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  • Elsevier  (24)
  • AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)  (1)
  • 2020-2024  (25)
  • 1
    Publication Date: 2024-04-03
    Description: Highlights • This study simulates the sedimentation-driven development of multiple stacked BSRs in the Danube paleo-delta, Black Sea. • Formation of multiple BSRs in the Black Sea is controlled by the sequence of sedimentation events of the levees induced by sea-level changes. • Kinetics of phase transitions plays a key role in the coexistence, location, and timing of the multiple BSRs. • Development of multiple stacked BSRs is possible only under a narrow range of parameters, unique for the Danube delta setting. Abstract The gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) is defined by pressure-temperature-salinity (pTS) constraints of natural gas hydrate (GH) system. It refers to a depth interval which usually extends several hundred meters into the sediment column at sufficient water depths. The lower boundary of the GHSZ often coincides in seismic reflection data with a bottom simulating reflector (BSR), which indicates the transition between the underlying free gas and the overlying no-free gas zone at the thermodynamic stability boundary. The GHSZ in geological systems is dynamic and can shift in response to sedimentation processes and/or changes in environmental conditions such as bottom water temperatures, hydrostatic pressure, and water salinity. The appearance of multiple BSRs has been interpreted as remnants of former GHSZ shifts which have persisted over geological timescales. In this study, we numerically simulate the sedimentation-driven development of multiple stacked BSRs in the Danube deep-sea fan in the Black Sea. We show that in this dynamic sediment depositional regime sufficient amounts of residual gas remain trapped in the former GHSZ, given sufficiently high initial gas hydrate saturations, so that paleo-BSRs could persist over long time scales (similar to 300 kyr). In particular, the formation and persistence of multiple BSRs in the Danube Delta is controlled by the sequence of sedimentation events of the levees induced by sea-level change. The kinetics of methane phase transitions between gas hydrate, dissolved methane, and free gas plays a key role in the coexistence, location and timing of the multiple BSRs. Thus, For a given permeability, distinct multiple BSRs appear only for a narrow range of GH formation (10(-14) 〈 k(f) [mol/m(2) Pa s] 〈= 10(-12)) and dissociation rates (10(-16) 〈 k(d) [mol/m(2) Pa s] 〈 10(-14)).
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed , info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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  • 2
    Publication Date: 2023-02-08
    Description: Highlights • Total amount of generated biogenic methane is estimated at ~3100 Gt. • Total amount of generated thermogenic methane is estimated at ~1,560 Gt. • The Maykop formation is partially productive in the central basin and not yet fully productive towards the basin peripherals. A new numerical model reconstructing the depositional history (98–0 Ma) of the Western Black Sea sub-basin is presented. The model accounts for changing boundary conditions (i.e. water depth, bottom water temperature, heat flow evolution over time) and estimates the rates and total amounts of the in-situ biogenic methane generation and thermally-driven organic matter maturation in the source rocks. The overall thermogenic and biogenic gas generation predicted by the model is estimated at ~1560 Gt and ~3100 Gt, respectively.
