Oceanic Gas Hydrate

Research and Activities Review

Presented
By

Muhammad Gerry Agustin

16409155
Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering

Gas Hydrates:
What are they?
Why are they important?
What matters to MMS?
Short term
Long term

Gas Hydrate: Ice-like structure that traps gases

Methane, Carbon Dioxide, Ethane,
Butane, Propane, Hydrogen Sulfide

Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Hydrate Structures

Type I

Type II

Type H

Concentrates gas with a ratio of ~ 1:160

One cubic foot of gas hydrate contains
160 cubic feet of gas at standard
temperature and pressure

Sources: U.S. Geological Survey and Texas A&M University

Hydrate Formation Requires Five Ingredients:

Water
Gas - CH4, CO2, C2H6, H2S, etc.
Pressure
Temperature
Nucleation Site

Why the interest in Gas Hydrates?

Safety:
Hydrates plug flowlines
Hydrates can be geohazards
Resource:
Methane Hydrates are a source of natural gas
Environmental:
Sensitive Communities use hydrates as food
Methane Hydrates can contribute to global warming

Safety
Hydrates can form in flowlines and on equipment
Hydrates occur naturally in the sediment

Potential Impact of Natural Gas Hydrates

in the Seafloor Sediments On Deepwater
Production Facilities

Hydrates Form On
Exterior of Subsea
Equipment

Heat From Buried

Pipelines Cause
Hydrate Dissociation

Hydrates Dissociation
Affects Foundation of
Surface Facilities?
Heat From Production
Wells Causes Hydrate
Dissociation

99-00075

Resource

Methods of Extraction
Heat
Inject CO2 to Displace Methane
Depressurization
Direct Removal
Inject Inhibitors

Methan
e

CO2

Environmental
Chemosynthetic Communities:
Sensitive Biological Communities
Associated with Methane Hydrates
Found in Deepwater throughout Gulf of Mexico

Global Warming

 Canada Successful 2008 Arctic production test at

limited scale.
Japan Extensive drilling programs. Moving forward
with plans for production test by 2011.
India Extensive 2006 drilling program.
China Initiated drilling program in 2007
S. Korea Initiated drilling program in 2007
Significant U.S. Collaboration

International Interest in Methane Hydrate Recovery

Russia: Messoyakha gas field - 1970
India: $56 million program
Japan: $50 million program
Canada: MacKenzie Delta Permafrost with Japan
United Kingdom, Brazil, and Norway

Hydrate Research at other Agencies:

Department of Energy: Methane Hydrates as a Resource
United States Geological Survey:
Gas Hydrates as a Geohazard
Methane Hydrates as a Resource
Naval Research Laboratory: Acoustic Properties of Sediments
National Science Foundation: Basic Research into Hydrate Properties

MMS Involvement in Hydrate Research

Technology Assessment & Research Program
Chemosynthetic
Communities
Center for Marine Resources and Environmental
Technology (CMRET)
Resource Evaluation - mapping of surface anomalies
Participation on Committees and in Consortiums

Whats important to MMS?

Short Term:
Safety: Technology and Geohazards
Environmental: Protecting Sensitive Biological Communities
Long Term:
Methane Hydrate Extraction
New Technology
Identification and Valuation of Resource
Environmental Impacts

Thanks For Coming