The Role of Bottom Simulating Reflectors in Gas Hydrate Assessment

Abstract:

In this research we test the viability of using a bottom simulating reflector (BSR) to detect gas hydrate. Bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) occur at many gas hydrate sites near the thermodynamic base of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ), and are frequently used to identify possible presence of gas hydrate on a regional scale. To find if drilling a BSR actually increases the chances of finding gas hydrate, we combine an updated dataset of BSR distribution from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management with a comprehensive dataset of natural gas hydrate distribution as appraised from well logs, covering an area of around 200,000 square kilometers in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The BSR dataset compiles industry 3-D seismic data, and includes mostly good-quality and high-confidence traditional and non-traditional BSRs. Resistivity well logs were used to identify the presence of gas hydrate from over 700 existing industry wells and we have found over 110 wells with likely gas hydrate occurrences.

By integrating the two datasets, our results show that the chances of encountering gas hydrate when drilling through a BSR is ~ 42%, while that when drilling outside the BSR is ~15%. Our preliminary analysis indicates that a positive relationship exists between BSRs and gas hydrate accumulations, and the chances of encountering gas hydrate increases almost three-fold when drilling through a BSR.

One interesting observation is that ~ 58% of the wells intersecting a BSR show no apparent evidence of gas hydrate. In this case, a BSR may occur at sites with no gas hydrate accumulations due to the presence of very low concentration of free gas that is not detected on resistivity logs. On the other hand, in a few wells, accumulations of gas hydrate were observed where no BSR is present. For example in a well in Atwater Valley Block 92, two intervals of gas hydrate accumulation in fractures have been identified on resistivity logs, of which, the deeper interval has 230 feet thick accumulation of gas hydrate with resistivity as high as 9 ohm*m. However, no BSR was observed at the site. We hypothesize that the absence of a BSR may be a result of gas hydrate generated in-situ within the GHSZ from biogenic sources, such that the hydrate interval does not extend to the base of GHSZ.