Molecular dynamics study of methane hydrate formation at a water/methane interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junfang; Hawtin, R W; Yang, Ye; Nakagava, Edson; Rivero, M; Choi, S K; Rodger, P M

2008-08-28

We present molecular dynamics simulation results of a liquid water/methane interface, with and without an oligomer of poly(methylaminoethylmethacrylate), PMAEMA. PMAEMA is an active component of a commercial low dosage hydrate inhibitor (LDHI). Simulations were performed in the constant NPT ensemble at temperatures of 220, 235, 240, 245, and 250 K and a pressure of 300 bar. The simulations show the onset of methane hydrate growth within 30 ns for temperatures below 245 K in the methane/water systems; at 240 K there is an induction period of ca. 20 ns, but at lower temperatures growth commences immediately. The simulations were analyzed to calculate hydrate content, the propensity for hydrogen bond formation, and how these were affected by both temperature and the presence of the LDHI. As expected, both the hydrogen bond number and hydrate content decreased with increasing temperature, though little difference was observed between the lowest two temperatures considered. In the presence of PMAEMA, the temperature below which sustained hydrate growth occurred was observed to decrease. Some of the implications for the role of PMAEMA in LDHIs are discussed.

Methane Flux and Authigenic Carbonate in Shallow Sediments Overlying Methane Hydrate Bearing Strata in Alaminos Canyon, Gulf of Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph P. Smith

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In June 2007 sediment cores were collected in Alaminos Canyon, Gulf of Mexico across a series of seismic data profiles indicating rapid transitions between the presence of methane hydrates and vertical gas flux. Vertical profiles of dissolved sulfate, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC concentrations in porewaters, headspace methane, and solid phase carbonate concentrations were measured at each core location to investigate the cycling of methane-derived carbon in shallow sediments overlying the hydrate bearing strata. When integrated with stable carbon isotope ratios of DIC, geochemical results suggest a significant fraction of the methane flux at this site is cycled into the inorganic carbon pool. The incorporation of methane-derived carbon into dissolved and solid inorganic carbon phases represents a significant sink in local carbon cycling and plays a role in regulating the flux of methane to the overlying water column at Alaminos Canyon. Targeted, high-resolution geochemical characterization of the biogeochemical cycling of methane-derived carbon in shallow sediments overlying hydrate bearing strata like those in Alaminos Canyon is critical to quantifying methane flux and estimating methane hydrate distributions in gas hydrate bearing marine sediments.

Study on molecular controlled mining system of methane hydrate; Methane hydrate no bunshi seigyo mining ni kansuru kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuriyagawa, M; Saito, T; Kobayashi, H; Karasawa, H; Kiyono, F; Nagaoki, R; Yamamoto, Y; Komai, T; Haneda, H; Takahashi, Y [National Institute for Resources and Environment, Tsukuba (Japan); Nada, H [Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-02-01

Basic studies are conducted for the collection of methane from the methane hydrate that exists at levels deeper than 500m in the sea. The relationship between the hydrate generation mechanism and water cluster structure is examined by use of mass spectronomy. It is found that, among the stable liquid phase clusters, the (H2O)21H{sup +} cluster is the most stable. Stable hydrate clusters are in presence in quantities, and participate in the formation of hydrate crystal nuclei. For the elucidation of the nucleus formation mechanism, a kinetic simulation is conducted of molecules in the cohesion system consisting of water and methane molecules. Water molecules that array near methane molecules at the normal pressure is disarrayed under a higher pressure for rearray into a hydrate structure. Hydrate formation and breakdown in the three-phase equilibrium state of H2O, CH4, and CO2 at a low temperature and high pressure are tested, which discloses that supercooling is required for formation, that it is possible to extract CH4 first for replacement by guest molecule CO2 since CO2 is stabler than CH4 at a lower pressure or higher temperature, and that formation is easier to take place when the grain diameter is larger at the formation point since larger grain diameters result in a higher formation temperature. 3 figs.

Analysis of Decomposition for Structure I Methane Hydrate by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Na; Sun, Wan-Tong; Meng, Ying-Feng; Liu, An-Qi; Zhou, Shou-Wei; Guo, Ping; Fu, Qiang; Lv, Xin

2018-05-01

Under multi-nodes of temperatures and pressures, microscopic decomposition mechanisms of structure I methane hydrate in contact with bulk water molecules have been studied through LAMMPS software by molecular dynamics simulation. Simulation system consists of 482 methane molecules in hydrate and 3027 randomly distributed bulk water molecules. Through analyses of simulation results, decomposition number of hydrate cages, density of methane molecules, radial distribution function for oxygen atoms, mean square displacement and coefficient of diffusion of methane molecules have been studied. A significant result shows that structure I methane hydrate decomposes from hydrate-bulk water interface to hydrate interior. As temperature rises and pressure drops, the stabilization of hydrate will weaken, decomposition extent will go deep, and mean square displacement and coefficient of diffusion of methane molecules will increase. The studies can provide important meanings for the microscopic decomposition mechanisms analyses of methane hydrate.

Methane Hydrate in Confined Spaces: An Alternative Storage System.

Science.gov (United States)

Borchardt, Lars; Casco, Mirian Elizabeth; Silvestre-Albero, Joaquin

2018-03-14

Methane hydrate inheres the great potential to be a nature-inspired alternative for chemical energy storage, as it allows to store large amounts of methane in a dense solid phase. The embedment of methane hydrate in the confined environment of porous materials can be capitalized for potential applications as its physicochemical properties, such as the formation kinetics or pressure and temperature stability, are significantly changed compared to the bulk system. We review this topic from a materials scientific perspective by considering porous carbons, silica, clays, zeolites, and polymers as host structures for methane hydrate formation. We discuss the contribution of advanced characterization techniques and theoretical simulations towards the elucidation of the methane hydrate formation and dissociation process within the confined space. We outline the scientific challenges this system is currently facing and look on possible future applications for this technology. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Review of the Methane Hydrate Program in Japan

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Ai Oyama

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, methane hydrate R&D in Japan was examined in the context of Japan’s evolving energy policies. Methane hydrates have been studied extensively in Japanese national R&D programs since 1993, with the goal of utilizing them as an energy resource. Currently, the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (MH 21 is in the third phase of a project that began in early 2002. Based on publicly available reports and other publications, and presentations made at the ten International Workshops for Methane Hydrate Research and Development, we have attempted to provide a timeline and a succinct summary of the major technical accomplishments of MH 21 during project Phases 1, 2, and 3.

