AAPG Memoir 89: Natural Gas Hydrates Completed

USGS Contribution to AAPG Memoir on Gas Hydrates

In the December of 2009, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) published a comprehensive treatise on the geology of gas hydrates which is entitled Natural Gas Hydrates – Energy Resource Potential and Associated Hazards.

The USGS has made significant contributions to this memoir on gas hydrate science, with USGS lead authors on nine of the research reports in this important publication. The lead editor of the memoir, Dr. Timothy S. Collett, is also a scientist with the Energy Resources Program of the USGS.

AAPG Memoir 89 had its start back in September, 2004 when the AAPG convened a Hedberg Research Conference in Vancouver, Canada on natural gas hydrates.  As a continuation of the Hedberg Research Conference in Vancouver, the conveners of the conference and the editors of this Memoir have worked with more than 150 authors and coauthors to prepare this Memoir on gas hydrates.  While the publication follows the goals of the Hedberg conference, the contents of this Memoir were expanded to include all aspects of gas hydrates in nature.  This Memoir contains 39 individual contributions, ranging from long topical summaries to shorter focused research papers.

This Memoir has been published in two parts, with digital versions of all the complete research papers included on an included CD.  The hardcopy portion of the Memoir includes abstracts and several key figures for each of the contributions.  The digital portion of this Memoir has been organized into a series of topical sections consisting of review articles, marine and permafrost related gas hydrate research papers, and gas hydrate laboratory and modeling studies.

The Memoir also contains a gas hydrate technical overview (Chapter 1 as described below) in which the Memoir editors have provided a comprehensive examination of the components of a gas hydrate petroleum system, analysis of ongoing and recently completed international gas hydrate geologic and resource studies in both marine and arctic permafrost environments, and the examination of gas hydrate production studies and modeling efforts.

• AAPG Memoir 89 is available through the AAPG Bookstore web site at http://bookstore.aapg.org/

• Reprints of the USGS contributions (as listed below) can be requested from Tim Collett at tcollett@usgs.gov

• Project Website: Gas Hydrates

USGS Contributions

Barth, G. A., D. W. Scholl, and J. R. Childs, 2009, Bering sea velocity amplitude anomalies: Exploring the distribution of natural gas and gas hydrate indicators, in T. Collett, A. Johnson, C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, eds., Natural gas hydrates—Energy resource potential and associated geologic hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, p. 324– 349.

Collett, T. S., A. H. Johnson, C. C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, 2009, Natural Gas Hydrates: A Review, in T. Collett, A. Johnson, C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, eds., Natural gas hydrates—Energy resource potential and associated geologic hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, p. 146– 219.

Hutchinson, D. R., P. E. Hart, C. D. Ruppel, F. Snyder, and B. Dugan, 2009, Seismic and thermal characterization of a bottom-simulating reflection in the northern Gulf of Mexico, in T. Collett, A. Johnson, C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, eds., Natural gas hydrates—Energy resource potential and associated geologic hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, p. 266– 286.

Inks, T. L., M. W. Lee, W. F. Agena, D. J. Taylor, T. S. Collett, M. V. Zyrianova, and R. B. Hunter, 2009, Seismicprospectingforgas-hydrate andassociated free-gas prospects in the Milne Point area of northern Alaska, in T. Collett, A. Johnson, C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, eds., Natural gas hydrates—Energy resource potential and associated geologic hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, p. 555–583.

Lee, M. W., T. S. Collett, and W. F. Agena, 2009, Integration of vertical seismic, surface seismic, and well-log data at the Mallik 2L-38 gas-hydrate research well, Mackenzie delta, Canada, in T. Collett, A. Johnson, C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, eds., Natural gas hydrates—Energy resource potential and associated geologic hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, p. 525–540.

Lee, M. W., T. S. Collett, and T. L. Inks, 2009, Seismic-attribute analysis for gas-hydrate and free-gas prospects on the North Slope of Alaska, in T. Collett, A. Johnson, C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, eds., Natural gas hydrates—Energy resource potential and associated geologic hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, p. 541–554.

Lorenson, T. D., T. S. Collett, and M. J. Whiticar, 2009, Hydrocarbon gas composition and origin of gas hydrate from the Alaska North Slope, in T. Collett, A. Johnson, C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, eds., Natural gas hydrates—Energy resource potential and associated geologic hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, p. 584– 597.

Scholl, D. W., G. A. Barth, and J. R. Childs, 2009, Why hydrate-linked velocity-amplitude anomaly structures are common in the Bering Sea Basin: A hypothesis, in T. Collett, A. Johnson, C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, eds., Natural gas hydrates—Energy resource potential and associated geologic hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, p. 308– 323.

Winters, W. J., W. F. Waite, and D. H. Mason, 2009, Effects of methane hydrate on the physical properties of sediments, in T. Collett, A. Johnson, C. Knapp, and R. Boswell, eds., Natural gas hydrates—Energy resource potential and associated geologic hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, p. 714–722.