Gas hydrates are currently positioned in the centre of a ‘triple-junction interest’ from both the industry and academic point of view, due to their potential as an unconventional energy resource, geohazard to marine infrastructures and possible role in climate change. The aim of this study is to detect, quantify and characterize the distribution of methane hydrates and free gas deposits in deep-sea pockmarks, along the Norwegian continental margins. Based on our controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) inversions results and previously analysed 3D seismic data, an initial joint-interpretation scheme was applied, suggesting the existence of both gas hydrates and free gas within the CNE03 pockmark. This work will provide valuable information for future exploration of gas hydrates deposits. The study results were recently presented at AGU 2014 Fall Meeting and attracted press interested, which led to an article that was published at the AGU GeoSpace – Earth and space science blog.
The article can be found in this link: http://blogs.agu.org/geospace/2014/12/19/electromagnetic-imaging-helps-scientists-locate-underwater-methane/

 

Authors: Eric Attias¹, Karen Weitemeyer¹, Martin Sinha¹, Tim Minshull¹,Marion Jegen-Kulcsar² and Christian Berndt²

¹National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK

²GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Geodynamics, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148 Kiel, Germany