Gas hydrates: entrance to a methane age or climate threat?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krey, Volker; Nakicenovic, Nebojsa; Grubler, Arnulf; O'Neill, Brian; Riahi, Keywan; Canadell, Josep G; Abe, Yuichi; Andruleit, Harald; Archer, David; Hamilton, Neil T M; Johnson, Arthur; Kostov, Veselin; Lamarque, Jean-Francois; Langhorne, Nicholas; Nisbet, Euan G; Riedel, Michael; Wang Weihua; Yakushev, Vladimir

2009-01-01

Methane hydrates, ice-like compounds in which methane is held in crystalline cages formed by water molecules, are widespread in areas of permafrost such as the Arctic and in sediments on the continental margins. They are a potentially vast fossil fuel energy source but, at the same time, could be destabilized by changing pressure-temperature conditions due to climate change, potentially leading to strong positive carbon-climate feedbacks. To enhance our understanding of both the vulnerability of and the opportunity provided by methane hydrates, it is necessary (i) to conduct basic research that improves the highly uncertain estimates of hydrate occurrences and their response to changing environmental conditions, and (ii) to integrate the agendas of energy security and climate change which can provide an opportunity for methane hydrates-in particular if combined with carbon capture and storage-to be used as a 'bridge fuel' between carbon-intensive fossil energies and zero-emission energies. Taken one step further, exploitation of dissociating methane hydrates could even mitigate against escape of methane to the atmosphere. Despite these opportunities, so far, methane hydrates have been largely absent from energy and climate discussions, including global hydrocarbon assessments and the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Surface Assisted Formation of methane Hydrates on Ice and Na Montmorillonite Clay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordon, Margaret Ellen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Teich-McGoldrick, Stephanie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Cygan, Randall Timothy [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Meserole, Stephen P. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Rodriguez, Mark A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-07-01

Methane hydrates are extremely important naturally-occurring crystalline materials that impact climate change, energy resources, geological hazards, and other major environmental issues. Whereas significant experimental effort has been completed to understanding the bulk thermodynamics of methane hydrate assemblies, little is understood on heterogeneous nucleation and growth of methane hydrates in clay-rich environments. Controlled synthesis experiments were completed at 265-285 K and 6.89 MPa to examine the impact of montmorillonite surfaces in clay-ice mixtures to nucleate and form methane hydrate. The results suggest that the hydrophilic and methane adsorbing properties of Namontmorillonite reduce the nucleation period of methane hydrate formation in pure ice systems.

Characteristics of Methane Hydrate Formation in Artificial and Natural Media

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Qingbai Wu

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The formation of methane hydrate in two significantly different media was investigated, using silica gel as an artificial medium and loess as a natural medium. The methane hydrate formation was observed through the depletion of water in the matrix, measured via the matrix potential and the relationship between the matrix potential and the water content was determined using established equations. The velocity of methane hydrate nucleation slowed over the course of the reaction, as it relied on water transfer to the hydrate surfaces with lower Gibbs free energy after nucleation. Significant differences in the reactions in the two types of media arose from differences in the water retention capacity and lithology of media due to the internal surface area and pore size distributions. Compared with methane hydrate formation in silica gel, the reaction in loess was much slower and formed far less methane hydrate. The results of this study will advance the understanding of how the properties of the environment affect the formation of gas hydrates in nature.

Flue gas injection into gas hydrate reservoirs for methane recovery and carbon dioxide sequestration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jinhai; Okwananke, Anthony; Tohidi, Bahman; Chuvilin, Evgeny; Maerle, Kirill; Istomin, Vladimir; Bukhanov, Boris; Cheremisin, Alexey

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Flue gas was injected for both methane recovery and carbon dioxide sequestration. • Kinetics of methane recovery and carbon dioxide sequestration was investigated. • Methane-rich gas mixtures can be produced inside methane hydrate stability zones. • Up to 70 mol% of carbon dioxide in the flue gas was sequestered as hydrates. - Abstract: Flue gas injection into methane hydrate-bearing sediments was experimentally investigated to explore the potential both for methane recovery from gas hydrate reservoirs and for direct capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide from flue gas as carbon dioxide hydrate. A simulated flue gas from coal-fired power plants composed of 14.6 mol% carbon dioxide and 85.4 mol% nitrogen was injected into a silica sand pack containing different saturations of methane hydrate. The experiments were conducted at typical gas hydrate reservoir conditions from 273.3 to 284.2 K and from 4.2 to 13.8 MPa. Results of the experiments show that injection of the flue gas leads to significant dissociation of the methane hydrate by shifting the methane hydrate stability zone, resulting in around 50 mol% methane in the vapour phase at the experimental conditions. Further depressurisation of the system to pressures well above the methane hydrate dissociation pressure generated methane-rich gas mixtures with up to 80 mol% methane. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide hydrate and carbon dioxide-mixed hydrates were formed while the methane hydrate was dissociating. Up to 70% of the carbon dioxide in the flue gas was converted into hydrates and retained in the silica sand pack.

Methane Hydrates: Chapter 8

Science.gov (United States)

Boswell, Ray; Yamamoto, Koji; Lee, Sung-Rock; Collett, Timothy S.; Kumar, Pushpendra; Dallimore, Scott

2008-01-01

Gas hydrate is a solid, naturally occurring substance consisting predominantly of methane gas and water. Recent scientific drilling programs in Japan, Canada, the United States, Korea and India have demonstrated that gas hydrate occurs broadly and in a variety of forms in shallow sediments of the outer continental shelves and in Arctic regions. Field, laboratory and numerical modelling studies conducted to date indicate that gas can be extracted from gas hydrates with existing production technologies, particularly for those deposits in which the gas hydrate exists as pore-filling grains at high saturation in sand-rich reservoirs. A series of regional resource assessments indicate that substantial volumes of gas hydrate likely exist in sand-rich deposits. Recent field programs in Japan, Canada and in the United States have demonstrated the technical viability of methane extraction from gas-hydrate-bearing sand reservoirs and have investigated a range of potential production scenarios. At present, basic reservoir depressurisation shows the greatest promise and can be conducted using primarily standard industry equipment and procedures. Depressurisation is expected to be the foundation of future production systems; additional processes, such as thermal stimulation, mechanical stimulation and chemical injection, will likely also be integrated as dictated by local geological and other conditions. An innovative carbon dioxide and methane swapping technology is also being studied as a method to produce gas from select gas hydrate deposits. In addition, substantial additional volumes of gas hydrate have been found in dense arrays of grain-displacing veins and nodules in fine-grained, clay-dominated sediments; however, to date, no field tests, and very limited numerical modelling, have been conducted with regard to the production potential of such accumulations. Work remains to further refine: (1) the marine resource volumes within potential accumulations that can be

