Abstract: Gas Hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico’s Complex Geologic Setting: Future Energy Resource or Just Another Geohazard?

TL;DRAbstract

Complex geology of the northern Gulf of Mexico’s continental slope makes identification of the gas hydrate stability zone difficult. Bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) that mark the transition from solid gas hydrate above to free gas below are rarely identified on seismic profiles, but do occur in special cases. Both high-resolution acoustic data and 3D-seismic surface attribute images calibrated to ground-truth (manned submersible observations, sampling and piston coring) confirm that widespread fluid and gas expulsion at the seafloor is characteristic of the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope. Gas hydrate at the seafloor and in the shallow subsurface is a product of the expulsion process. A variety of seafloor features are associated with hydrocarbon venting from a leaky subsurface petroleum system. It is suggested that fluid flux rate determines the types of seafloor features, the occurrence of gas hydrate and chemosynthetic communities, and the degree of hydrocarbon biodegr

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