gas hydrate as a resource - startseite · statoil interest in natural gas hydrates ... • r &...

1 -

Gas Hydrate as a Resource - Statoil’s Hydrate Initiative

Thomas Reichel & Jarle Husebø Exploration Global New Ventures / R&D Explore Unconventionals

2 -

Outline

• Gas hydrate occurances & resource potential

• Gas hydrate research in Norway

• Statoil’s external collaborations

• Statoil’s internal Gas Hydrate Focus

• Gas hydrates in Norway

Norwegian Sea

Barentssea

Svalbard

Gas Hydrates – New Value Chain

3 -

Gas hydrate occurrances in Northern-Europe

?

4 - 4 -

from R. Boswell and B. Waite (in prep.)

Statoil interest in Natural Gas Hydrates – Modes of Gas Hydrate Occurrence in Nature

Hydrate-bearing sand

Water-bearing sand

Free gas

~400 m water depth

Permafrost

Marine Clays

Hydrate-bearing Deformed Clay

Gas Hydrate Stability Boundary

Chimney Structures; veins & nodules 1

2

3

4

5

6

Disseminated pore-fill at base of GHSZ Strata-bound deformed clays; veins and nodules Pore-fill sands Pore-fill in sands with local sourcing Seafloor mounds

1 1 2 2

2 3

4

4 4

5

6 6

Gas (C1-C3) migration from depth

Gas migration from depth

Perhaps the major controlling factor on where gas hydrate forms is lithology (sand) and availability of CH4

Gas-hydrate-bearing sands seem the most feasible initial targets for energy recovery

6 -

The Gas Hydrate Potential in Norway – Gas Hydrate Research Institutes in Norway

University in Bergen (Prof. H. Haflidason, Prof. B. Kvamme, Prof, A. Graue)

• GANS-Project

University in Tromsø (Prof. J. Mienert, Dr. S. Buenz)

NGU – Norwegian Geological Survey (Dr. S. Chand)

NGI – Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Dr. T. Kvalstad, Dr. M. Vanneste)

7 -

Statoil External collaboration partners NDP-Norwegian Deepwater Program

• Statoil active member since 1997

• Gas hydrate reasearch since early 2000

JIP GoM (DOE, Chevron)

• Gas hydrate exploration and reservoir analysis

UNEP GRID-Arendal

• Gas hydrate global outlook

RDC GeoEXPLORE (C-Core)

• Geoseismic survey offshore New Foundland since 2011

• Gas hydrate mapping on existing data

LBNL (Prof G. Moridis)

• Production simulation studies (Gulf of Mexico)

IFM-GEOMAR (Prof K. Wallmann) – Gas Hydrate Basin Modelling

• funding of Post-Doc ( planned 2012),

University of Bergen

• Gas hydrate research funding of student program starting 2012 (Prof B. Kvamme, Prof. A. Graue)

8 -

Statoil Internal Gas Hydrate Focus Exploration Technology

• Global Screening for Hydrates

• R & D Geological and Geophysical Research

Drilling & Production Technology

• Hydrates as Geohazard during drilling

• R & D production strategies from Hydrates

• Flow Assurance

9 -

Statoil Internal Gas Hydrate Focus

10 -

Gas Hydrate Indications on the Mid-Norway Continental Margin

GANS-Project (2006-2010) within NDP-Consortium

3 working areas

Norwegian continental margin

Barentssea

Western Svalbard Margin

11 -

~ 4000 km2

• widespread BSR in seismic data • fluid migration-gas chimneys


(from NDP-seabed project 2004)

12 -


Resources • Huge GIP ~ 150-1400 GSm3 • Poor reservoir quality • Low (0,2 GSm3/km2)

resource density, ~ comparable to similar hydrate provinces

Results • evidence for thermogenic

sources • migration along deep seated

polygonal faults • gas hydrates act as “broken”

seal • Migration can reach seabed

to from large vent sites/pockmarks

from Plaza-Faverola et al. 2010b

13 -

Gas Hydrate Stability Conditions in the Barents Sea

from Chand et al. (2008)

• CH4 hydrate probably not stable

• Presence of BSR and hydrate sample suggest thermogenic gas source

Remaining issues:

• Geothermal gradient?

• Reservoir?

Thickness of GHSZ

14 -

Statoil’s Gas Hydrate Initiative in Norway – Shallow gas/gas hydrate exploration in SW Barents Sea (Skrugard)

Index map from Laberg & Andreassen (1996); VAMP model from Scholl et al. (2007)

15 -

Gas Hydrate potential on Svalbard

Mallik (MH21) Milne Point (BP)

Messoyakha Svalbard?

16 -

Western Svalbard Margin Resource Assessment

from Buenz et al (2009)

17 -

Western Svalbard Margin Resource Assessment

• ~90 m thick GHSZ • Hydrate concentrations (modelled) of up to

12 % of pore space

from Westbrook et al. (2008)

18 -

Permafrost on Svalbard

Permafrost in well hole (•) registered in logs (T)

Modelled Permafrost

thickness (m)

up to 600m

from Etzelmueller (UiO)


19 -

• Confirmed:

− continous permafrost, within GHSZ

− assumed good reservoir properties

− observations of gas from exploration wells

• Unsure:

− Traps under the permafrost?

− Are sands present along the base of the gas hydrate stability zone?

Svalbard Permafrost

Kapp Laila-1


GHSZ = Gas hydrate stability zone

20 - Classification: Internal (Restricted Distribution) 2011-09-05

Gas Hydrate is of Global Significance because

1. Of the potential energy resource represented by the large amount of hydrocarbon trapped in the hydrate phase

3. Of the hazard that accumulations of gas hydrate may pose to near-shore communities (geo-hazard), drilling and seabed installations (drilling hazard)

Mega-tsunami

2. It may play a role in global climate change

Global heating?

Energy resource?

21 -

Gas Hydrate as a Resource - Statoil’s Hydrate Initiative Thomas Reichel & Jarle Husebø [email protected], tel: +47 906 89 560 www.statoil.com

Thank you

22 - Classification: Internal (Restricted Distribution) 2011-05-31

The Gas Hydrate Potential in Norway – Gas Hydrate Formation Requirements

1. Suitable P & T regime

2. Petroleum System (gas source, migration path, reservoir & trap)

3. Formation water

Source: Hester & Brewer (2009)

GHOSZ Thickness: • Pressure & Temperature • Gas composition • Gas saturation • Salinity • Pore size

SO42- reduction & Anaerobic

oxidation of CH4

Marine Basins Permafrost Areas

300-600 m

0.5-1 km (2-20 °C)

100-300 m

Several 100s of m (-10-20 °C)

1 1

1 Hydrate to gas transition

gas hydrate as a resource - startseite · statoil interest in natural gas hydrates ... • r &...

Documents