Seismic-Scale Rock Physics of Methane Hydrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amos Nur

2009-01-08

We quantify natural methane hydrate reservoirs by generating synthetic seismic traces and comparing them to real seismic data: if the synthetic matches the observed data, then the reservoir properties and conditions used in synthetic modeling might be the same as the actual, in-situ reservoir conditions. This approach is model-based: it uses rock physics equations that link the porosity and mineralogy of the host sediment, pressure, and hydrate saturation, and the resulting elastic-wave velocity and density. One result of such seismic forward modeling is a catalogue of seismic reflections of methane hydrate which can serve as a field guide to hydrate identification from real seismic data. We verify this approach using field data from known hydrate deposits.

Phase behavior of methane hydrate in silica sand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Shi-Cai; Liu, Chang-Ling; Ye, Yu-Guang; Liu, Yu-Feng

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Hydrate p-T trace in coarse-grained sediment is consistent with that in bulk water. • Fine-grained sediment affects hydrate equilibrium for the depressed water activity. • Hydrate equilibrium in sediment is related to the pore size distribution. • The application of hydrate equilibrium in sediment depends on the actual condition. -- Abstract: Two kinds of silica sand powder with different particle size were used to investigate the phase behavior of methane hydrate bearing sediment. In coarse-grained silica sand, the measured temperature and pressure range was (281.1 to 284.2) K and (5.9 to 7.8) MPa, respectively. In fine-grained silica sand, the measured temperature and pressure range was (281.5 to 289.5) K and (7.3 to 16.0) MPa, respectively. The results show that the effect of coarse-grained silica sand on methane hydrate phase equilibrium can be ignored; however, the effect of fine-grained silica sand on methane hydrate phase equilibrium is significant, which is attributed to the depression of water activity caused by the hydrophilicity and negatively charged characteristic of silica particle as well as the pore capillary pressure. Besides, the analysis of experimental results using the Gibbs–Thomson equation shows that methane hydrate phase equilibrium is related to the pore size distribution of silica sand. Consequently, for the correct application of phase equilibrium data of hydrate bearing sediment, the geological condition and engineering requirement should be taken into consideration in gas production, resource evaluation, etc

Hydrate phase equilibrium and structure for (methane + ethane + tetrahydrofuran + water) system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Changyu; Chen Guangjin; Zhang Lingwei

2010-01-01

The separation of methane and ethane through forming hydrate is a possible choice in natural gas, oil processing, or ethylene producing. The hydrate formation conditions of five groups of (methane + ethane) binary gas mixtures in the presence of 0.06 mole fraction tetrahydrofuran (THF) in water were obtained at temperatures ranging from (277.7 to 288.2) K. In most cases, the presence of THF in water can lower the hydrate formation pressure of (methane + ethane) remarkably. However, when the composition of ethane is as high as 0.832, it is more difficult to form hydrate than without THF system. Phase equilibrium model for hydrates containing THF was developed based on a two-step hydrate formation mechanism. The structure of hydrates formed from (methane + ethane + THF + water) system was also determined by Raman spectroscopy. When THF concentration in initial aqueous solution was only 0.06 mole fraction, the coexistence of structure I hydrate dominated by ethane and structure II hydrate dominated by THF in the hydrate sample was clearly demonstrated by Raman spectroscopic data. On the contrary, only structure II hydrate existed in the hydrate sample formed from (methane + ethane + THF + water) system when THF concentration in initial aqueous solution was increased to 0.10 mole fraction. It indicated that higher THF concentration inhibited the formation of structure I hydrate dominated by ethane and therefore lowered the trapping of ethane in hydrate. It implies a very promising method to increase the separation efficiency of methane and ethane.

Characteristics of Methane Hydrate Formation in Artificial and Natural Media

OpenAIRE

Peng Zhang; Qingbai Wu; Yuzhong Yang

2013-01-01

The formation of methane hydrate in two significantly different media was investigated, using silica gel as an artificial medium and loess as a natural medium. The methane hydrate formation was observed through the depletion of water in the matrix, measured via the matrix potential and the relationship between the matrix potential and the water content was determined using established equations. The velocity of methane hydrate nucleation slowed over the course of the reaction, as it relied on...

Ab initio modelling of methane hydrate thermophysical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Jendi, Z M; Servio, P; Rey, A D

2016-04-21

The key thermophysical properties of methane hydrate were determined using ab initio modelling. Using density functional theory, the second-order elastic constants, heat capacity, compressibility, and thermal expansion coefficient were calculated. A wide and relevant range of pressure-temperature conditions were considered, and the structures were assessed for stability using the mean square displacement and radial distribution functions. Methane hydrate was found to be elastically isotropic with a linear dependence of the bulk modulus on pressure. Equally significant, multi-body interactions were found to be important in hydrates, and water-water interactions appear to strongly influence compressibility like in ice Ih. While the heat capacity of hydrate was found to be higher than that of ice, the thermal expansion coefficient was significantly lower, most likely due to the lower rigidity of hydrates. The mean square displacement gave important insight into stability, heat capacity, and elastic moduli, and the radial distribution functions further confirmed stability. The presented results provide a much needed atomistic thermoelastic characterization of methane hydrates and are essential input for the large-scale applications of hydrate detection and production.

Enthalpy of dissociation and hydration number of methane hydrate from the Clapeyron equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, Graydon K.

