal	November 2011
Gas hydrate resource potential in the Terrebonne Basin, Northern Gulf of Mexico Frye, Matthew; Shedd, William; Boswell, Ray Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 34, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2011.08.001	journal	June 2012
Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II logging-while-drilling data acquisition and analysis Collett, Timothy S.; Lee, Myung W.; Zyrianova, Margarita V. Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 34, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2011.08.003	journal	June 2012
Electrical anisotropy of gas hydrate-bearing sand reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico Cook, Ann E.; Anderson, Barbara I.; Rasmus, John Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 34, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2011.09.003	journal	June 2012
Subsurface gas hydrates in the northern Gulf of Mexico Boswell, Ray; Collett, Timothy S.; Frye, Matthew Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 34, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2011.10.003	journal	June 2012
Anomalous porosity preservation and preferential accumulation of gas hydrate in the Andaman accretionary wedge, NGHP-01 site 17A Rose, Kelly K.; Johnson, Joel E.; Torres, Marta E. Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 58 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2014.04.009	journal	December 2014
Comparison of the physical and geotechnical properties of gas-hydrate-bearing sediments from offshore India and other gas-hydrate-reservoir systems Winters, W. J.; Wilcox-Cline, R. W.; Long, P. Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 58 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2014.07.024	journal	December 2014
Lithological features of hydrate-bearing sediments and their relationship with gas hydrate saturation in the eastern Nankai Trough, Japan Ito, Takuma; Komatsu, Yuhei; Fujii, Tetsuya Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 66 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2015.02.022	journal	September 2015
Gas hydrate reservoirs and gas migration mechanisms in the Terrebonne Basin, Gulf of Mexico Hillman, Jess I. T.; Cook, Ann E.; Daigle, Hugh Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 86 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2017.07.029	journal	September 2017
Methane hydrate formation in thick sand reservoirs: 1. Short-range methane diffusion You, Kehua; Flemings, Peter B. Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 89 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2017.10.011	journal	January 2018
Formation of natural gas hydrates in marine sediments: 2. Thermodynamic calculations of stability conditions in porous sediments Henry, Pierre; Thomas, Michel; Clennell, M. Ben Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 104, Issue B10 https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JB900167	journal	October 1999
Formation of natural gas hydrates in marine sediments: 1. Conceptual model of gas hydrate growth conditioned by host sediment properties Clennell, M. Ben; Hovland, Martin; Booth, James S. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 104, Issue B10 https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JB900175	journal	October 1999
Permeability evolution during the formation of gas hydrates in marine sediments: GAS HYDRATE AND PERMEABILITY CHANGES Nimblett, J.; Ruppel, C. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 108, Issue B9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JB001650	journal	September 2003
Nucleation of gas hydrate in marine environments Zatsepina, O. Y. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 30, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL016802	journal	January 2003
Dynamic multiphase flow model of hydrate formation in marine sediments Liu, Xiaoli; Flemings, Peter B. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 112, Issue B3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JB004227	journal	January 2007
Capillary controls on methane hydrate distribution and fracturing in advective systems: CAPILLARY CONTROLS ON HYDRATES Daigle, Hugh; Dugan, Brandon Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol. 12, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GC003392	journal	January 2011
Capillary effects on hydrate stability in marine sediments Liu, Xiaoli; Flemings, Peter B. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, Issue B7 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JB008143	journal	January 2011
A model for the diffusive growth of hydrate saturation anomalies in layered sediments Rempel, A. W. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, Issue B10 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JB008484	journal	January 2011
Gas hydrates-geological perspective and global change Kvenvolden, Keith A. Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 31, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/93RG00268	journal	May 1993
Dissociation of oceanic methane hydrate as a cause of the carbon isotope excursion at the end of the Paleocene Dickens, Gerald R.; O'Neil, James R.; Rea, David K. Paleoceanography, Vol. 10, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1029/95PA02087	journal	December 1995
Formation and accumulation of gas hydrate in porous media Rempel, A. W.; Buffett, B. A. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 102, Issue B5 https://doi.org/10.1029/97JB00392	journal	May 1997
Giant submarine landslides Nisbet, Euan G.; Piper, David J. W. Nature, Vol. 392, Issue 6674 https://doi.org/10.1038/32765	journal	March 1998
Fundamental principles and applications of natural gas hydrates Sloan, E. Dendy Nature, Vol. 426, Issue 6964 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02135	journal	November 2003
An early Cenozoic perspective on greenhouse warming and carbon-cycle dynamics Zachos, James C.; Dickens, Gerald R.; Zeebe, Richard E. Nature, Vol. 451, Issue 7176 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06588	journal	January 2008
Methane hydrate in the global organic carbon cycle: Global methane hydrate Kvenvolden, Keith A. Terra Nova, Vol. 14, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3121.2002.00414.x	journal	October 2002
Ocean methane hydrates as a slow tipping point in the global carbon cycle Archer, D.; Buffett, B.; Brovkin, V. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 106, Issue 49 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0800885105	journal	November 2008
Pleistocene slope instability of gas hydrate‐laden sediment on the Beaufort sea margin Kayen, Robert E.; Lee, Homa J. Marine Geotechnology, Vol. 10, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1080/10641199109379886	journal	January 1991
Is Gas Hydrate Energy Within Reach? Boswell, R. Science, Vol. 325, Issue 5943 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1175074	journal	August 2009
Increased continental-margin slumping frequency during sea-level lowstands above gas hydrate–bearing sediments Paull, Charles K.; Buelow, William J.; Ussler, William Geology, Vol. 24, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0143:ICMSFD>2.3.CO;2	journal	January 1996
Linking continental-slope failures and climate change: Testing the clathrate gun hypothesis Maslin, Mark; Owen, Matthew; Day, Simon Geology, Vol. 32, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1130/G20114.1	journal	January 2004
In situ measurements of thermal diffusivity in sediments of the methane-rich zone of Cascadia Margin, NE Pacific Ocean Homola, Kira; Paul Johnson, H.; Hearn, Casey Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, Vol. 3 https://doi.org/10.12952/journal.elementa.000039	journal	February 2015
Permeability as a Function of the Size Parameters of Unconsolidated Sand Krumbein, W. C.; Monk, G. D. Transactions of the AIME, Vol. 151, Issue 01 https://doi.org/10.2118/943153-G	journal	December 1943
Organic carbon content, bacterial methanogenesis, and accumulation processes of gas hydrates in marine sediments. Waseda, Amane GEOCHEMICAL JOURNAL, Vol. 32, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.32.143	journal	January 1998
Paleohydrology of the Gulf of Mexico basin Harrison, W. J.; Summa, L. L. American Journal of Science, Vol. 291, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.291.2.109	journal	February 1991