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed
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  • 3
    Publication Date: 2023-02-08
    Description: Highlights • Physical properties obtained from core and log data at the Danube deep sea fan are reported. • Core-log-seismic integration defines stratigraphic framework at the S2 channel. • All data suggest no gas hydrate is present at drill sites within uncertainties of methods employed. Abstract Drilling, coring, and geophysical logging were performed with the MARUM-MeBo200 seafloor drilling rig to investigate gas hydrate occurrences of the Danube deep sea fan, off Romania, Black Sea. Three sites within a channel-levee complex were investigated. Geophysical log data of P-wave velocity, electrical resistivity, and spectral gamma ray are combined with core-derived physical properties of porosity, magnetic susceptibility, and bulk density. Core- and log physical property data are used to define a time-depth conversion by synthetic seismogram modeling, which is then used to interpret the seismic data. Individual polarity reversed reflectors within the stratigraphic column drilled are linked to reduction in P-wave velocity and bulk density. Those reflectors (and associated reflection packages) are accompanied by distinct and systematic changes in sediment porosity, magnetic susceptibility, and electrical resistivity. Overall, the sediments at drill site GeoB22605 (MeBo-17) represent the younger (upper) levee sequence of the channel, that has been eroded at drill site GeoB22603 (MeBo-16). Splicing seismic data across the channel from the East (MeBo-16) to the West (MeBo-17) demonstrates the continuation of reflectors underneath the channel. The upper ∼50 m below seafloor (mbsf) at site MeBo-16 do not stratigraphically belong to the same sequence of the (deeper) levee-deposits. Above the marked erosional unconformity, sediments at Site MeBo-16 are likely derived by a mixture of repeated slump-events (identified as seismically transparent units) interbedded with hemi-pelagic sedimentation. Similarly, sediments within the upper ∼20 mbsf at Site MeBo-17 are not stratigraphically the same levee-deposits, but are derived by a mixture of slump-events (also seen in the marked seafloor amphitheatre architecture of a large failure complex extending further upslope) and hemi-pelagic sedimentation. All observations combined show that the seismically observed stratigraphic pattern represents a reflectivity sequence mostly driven by variations in density (porosity) and correspondingly by changes in P-wave velocity and electrical resistivity. All observations from the geophysical log- and core, as well as geochemical data do show no evidence for the presence of any significant gas hydrates within the drilled/cored sequences.
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed
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  • 4
    Publication Date: 2023-02-08
    Description: Highlights • The effects of the combined method on HBS geomechanical properties were examined. • Mechanical behavior depended on dissociation ratios and GH saturations. • Mechanical strength of the replaced HBSs was significantly recovered. • The combination of depressurization and replacement increased total CH4 recovery. • Optimum replacement occurred at a dissociation ratio of 20% with CO2 injection. Abstract This study analyzed the potential effects of gas hydrate (GH) exploitation on the geomechanical properties of hydrate-bearing sediment (HBS) by examining the combined effects of depressurization and CO2 injection using triaxial compression tests. The stress-strain behavior of the initial CH4 HBS showed strong hardening-softening characteristics and high peak strength, whereas milder hardening-softening behavior and reduced peak strength were observed after partial (20, 40, 60, and 80%) or complete GH dissociation (100%), indicating that the mechanical behavior clearly depended on dissociation ratios and GH saturations. In response to CO2 injection in partially dissociated HBS, subsequent CH4–CO2 hydrate exchange, and secondary CO2 hydrate formation, the mechanical strength of the replaced HBS recovered significantly, and stress-strain characteristics were similar to that of the 20% dissociated CH4 HBS. Although total CH4 recovery was increased by the combination of depressurization and replacement, optimum recovery was found at a dissociation ratio of 20% followed by replacement because production by replacement decreased as the dissociation ratio increased. These results contribute to the understanding of how depressurization and CO2 injection schemes may be combined to optimize energy recovery and CO2 sequestration. In particular, this research demonstrates that CH4–CO2 hydrate exchange and secondary GH formation are suitable methods for controlling and maintaining the mechanical stability of HBSs.
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  • 5
    Publication Date: 2023-02-08
    Description: Highlights • Gas release from wells may counteract efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. • An approach for assessing methane release from marine decommissioned wells. • This gas release largely depends on the presence of shallow gas accumulations. • Methane release from hydrocarbon wells represents a major source in the North Sea. Abstract Hydrocarbon gas emissions from with decommissioned wells are an underreported source of greenhouse gas emissions in oil and gas provinces. The associated emissions may partly counteract efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel infrastructure. We have developed an approach for assessing methane leakage from marine decommissioned wells based on a combination of existing regional industrial seismic and newly acquired hydroacoustic water column imaging data from the Central North Sea. Here, we present hydroacoustic data which show that 28 out of 43 investigated wells release gas from the seafloor into the water column. This gas release largely depends on the presence of shallow gas accumulations and their distance to the wells. The released gas is likely primarily biogenic methane from shallow sources. In the upper 1,000 m below the seabed, gas migration is likely focused along drilling-induced fractures around the borehole or through non-sealing barriers. Combining available direct measurements for methane release from marine decommissioned wells with our leakage analysis suggests that gas release from investigated decommissioned hydrocarbon wells is a major source of methane in the North Sea (0.9-3.7 [95% confidence interval = 0.7-4.2] kt yr−1 of CH4 for 1,792 wells in the UK sector of the Central North Sea). This means hydrocarbon gas emissions associated with marine hydrocarbon wells are not significant for the global greenhouse gas budget, but have to be considered when compiling regional methane budgets.