2004-01-01

The enthalpies of the reactions in which methane hydrate is dissociated to methane vapor and either (1) water, or (2) ice are determined by a new analysis using the Clapeyron equation. The difference in enthalpies of the two reactions is used to infer the hydration number at the quadruple point where hydrate, ice, liquid water, and methane vapor coexist. By appropriate corrections, the hydration number at points removed from the quadruple point is also determined. The most important feature of the new analysis is the direct use of the Clapeyron equation. The method avoids the use of certain simplifying assumptions that have compromised the accuracy of previous analyses in which the Clausius-Clapeyron equation was used. The analysis takes into account the finite volumes of all phases, the non-ideality of the vapor phase, and the solubility of methane in water. The results show that the enthalpy of dissociation and hydration number are constant within experimental error over the entire (hydrate, liquid, vapor) coexistence region. The results are more accurate than but entirely consistent with almost all previous studies

Thermal conductivity measurements in porous mixtures of methane hydrate and quartz sand

Science.gov (United States)

Waite, W.F.; deMartin, B.J.; Kirby, S.H.; Pinkston, J.; Ruppel, C.D.

2002-01-01

Using von Herzen and Maxwell's needle probe method, we measured thermal conductivity in four porous mixtures of quartz sand and methane gas hydrate, with hydrate composing 0, 33, 67 and 100% of the solid volume. Thermal conductivities were measured at a constant methane pore pressure of 24.8 MPa between -20 and +15??C, and at a constant temperature of -10??C between 3.5 and 27.6 MPa methane pore pressure. Thermal conductivity decreased with increasing temperature and increased with increasing methane pore pressure. Both dependencies weakened with increasing hydrate content. Despite the high thermal conductivity of quartz relative to methane hydrate, the largest thermal conductivity was measured in the mixture containing 33% hydrate rather than in hydrate-free sand. This suggests gas hydrate enhanced grain-to-grain heat transfer, perhaps due to intergranular contact growth during hydrate synthesis. These results for gas-filled porous mixtures can help constrain thermal conductivity estimates in porous, gas hydrate-bearing systems.

Structural transformations of sVI tert-butylamine hydrates to sII binary hydrates with methane.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Pinnelli S R; Sugahara, Takeshi; Sloan, E Dendy; Sum, Amadeu K; Koh, Carolyn A

2009-10-22

Binary clathrate hydrates with methane (CH(4), 4.36 A) and tert-butylamine (t-BuNH(2), 6.72 A) as guest molecules were synthesized at different molar concentrations of t-BuNH(2) (1.00-9.31 mol %) with methane at 7.0 MPa and 250 K, and were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Raman microscopy. A structural transformation from sVI to sII of t-BuNH(2) hydrate was clearly observed on pressurizing with methane. The PXRD showed sII signatures and the remnant sVI signatures were insignificant, implying the metastable nature of sVI binary hydrates. Raman spectroscopic data on these binary hydrates suggest that the methane molecules occupy the small cages and vacant large cages. The methane storage capacity in this system was nearly doubled to approximately 6.86 wt % for 5.56 mol % > t-BuNH(2) > 1.0 mol %.

High-pressure raman study on single crystalline methane hydrate surrounded by methane in a diamond anvil cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Y; Sasaki, S; Kume, T; Shimizu, H

2008-01-01

High-pressure Raman measurements have been performed for single crystalline methane hydrate (MH) surrounded by fluid or solid methane in a diamond anvil cell. We successfully obtained the pure O-H stretching and lattice vibration spectra in MH-sI and MH-II phases. In these Raman spectra, there is no Raman band from water or ice-VI. The observed pressure of phase transformation from MH-sI to MH-II is 0.9 GPa, which is the same result as methane hydrate surrounded by water

Dynamics of Permafrost Associated Methane Hydrate in Response to Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

You, K.; Flemings, P. B.

2014-12-01

The formation and melting of methane hydrate and ice are intertwined in permafrost regions. A shortage of methane supply leads to formation of hydrate only at depth, below the base of permafrost. We consider a system with the ground surface initially at 0 oC with neither ice nor hydrate present. We abruptly decrease the temperature from 0 to -10 oC to simulate the effect of marine regression/ global cooling. A low methane supply rate of 0.005 kg m-2 yr-1 from depth leads to distinct ice and hydrate layers: a 100 m continuous hydrate layer is present beneath 850 m at 80 k.y.. However, a high methane supply rate of 0.1 kg m-2 yr-1 leads to 50 m ice-bonded methane hydrate at the base of permafrost, and the hydrate layer distributes between the depth of 350 and 700 m at 80 k.y.. We apply our model to illuminate future melting of hydrate at Mallik, a known Arctic hydrate accumulation. We assume a 600 m thick ice saturated (average 90%) layer extending downward from the ground surface. We increase the surface temperature linearly from -6 to 0 oC for 300 yr and then keep the surface temperature at 0 oC to reflect future climate warming caused by doubling of CO2. Hydrate melting is initiated at the base of the hydrate layer after 15 k.y.. Methane gas starts to vent to the atmosphere at 38 k.y. with an average flux of ~ 0.35 g m-2 yr-1. If the 600 m thick average ice saturation is decreased to half (45%) (or to zero), methane gas starts to vent to the atmosphere at 29 k.y. (or at 20 k.y.) with the same average flux. These results are found by a newly-developed fully-coupled multiphase multicomponent fluid flow and heat transport model. Our thermodynamic equilibrium-based model emphasizes the role of salinity in both ice and hydrate dynamics.

Methane Production and Carbon Capture by Hydrate Swapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mu, Liang; von Solms, Nicolas

2017-01-01

There are essentially two different approaches to producing methane from natural gas hydrate reservoirs, either bring the hydrate out of its thermodynamic stability region or expose the hydrate to a substance that will form a more stable hydrate structure, forcing an in situ swapping of the trapped...... experimental runs were performed to examine the influence of operating conditions on methane production by CO2/(CO2 + N2) injection in the temperature range of 274.15–277.15 K and 7.039–10.107 MPa pressure. Our results show that the use of the (CO2 + N2) binary gas mixture is advantageous compared to the use...

Methane sources in gas hydrate-bearing cold seeps: Evidence from radiocarbon and stable isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Pohlman, J.W.; Bauer, J.E.; Canuel, E.A.; Grabowski, K.S.; Knies, D.L.; Mitchell, C.S.; Whiticar, Michael J.; Coffin, R.B.