Cited By (3)

Mechanisms of Methane Hydrate Formation in Geological Systems You, K.; Flemings, P. B.; Malinverno, A. Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 57, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018rg000638	journal	October 2019
Factors Controlling Short‐Range Methane Migration of Gas Hydrate Accumulations in Thin Coarse‐Grained Layers Wei, Li; Cook, Ann; Daigle, Hugh Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol. 20, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gc008405	journal	August 2019
Hydrate‐filled Fracture Formation at Keathley Canyon 151, Gulf of Mexico, and Implications for Non‐vent Sites Oti, Emma A.; Cook, Ann E.; Welch, Susan A. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol. 20, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gc008637	journal	November 2019

Similar Records

Studying methane migration mechanisms at Walker Ridge, Gulf of Mexico, via 3D methane hydrate reservoir modeling

Conference · 2015 · OSTI ID:1222218

Nole, Michael; Daigle, Hugh; Mohanty, Kishore; +2 more

Mechanisms for Methane Transport and Hydrate Accumulation in Coarse-Grained Reservoirs

Technical Report · 2018 · OSTI ID:1457393

Daigle, Hugh; Bryant, Steven; Mohanty, Kishore; +2 more

Permeability and porosity of hydrate-bearing sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Journal Article · 2015 · Marine and Petroleum Geology · OSTI ID:1223537

Daigle, Hugh; Cook, Ann; Malinverno, Alberto

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
Geochemistry & Geophysics

Title: On the Importance of Advective Versus Diffusive Transport in Controlling the Distribution of Methane Hydrate in Heterogeneous Marine Sediments

Citation Formats

References (56)

Cited By (3)

Similar Records

Related Subjects