Gas hydrate, known as “combustible ice”, is a solid crystal composed of natural gas and water under low temperature and high pressure. Gas hydrate is deemed as the strategic energy of the 21st century because of acclaimed properties, including being clean, efficient and having great resource potential. Therefore, many countries have been scrambling to invest a large amount of manpower and material resources to carry out research on hydrate exploration and exploitation, and have made numerous innovative and pioneering achievements. Researchers in China have been investigating the gas hydrate-related field for more than 20 years. Breakthroughs in gas hydrate exploration have been made already, for example in the offshore northern South China Sea, plenty of hydrate samples have been obtained, immense hydrate resources have been confirmed, and two offshore hydrate trial productions have been successful. All these achievements show good exploration and development prospect in this sea area. Therefore, research on gas hydrates have important scientific and economic significance for the development and utilization of this type of non-renewable compound substance, especially on solving energy shortage and promoting the sustainable development of human society.
Great hydrate resources are precipitated in active and passive continental margins. However, most depositional areas of offshore hydrate-bearing sediments are characterized by shallow burial and weak cementation. These Deposit are often accompanied by some complicated geological phenomena, including mud volcano, diapir, gas chimney and shallow gas. This can cause some problems, such as the unclear and incomplete existence state of gas hydrate, and the characteristics and accumulation mechanisms of different types of gas hydrates,. The dissociation process of gas hydrate presents a character of spatial heterogeneity, irregularity and directionality, which brings severe geological and environmental risks for gas hydrate development. The related problems about gas hydrate accumulation phenomena, potential evaluation and efficient development need to be further studied at different geological backgrounds ranging from micro- to macro- spatial-temporal scale to form a new understanding.
The purpose of this Research Topic is to show the progress on research in gas hydrate accumulation and exploration in continental margins, focusing on gas hydrate in the South China Sea. Papers related to gas hydrate in other active and passive continental margins are also welcome. It should primarily include the physical properties of gas hydrate occurrence, the characteristics of gas hydrate accumulation, the evaluation method of gas hydrate resource, exploration technology, exploitation plan, environmental geological assessment, and so on. Research papers and review papers are both appropriate.
Topics include but are not limited to these following:
1) Occurrence characteristics and detection technology of gas hydrate
2) Accumulation mechanism of offshore gas hydrate
3) Coexistence of gas hydrate and free gas
4) Analysis of gas hydrate and deep petroleum system
5) Numerical simulation technology and application of gas hydrate accumulation
6) Resource prediction and target evaluation of gas hydrate
7) Development plan and environmental effect of gas hydrate
Gas hydrate, known as “combustible ice”, is a solid crystal composed of natural gas and water under low temperature and high pressure. Gas hydrate is deemed as the strategic energy of the 21st century because of acclaimed properties, including being clean, efficient and having great resource potential. Therefore, many countries have been scrambling to invest a large amount of manpower and material resources to carry out research on hydrate exploration and exploitation, and have made numerous innovative and pioneering achievements. Researchers in China have been investigating the gas hydrate-related field for more than 20 years. Breakthroughs in gas hydrate exploration have been made already, for example in the offshore northern South China Sea, plenty of hydrate samples have been obtained, immense hydrate resources have been confirmed, and two offshore hydrate trial productions have been successful. All these achievements show good exploration and development prospect in this sea area. Therefore, research on gas hydrates have important scientific and economic significance for the development and utilization of this type of non-renewable compound substance, especially on solving energy shortage and promoting the sustainable development of human society.
Great hydrate resources are precipitated in active and passive continental margins. However, most depositional areas of offshore hydrate-bearing sediments are characterized by shallow burial and weak cementation. These Deposit are often accompanied by some complicated geological phenomena, including mud volcano, diapir, gas chimney and shallow gas. This can cause some problems, such as the unclear and incomplete existence state of gas hydrate, and the characteristics and accumulation mechanisms of different types of gas hydrates,. The dissociation process of gas hydrate presents a character of spatial heterogeneity, irregularity and directionality, which brings severe geological and environmental risks for gas hydrate development. The related problems about gas hydrate accumulation phenomena, potential evaluation and efficient development need to be further studied at different geological backgrounds ranging from micro- to macro- spatial-temporal scale to form a new understanding.
The purpose of this Research Topic is to show the progress on research in gas hydrate accumulation and exploration in continental margins, focusing on gas hydrate in the South China Sea. Papers related to gas hydrate in other active and passive continental margins are also welcome. It should primarily include the physical properties of gas hydrate occurrence, the characteristics of gas hydrate accumulation, the evaluation method of gas hydrate resource, exploration technology, exploitation plan, environmental geological assessment, and so on. Research papers and review papers are both appropriate.
Topics include but are not limited to these following:
1) Occurrence characteristics and detection technology of gas hydrate
2) Accumulation mechanism of offshore gas hydrate
3) Coexistence of gas hydrate and free gas
4) Analysis of gas hydrate and deep petroleum system
5) Numerical simulation technology and application of gas hydrate accumulation
6) Resource prediction and target evaluation of gas hydrate
7) Development plan and environmental effect of gas hydrate