2009-01-01

Fossil methane from the large and dynamic marine gas hydrate reservoir has the potential to influence oceanic and atmospheric carbon pools. However, natural radiocarbon (14C) measurements of gas hydrate methane have been extremely limited, and their use as a source and process indicator has not yet been systematically established. In this study, gas hydrate-bound and dissolved methane recovered from six geologically and geographically distinct high-gas-flux cold seeps was found to be 98 to 100% fossil based on its 14C content. Given this prevalence of fossil methane and the small contribution of gas hydrate (??? 1%) to the present-day atmospheric methane flux, non-fossil contributions of gas hydrate methane to the atmosphere are not likely to be quantitatively significant. This conclusion is consistent with contemporary atmospheric methane budget calculations. In combination with ??13C- and ??D-methane measurements, we also determine the extent to which the low, but detectable, amounts of 14C (~ 1-2% modern carbon, pMC) in methane from two cold seeps might reflect in situ production from near-seafloor sediment organic carbon (SOC). A 14C mass balance approach using fossil methane and 14C-enriched SOC suggests that as much as 8 to 29% of hydrate-associated methane carbon may originate from SOC contained within the upper 6??m of sediment. These findings validate the assumption of a predominantly fossil carbon source for marine gas hydrate, but also indicate that structural gas hydrate from at least certain cold seeps contains a component of methane produced during decomposition of non-fossil organic matter in near-surface sediment.

Geochemical evidences of methane hydrate dissociation in Alaskan Beaufort Margin during Holocene

Science.gov (United States)

Uchida, M.; Rella, S.; Kubota, Y.; Kumata, H.; Mantoku, K.; Nishino, S.; Itoh, M.

2017-12-01

Alaskan Beaufort margin bear large abundances of sub-sea and permafrost methane hydrate[Ruppel, 2016]. During the Last Glacial, previous reported direct and indirect evidences accumulated from geochemical data from marginal sea sediment suggests that methane episodically released from hydrate trapped in the seafloor sediments[Kennett et al., 2000; Uchida et al., 2006, 2008; Cook et al, 2011]. Here we analyzed stable isotopes of foraminifera and molecular marker derived from the activity of methanotrophic bacteria from piston cores collected by the 2010 R/V Mirai cruise in Alaskan Beaufort Margin. Our data showed highly depleted 13C compositions of benthic foraminifera, suggesting indirect records of enhanced incorporation of 13C-depleted CO2 formed by methanotrophic process that use 12C-enriched methane as their main source of carbon. This is the first evidence of methane hydrate dissociation in Alaskan margin. Here we discussed timing of signals of methane dissociation with variability of sea ice and intermediate Atlantic water temperature. The dissociation of methane hydrate in the Alaskan Margin may be modulated by Atlantic warm intermediate water warming. Our results suggest that Arctic marginal regions bearing large amount methane hydrate may be a profound effect on future warming climate changes.

Methane accumulation and forming high saturations of methane hydrate in sandy sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uchida, T.; Waseda, A. [JAPEX Research Center, Chiba (Japan); Fujii, T. [Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp., Chiba (Japan). Upstream Technology Unit

2008-07-01

Methane supplies for marine gas hydrates are commonly attributed to the microbial conversion of organic materials. This study hypothesized that methane supplies were related to pore water flow behaviours and microscopic migration in intergranular pore systems. Sedimentology and geochemistry analyses were performed on sandy core samples taken from the Nankai trough and the Mallik gas hydrate test site in the Mackenzie Delta. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of geologic and sedimentolic controls on the formation and preservation of natural gas hydrates. Grain size distribution curves indicated that gas hydrate saturations of up to 80 per cent in pore volume occurred throughout the hydrate-dominant sand layers in the Nankai trough and Mallik areas. Water permeability measurements showed that the highly gas hydrate-saturated sands have a permeability of a few millidarcies. Pore-space gas hydrates occurred primarily in fine and medium-grained sands. Core temperature depression, core observations, and laboratory analyses of the hydrates confirmed the pore-spaces as intergranular pore fillings. Results of the study suggested that concentrations of gas hydrates may require a pore space large enough to occur within a host sediments, and that the distribution of porous and coarser-grained sandy sediments is an important factor in controlling the occurrence of gas hydrates. 11 refs., 4 figs.

Methane hydrates. A possible energy source in the twenty-first century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorassi, S.

1998-01-01

The morphological characteristics of particular crystal structures, to be found in nature both in arctic and Antarctic regions and under seas and oceans, and consisting of water and gas molecules, the so-called 'gas hydrates', are dealt with. Technical problems related to gas recovery (methane in particular) from hydrates, above all under sea level, mainly due to their reduced stability, are examined. On the ground of these considerations, various gas recovery methods from hydrate fields are described. An overall evaluation of methane availability as hydrates all over the world, as well as a comparison between extraction costs from hydrate and well as a comparison between extraction costs from hydrate and conventional fields, are made. Finally, short-term programmes on research and development of methane hydrate fields in some areas of the Earth are described [it

Determining the flux of methane into Hudson Canyon at the edge of methane clathrate hydrate stability

Science.gov (United States)

Weinsten, A.; Navarrete, L; Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Weber, T.C.; Leonte, M.; Kellermann, M.; Arrington, E.; Valentine, D.L.; Scranton, M.L; Kessler, John D.

2016-01-01

Methane seeps were investigated in Hudson Canyon, the largest shelf-break canyon on the northern US Atlantic Margin. The seeps investigated are located at or updip of the nominal limit of methane clathrate hydrate stability. The acoustic identification of bubble streams was used to guide water column sampling in a 32 km2 region within the canyon's thalweg. By incorporating measurements of dissolved methane concentration with methane oxidation rates and current velocity into a steady-state box model, the total emission of methane to the water column in this region was estimated to be 12 kmol methane per day (range: 6 – 24 kmol methane per day). These analyses suggest this methane is largely retained inside the canyon walls below 300 m water depth, and that it is aerobically oxidized to near completion within the larger extent of Hudson Canyon. Based on estimated methane emissions and measured oxidation rates, the oxidation of this methane to dissolved CO2 is expected to have minimal influences on seawater pH. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Decomposition of methane hydrate for hydrogen production using microwave and radio frequency in-liquid plasma methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahim, Ismail; Nomura, Shinfuku; Mukasa, Shinobu; Toyota, Hiromichi

2015-01-01

This research involves two in-liquid plasma methods of methane hydrate decomposition, one using radio frequency wave (RF) irradiation and the other microwave radiation (MW). The ultimate goal of this research is to develop a practical process for decomposition of methane hydrate directly at the subsea site for fuel gas production. The mechanism for methane hydrate decomposition begins with the dissociation process of methane hydrate formed by CH_4 and water. The process continues with the simultaneously occurring steam methane reforming process and methane cracking reaction, during which the methane hydrate is decomposed releasing CH_4 into H_2, CO and other by-products. It was found that methane hydrate can be decomposed with a faster rate of CH_4 release using microwave irradiation over that using radio frequency irradiation. However, the radio frequency plasma method produces hydrogen with a purity of 63.1% and a CH conversion ratio of 99.1%, which is higher than using microwave plasma method which produces hydrogen with a purity of 42.1% and CH_4 conversion ratio of 85.5%. - Highlights: • The decomposition of methane hydrate is proposed using plasma in-liquid method. • Synthetic methane hydrate is used as the sample for decomposition in plasma. • Hydrogen can be produced from decomposition of methane hydrate. • Hydrogen purity is higher when using radio frequency stimulation.

