Scientists explore geophysical measures of hydrate presence
Jiliang Wang and Shiguo Wu from the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Priyank Jaiswal from the Boone Pickens School of Geology at Oklahoma State University have explored sonic and resistivity as indicators of the presence of methane hydrates. Neither measure is linearly proportional to the amount of hydrate saturation. Hydrate morphology, including grain arrangements and mechanical interactions, both of which affect "to some degree" sonic and resistivity measurements, are also important indicators.
Gas Hydrates

Gas hydrate (white material) in marine sediments collected off the Oregon coast. Photo credit: USGS.

The goal of the Gas Hydrates Program is to advance scientific knowledge of gas hydrates as they occur in nature, so that their resource potential and role in global climate change can be fully understood in full collaboration with other federal agencies, universities, industry, and international partners.

NETL’s current Gas Hydrate Research and Development (R&D) Program integrates field, laboratory, and modeling studies to confirm the nature and quantity of the resource and develops and tests technologies for safe production in the future. The program balances research conducted onsite at NETL with extramural projects in a collaborative, integrated approach.

NETL provides international outreach and communication through its “Fire in the Ice” newsletter, which covers gas hydrate research plans/results, upcoming funding opportunities and meetings, and other events of interest to the worldwide gas hydrate R&D community.

Ongoing research pathways supported by NETL include:

Demonstrating gas hydrate exploration and production technologies on the North Slope of Alaska and in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico (GoM).

Improving resource characterization for onshore and offshore hydrate accumulations.

Collaborating with international partners to improve production modeling capabilities.

Building laboratory capabilities for testing hydrate samples under in situ conditions.

Taking an active role in international drilling, sampling, and production testing expeditions.

Investing in the future of hydrate research through the National Academies of Science (NAS)/NETL Methane Hydrate Fellowship Program.

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