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The characteristics of gas hydrates recovered from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope

Marine and Petroleum Geology
By: , , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.01.002

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Abstract

Systematic analyses have been carried out on two gas hydrate-bearing sediment core samples, HYPV4, which was preserved by CH4 gas pressurization, and HYLN7, which was preserved in liquid-nitrogen, recovered from the BPXA-DOE-USGS Mount Elbert Stratigraphic Test Well. Gas hydrate in the studied core samples was found by observation to have developed in sediment pores, and the distribution of hydrate saturation in the cores imply that gas hydrate had experienced stepwise dissociation before it was stabilized by either liquid nitrogen or pressurizing gas. The gas hydrates were determined to be structure Type I hydrate with hydration numbers of approximately 6.1 by instrumentation methods such as powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and solid state 13C NMR. The hydrate gas composition was predominantly methane, and isotopic analysis showed that the methane was of thermogenic origin (mean δ13C = −48.6‰ and δD = −248‰ for sample HYLN7). Isotopic analysis of methane from sample HYPV4 revealed secondary hydrate formation from the pressurizing methane gas during storage.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title The characteristics of gas hydrates recovered from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope
Series title Marine and Petroleum Geology
DOI 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.01.002
Volume 28
Issue 2
Year Published 2011
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Central Energy Resources Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description 8 p.
Larger Work Title Marine and Petroleum Geology
First page 411
Last page 418
Country United States
State Alaska
Other Geospatial Alaska North Slope
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