Methane hydrates and the future of natural gas

Science.gov (United States)

Ruppel, Carolyn

2011-01-01

For decades, gas hydrates have been discussed as a potential resource, particularly for countries with limited access to conventional hydrocarbons or a strategic interest in establishing alternative, unconventional gas reserves. Methane has never been produced from gas hydrates at a commercial scale and, barring major changes in the economics of natural gas supply and demand, commercial production at a large scale is considered unlikely to commence within the next 15 years. Given the overall uncertainty still associated with gas hydrates as a potential resource, they have not been included in the EPPA model in MITEI’s Future of Natural Gas report. Still, gas hydrates remain a potentially large methane resource and must necessarily be included in any consideration of the natural gas supply beyond two decades from now.

Methane hydrate synthesis from ice: Influence of pressurization and ethanol on optimizing formation rates and hydrate yield

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Po-Chun.; Huang, Wuu-Liang; Stern, Laura A.

2010-01-01

Polycrystalline methane gas hydrate (MGH) was synthesized using an ice-seeding method to investigate the influence of pressurization and ethanol on the hydrate formation rate and gas yield of the resulting samples. When the reactor is pressurized with CH4 gas without external heating, methane hydrate can be formed from ice grains with yields up to 25% under otherwise static conditions. The rapid temperature rise caused by pressurization partially melts the granular ice, which reacts with methane to form hydrate rinds around the ice grains. The heat generated by the exothermic reaction of methane hydrate formation buffers the sample temperature near the melting point of ice for enough time to allow for continuous hydrate growth at high rates. Surprisingly, faster rates and higher yields of methane hydrate were found in runs with lower initial temperatures, slower rates of pressurization, higher porosity of the granular ice samples, or mixtures with sediments. The addition of ethanol also dramatically enhanced the formation of polycrystalline MGH. This study demonstrates that polycrystalline MGH with varied physical properties suitable for different laboratory tests can be manufactured by controlling synthesis procedures or parameters. Subsequent dissociation experiments using a gas collection apparatus and flowmeter confirmed high methane saturation (CH 4·2O, with n = 5.82 ± 0.03) in the MGH. Dissociation rates of the various samples synthesized at diverse conditions may be fitted to different rate laws, including zero and first order.

GAS METHANE HYDRATES-RESEARCH STATUS, ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND ENERGY IMPLICATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

James Sorensen; Jaroslav Solc; Bethany Bolles

2000-07-01

The objective of this task as originally conceived was to compile an assessment of methane hydrate deposits in Alaska from available sources and to make a very preliminary evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of producing methane from these deposits for remote power generation. Gas hydrates have recently become a target of increased scientific investigation both from the standpoint of their resource potential to the natural gas and oil industries and of their positive and negative implications for the global environment After we performed an extensive literature review and consulted with representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Canadian Geological Survey, and several oil companies, it became evident that, at the current stage of gas hydrate research, the available information on methane hydrates in Alaska does not provide sufficient grounds for reaching conclusions concerning their use for energy production. Hence, the original goals of this task could not be met, and the focus was changed to the compilation and review of published documents to serve as a baseline for possible future research at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). An extensive annotated bibliography of gas hydrate publications has been completed. The EERC will reassess its future research opportunities on methane hydrates to determine where significant initial contributions could be made within the scope of limited available resources.

Global Inventory of Methane Hydrate: How Large is the Threat? (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Buffett, B. A.; Frederick, J. M.

2010-12-01

Methane hydrate is a dark horse in the science of climate change. The volume of methane sequestered in marine sediments is large enough to pose a potential threat, yet the expected contribution to future warming is not known. Part of the uncertainty lies in the poorly understood details of methane release from hydrate. Slow, diffusive loss of methane probably results in oxidation by sulfate and precipitation to CaCO3 in the sediments, with little effect on climate. Conversely, a direct release of methane into the atmosphere is liable to have strong and immediate consequences. Progress in narrowing the possibilities requires a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for methane release. Improvements are also needed in our estimates of the hydrate inventory, as this sets a limit on the possible response. Several recent estimates of the hydrate inventory have been constructed using mechanistic models. Many of the model parameters (e.g. sedimentation rate and sea floor temperature) can be estimated globally, while others (e.g. vertical fluid flow) are not well known. Available observations can be used to estimate the poorly known parameters, but it is reasonable to question whether the results from a limited number of sites are representative of other locations. Fluid flow is a case in point because most hydrate locations are associated with upward flow. On the other hand, simple models of sediment compaction predict downward flow relative to the sea floor, which acts to impede hydrate formation. A variety of mechanisms can produce upward flow, including time-dependent sedimentation, seafloor topography, subsurface fractures, dehydration of clay minerals and gradual burial of methane hydrate below the stability zone. Each of these mechanisms makes specific predictions for the magnitude of flow and the proportion of sea floor that is likely to be affected. We assess the role of fluid flow on the present-day inventory and show that the current estimates for

Heterogeneous Nucleation of Methane Hydrate in a Water-Decane-Methane Emulsion

Science.gov (United States)

Shestakov, V. A.; Kosyakov, V. I.; Manakov, A. Yu.; Stoporev, A. S.; Grachev, E. V.

2018-07-01

Heterogeneous nucleation in disperse systems with metastable disperse phases plays an important role in the mechanisms of environmental and technological processes. The effect the concentration and activity of particles that initiate the formation of a new phase have on nucleation processes in such systems is considered. An approach is proposed that allows construction of a spectrum of particle activity characterizing the features of nucleation in a sample, based on the fraction of crystallized droplets depending on the level of supercooling and the use of Weibull's distribution. The proposed method is used to describe experimental data on the heterogeneous nucleation of methane hydrate in an emulsion in a water-decane-methane system.