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed , info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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  • 6
    Publication Date: 2023-02-08
    Description: Highlights • The SUGAR project has developed and tested various methods for gas production from marine gas hydrates from micro to field scale. • Numerical simulations improved the understanding of processes on molecular to reservoir scale. • Depressurization is a promising technology for exploiting gas hydrate deposits in the Danube Delta. • The injection of CO2 or CO2–N2 is not a suitable method for the exploitation of gas hydrate deposits in the Danube Delta. Abstract One important scientific objective of the national research project SUGAR – Submarine Gas Hydrate Reservoirs was the development, improvement, and test of innovative concepts for the production of methane from natural gas hydrate reservoirs. Therefore, different production methods, such as the thermal stimulation using in situ combustion, the chemical stimulation via injection of CO2 as a gaseous, liquid or supercritical phase and depressurization were tested alone or in combination at different scales. In the laboratory experiments these ranged from pore and hydrate grain scale to 425-L reactor volume, whereas numerical models were applied to describe the related processes from molecular to reservoir scale. In addition, the numerical simulations also evaluated the feasibility and efficiency of the application of these methods in selected areas, such as the Danube Paleodelta in the Black Sea, addressing the two dominant methane hydrate reservoir settings, buried channel-levee and turbidite systems. It turned out, that the injection of CO2 or a CO2–N2 gas mixture is not applicable for the Danube Paleodelta in the Black Sea, because the local pressure and temperature conditions are too close to the equilibrium conditions of both, the CO2 hydrate and a CO2–N2 mixed hydrate stability fields. Experiments using thermal stimulation and depressurization showed promising results but also some issues, such as sufficient heat transfer. In summary it can be said that the applicability and efficiency of each method has to be proven for each specific hydrate reservoir conditions. Based on the results obtained by numerical simulations the most promising and safe method for the production of CH4 from hydrate bearing sediments in the Danube Paleodelta would be the depressurization technique. This study summarizes the main experimental and modeling results.
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  • 7
    Publication Date: 2023-02-08
    Description: Future supplies of rare minerals for global industries with high-tech products may depend on deep-sea mining. However, environmental standards for seafloor integrity and recovery from environmental impacts are missing. We revisited the only midsize deep-sea disturbance and recolonization experiment carried out in 1989 in the Peru Basin nodule field to compare habitat integrity, remineralization rates, and carbon flow with undisturbed sites. Plough tracks were still visible, indicating sites where sediment was either removed or compacted. Locally, microbial activity was reduced up to fourfold in the affected areas. Microbial cell numbers were reduced by ~50% in fresh “tracks” and by 〈30% in the old tracks. Growth estimates suggest that microbially mediated biogeochemical functions need over 50 years to return to undisturbed levels. This study contributes to developing environmental standards for deep-sea mining while addressing limits to maintaining and recovering ecological integrity during large-scale nodule mining.