Frozen heat: Global outlook on methane gas hydrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beaudoin, Yannick; Solgaard, Anne

2010-09-15

The United Nations Environment Programme via its collaborating center in Norway, UNEP/GRID-Arendal, is undertaking an assessment of the state of the knowledge of methane gas hydrates. The Global Outlook on Methane Gas Hydrates seeks to bridge the gap between the science, research and development activities related to this potential large scale unconventional source of natural gas and the needs of decision makers and the general public to understand the underlying societal and environmental drivers and impacts. The Outlook aims to provide credible and unbiased information sourced from stakeholders representing the environment, government, industry and society.

Simulation and Characterization of Methane Hydrate Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Dhakal, S.; Gupta, I.

2017-12-01

The ever rising global energy demand dictates human endeavor to explore and exploit new and innovative energy sources. As conventional oil and gas reserves deplete, we are constantly looking for newer sources for sustainable energy. Gas hydrates have long been discussed as the next big energy resource to the earth. Its global occurrence and vast quantity of natural gas stored is one of the main reasons for such interest in its study and exploration. Gas hydrates are solid crystalline substances with trapped molecules of gas inside cage-like crystals of water molecules. Gases such as methane, ethane, propane and carbon dioxide can form hydrates but in natural state, methane hydrates are the most common. Subsurface geological conditions with high pressure and low temperature favor the formation and stability of gas hydrates. While the occurrence and potential of gas hydrates as energy source has long been studied, there are still gaps in knowledge, especially in the quantitative research of gas hydrate formation and reservoir characterization. This study is focused on exploring and understanding the geological setting in which gas hydrates are formed and the subsequent changes in rock characteristics as they are deposited. It involves the numerical simulation of methane gas flow through fault to form hydrates. The models are representative of the subsurface geologic setting of Gulf of Mexico with a fault through layers of shale and sandstone. Hydrate formation simulated is of thermogenic origin. The simulations are conducted using TOUGH+HYDRATE, a numerical code developed at the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory for modeling multiphase flow through porous medium. Simulation results predict that as the gas hydrates form in the pores of the model, the porosity, permeability and other rock properties are altered. Preliminary simulation results have shown that hydrates begin to form in the fault zone and gradually in the sandstone layers. The increase in hydrate

Methane Hydrate Formation and Dissociation in the Presence of Silica Sand and Bentonite Clay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumar Saw V.

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The formation and dissociation of methane hydrates in a porous media containing silica sand of different sizes and bentonite clay were studied in the presence of synthetic seawater with 3.55 wt% salinity. The phase equilibrium of methane hydrate under different experimental conditions was investigated. The effects of the particle size of silica sand as well as a mixture of bentonite clay and silica sand on methane hydrate formation and its dissociation were studied. The kinetics of hydrate formation was studied under different subcooling conditions to observe its effects on the induction time of hydrate formation. The amount of methane gas encapsulated in hydrate was computed using a real gas equation. The Clausius-Clapeyron equation is used to estimate the enthalpy of hydrate dissociation with measured phase equilibrium data.

Effect of Gemini-type surfactant on methane hydrate formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, K.E.; Park, J.M.; Kim, C.U.; Chae, H.J.; Jeong, S.Y. [Korea Research Inst. of Chemical Technology, Jang-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2008-07-01

Natural gas hydrates are formed from water and natural gas molecules at particular temperatures and pressures that become ice-like inclusion compounds. Gas hydrates offer several benefits such as energy resource potential and high storage capacity of natural gas in the form of hydrates. However, the application of natural gas hydrates has been deterred by its low formation rate and low conversion ratio of water into hydrate resulting in low actual storage capacity. This paper presented an experimental study to determine the effect of adding a novel Gemini-type surfactant on methane hydrate formation. The experimental study was described with reference to the properties of prepared diols and properties of prepared disulfonates. Gemini surfactant is the family of surfactant molecules possessing more than one hydrophobic tail and hydrophilic head group. They generally have better surface-active properties than conventional surfactants of equal chain length. The paper presented the results of the study in terms of the reactions of diols with propane sultone; storage capacity of hydrate formed with and without surfactant; and methane hydrate formation with and without disulfonate. It was concluded that the methane hydrate formation was accelerated by the addition of novel anionic Gemini-type surfactants and that hydrate formation was influenced by the surfactant concentration and alkyl chain length. For a given concentration, the surfactant with the highest chain length demonstrated the highest formation rate and storage capacity. 5 refs., 3 tabs., 4 figs.

Methane hydrates in marine sediments - Untapped source of energy

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Jauhari, P.

(Egorov et al 1999). Many known gas seep areas and mud volcanoes are characterised by the formation of authigenic carbonates. In the Gulf of Mexico, which is the best studied area, the association of bacterial mats, gas hydrates and authigenic carbonates... of methane hydrates offshore southern Mexico. In : Watkins, J.S., Moore J.R. et al. (Eds). Initial Reports deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 66. Washington, D.C., US Government Printing Office, pp. 547-556. Singh, A., & Singh, B.D. 1999. Methane Gas...

Investigation of the Methane Hydrate Formation by Cavitation Jet

Science.gov (United States)

Morita, H.; Nagao, J.

2015-12-01

Methane hydrate (hereafter called "MH") is crystalline solid compound consisting of hydrogen-bonded water molecules forming cages and methane gas molecules enclosed in the cage. When using MH as an energy resource, MH is dissociated to methane gas and water and collect only the methane gas. The optimum MH production method was the "depressurization method". Here, the production of MH means dissociating MH in the geologic layers and collecting the resultant methane gas by production systems. In the production of MH by depressurization method, MH regeneration was consider to important problem for the flow assurance of MH production system. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the effect of flow phenomena in the pipeline on hydrate regeneration. Cavitation is one of the flow phenomena which was considered a cause of MH regeneration. Large quantity of microbubbles are produced by cavitation in a moment, therefore, it is considered to promote MH formation. In order to verify the possible of MH regeneration by cavitation, it is necessary to detailed understanding the condition of MH formation by cavitation. As a part of a Japanese National hydrate research program (MH21, funded by METI), we performed a study on MH formation using by cavitation. The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate the formation MH by using cavitation in the various temperature and pressure condition, and to clarify the condition of MH formation by using observation results.