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed , info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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  • 8
    Publication Date: 2023-02-08
    Description: Highlights • MeBo drilling in Danube fan down to 147 m recovered limnic to marine deposits. • Molecular and stable isotope characterization of light hydrocarbons, CO2, and H2O. • H and O isotopic compositions of pore water reflect paleoclimate variations. • Isotope relations prove microbial carbonate reduction as major methanogenic pathway. • Control of δ2H–CH4 by δ2H–H2O may lead to misinterpretation of methanogenic paths. Abstract We report on the geochemistry of light hydrocarbons and pore water in sediments down to 147 m below seafloor (mbsf), at two sites within the gas hydrate stability field of the Danube deep-sea fan, Black Sea. Sediments were drilled with MARUM-MeBo200 and comprise the transition from limnic to the recent marine stage. Stable C/N ratios (mean 5.1 and 5.6) and δ13C-Corg values (mean −25.8‰ V-PDB) suggest relatively uniform bulk organic matter compositions. In contrast, pore water δ2H and δ18O values varied considerably from approx. −120‰ to −30‰ V-SMOW and from −15‰ to −3‰ V-SMOW, respectively. These data pairs plot close to the ‘Global Meteoric Water Line’ and indicate paleo temperature variations. Depletions of pore water in 2H and 18O below 40 mbsf indicate low temperatures and likely reflect conditions during (the) last glacial period(s). Methane was much more abundant than the only other hydrocarbons found in notable concentrations, ethane and propane ((C1/(C2+C3) ≥20,000). Relatively constant δ13C–CH4 (~−70‰ V-PDB) and δ13C–C2H6 (~−52‰ V-PDB) values with depth indicate that methane and ethane are predominantly of microbial origin and that their formation was not limited by carbon availability. In contrast, δ2H–CH4 values varied in a large range (approx. −310 to −240‰ V-SMOW) with depth and positively correlated with trends observed for δ2H–H2O. Isotope separations (Δδ13C(CH4–CO2), Δδ2H(CH4–H2O)) substantiate that microbial carbonate reduction (CR) is the prevalent methanogenic pathway throughout the sediments irrespective of their geochemical history. Remarkably, in δ13C–CH4 – δ2H–CH4 diagrams widely used, samples characterized by δ2H–CH4 values more negative than approx. −250‰ plot out of the field assigned for pure CR. We conclude that assignments of microbial methanogenic pathways based on classical interpretations of δ13C–CH4 – δ2H–CH4 pairs can lead to misinterpretations, as severe 2H-depletions of methane formed through microbial CR can result from 2H-depletions of the pore water generated during low-temperature climatic periods.
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  • 9
    Publication Date: 2023-02-08
    Description: Highlights • Combining porewater geochemistry, geochemical modeling and subsurface geophysical data in order to understand the fluid flow system of Kerch seep area. • This seep area is not in steady state. • Methane transport is in the form of gas bubbles not porewater advection. • High surface temperatures are the result of hydrate formation and not an indication for elevated geothermal gradients. • Modeling says this seep is young (〈500 years old). Abstract High-resolution 3D seismic data in combination with deep-towed sidescan sonar data and porewater analysis give insights into the seafloor expression and the plumbing system of the actively gas emitting Kerch seep area, which is located in the northeastern Black Sea in around 900 m water depth, i.e. well within the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). Our analysis shows that the Kerch seep consists of three closely spaced but individual seeps above a paleo-channel-levee system of the Don Kuban deep-sea fan. We show that mounded seep morphology results from sediment up-doming due to gas overpressure. Each of the seeps hosts its own gas pocket underneath the domes which are fed with methane of predominantly microbial origin along narrow pipes through the GHSZ. Methane transport occurs dominantly in the form of gas bubbles decoupled from fluid advection. Elevated sediment temperatures of up to 0.3 °C above background values are most likely the result of gas hydrate formation within the uppermost 10 m of the sediment column. Compared to other seeps occurring within the GHSZ in the Black Sea overall only scarce gas indications are present in geoacoustic and geophysical data. Transport-reaction modeling suggests that the Kerch seep is a young seep far from steady state and probably not more than 500 years old.
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  • 10
    Publication Date: 2024-02-07
    Description: Highlights • In-situ temperature measurements were conducted at the Danube deep sea fan. • Operations were performed with the MARUM-MeBo200 seafloor drill rig. • The BSR is located ∼20 m below the current gas hydrate stability zone. • Seismic data suggest presence of shallower BSR-like events. Abstract Coring, geophysical logging, and in-situ temperature measurements were performed with the MARUM-MeBo200 seafloor rig to characterize gas hydrate occurrences in sediments of the Danube deep sea fan, off Romania, Black Sea. The new drilling data showed no evidence for significant gas hydrate saturations within the sediments but the presence of free gas at the depth of the bottom-simulating reflector (BSR). In-situ temperature and core-derived geochemical data suggest that the current base of the gas hydrate stability zone (BGHSZ) is ∼20 m shallower than the BSR. Investigation of the seismic data around the drill sites shows several locations where free gas previously trapped at a former BGHSZ migrated upwards forming a new reflection above the BSR. This shows that the gas hydrate system in the Danube deep sea fan is still responding to climate changes initiated at the end of the last glacial maximum.
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed , info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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