Modeling of Oceanic Gas Hydrate Instability and Methane Release in Response to Climate Change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reagan, Matthew; Reagan, Matthew T.; Moridis, George J.

2008-04-15

Paleooceanographic evidence has been used to postulate that methane from oceanic hydrates may have had a significant role in regulating global climate, implicating global oceanic deposits of methane gas hydrate as the main culprit in instances of rapid climate change that have occurred in the past. However, the behavior of contemporary oceanic methane hydrate deposits subjected to rapid temperature changes, like those predicted under future climate change scenarios, is poorly understood. To determine the fate of the carbon stored in these hydrates, we performed simulations of oceanic gas hydrate accumulations subjected to temperature changes at the seafloor and assessed the potential for methane release into the ocean. Our modeling analysis considered the properties of benthic sediments, the saturation and distribution of the hydrates, the ocean depth, the initial seafloor temperature, and for the first time, estimated the effect of benthic biogeochemical activity. The results show that shallow deposits--such as those found in arctic regions or in the Gulf of Mexico--can undergo rapid dissociation and produce significant methane fluxes of 2 to 13 mol/yr/m{sup 2} over a period of decades, and release up to 1,100 mol of methane per m{sup 2} of seafloor in a century. These fluxes may exceed the ability of the seafloor environment (via anaerobic oxidation of methane) to consume the released methane or sequester the carbon. These results will provide a source term to regional or global climate models in order to assess the coupling of gas hydrate deposits to changes in the global climate.

Observation of ice sheet formation on methane and ethane gas hydrates using a scanning confocal microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagao, J.; Shimomura, N.; Ebinuma, T.; Narita, H. [National Inst. of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Toyohira, Sapporo (Japan). Methane Hydrate Research Lab.

2008-07-01

Interest in gas hydrates has increased in recent years due to the discovery of large deposits under the ocean floor and in permafrost regions. Natural gas hydrates, including methane, is expected to become a new energy source and a medium for energy storage and transportation. Gas hydrates consist of an open network of water molecules that are hydrogen-bonded in a similar manner to ice. Gas molecules are interstitially engaged under high pressures and low temperatures. Although the dissociation temperature of methane hydrate under atmospheric pressure is about 193 K, studies have shown that methane hydrate can be stored at atmospheric pressure and 267 K for 2 years. Because of this phenomenon, known as self-preservation, transportation and storage of methane hydrate can occur at temperature conditions milder than those for liquefied methane gas at atmospheric pressure. This study examined the surface changes of methane and ethane hydrates during dissociation using an optical microscope and confocal scanning microscope (CSM). This paper reported on the results when the atmospheric gas pressure was decreased. Ice sheets formed on the surfaces of methane and ethane gas hydrates due to depressurizing dissociation of methane and ethane hydrates when the methane and ethane gas pressures were decreased at designated temperatures. The dissociation of methane gas hydrate below below 237 K resulted in the generation of small ice particles on the hydrate surface. A transparent ice sheet formed on the hydrate surface above 242 K. The thickness of the ice sheet on the methane hydrate surface showed the maximum of ca. 30 {mu}m at 253 K. In the case of ethane hydrates, ice particles and ice sheets formed below 262 and 267 respectively. Since the ice particles and ice sheets were formed by water molecules generated during the gas hydrate dissociation, the mechanism of ice sheet formation depends on the dissociation rate of hydrate, ice particle sintering rate, and water molecule

Methane rising from the Deep: Hydrates, Bubbles, Oil Spills, and Global Warming

Science.gov (United States)

Leifer, I.; Rehder, G. J.; Solomon, E. A.; Kastner, M.; Asper, V. L.; Joye, S. B.

2011-12-01

Elevated methane concentrations in near-surface waters and the atmosphere have been reported for seepage from depths of nearly 1 km at the Gulf of Mexico hydrate observatory (MC118), suggesting that for some methane sources, deepsea methane is not trapped and can contribute to atmospheric greenhouse gas budgets. Ebullition is key with important sensitivity to the formation of hydrate skins and oil coatings, high-pressure solubility, bubble size and bubble plume processes. Bubble ROV tracking studies showed survival to near thermocline depths. Studies with a numerical bubble propagation model demonstrated that consideration of structure I hydrate skins transported most methane only to mid-water column depths. Instead, consideration of structure II hydrates, which are stable to far shallower depths and appropriate for natural gas mixtures, allows bubbles to survive to far shallower depths. Moreover, model predictions of vertical methane and alkane profiles and bubble size evolution were in better agreement with observations after consideration of structure II hydrate properties as well as an improved implementation of plume properties, such as currents. These results demonstrate the importance of correctly incorporating bubble hydrate processes in efforts to predict the impact of deepsea seepage as well as to understand the fate of bubble-transported oil and methane from deepsea pipeline leaks and well blowouts. Application to the DWH spill demonstrated the importance of deepsea processes to the fate of spilled subsurface oil. Because several of these parameters vary temporally (bubble flux, currents, temperature), sensitivity studies indicate the importance of real-time monitoring data.

Dissociation behavior of methane gas hydrate in porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiang, C.; Yu-gang, Y.; Chang-ling, L. [Ministry of Land and Resources, Quindao (China). Qingdao Inst. of Marine Geology; Qing-guo, M. [Qingdao Univ. College of Chemical Engineering and Environment, Shandong, Qingdao (China)

2008-07-01

Gas hydrates are ice-like compounds that form by natural gas and water and are considered to be a new energy resource. In order to make good use of this resource, it is important to know the hydrate dissociation process. This paper discussed an investigation of methane hydrate dissociation through a simulation experiment. The paper discussed the gas hydrates dissociation experiment including the apparatus and experiment equipment, including methane gas supply; reaction cell; temperature controller; pressure maintainer; and gas flow meter. The paper also presented the method and material including iso-volumetric dissociation and normal pressure dissociation. Last, results and discussion of the results were presented. A comparison of five different particle sizes did not reveal any obvious effects that were related to the porous media, mostly likely because the particle size was too large. 15 refs., 2 tabs., 4 figs.

Preservation of methane hydrate at 1 atm

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, L.A.; Circone, S.; Kirby, S.H.; Durham, W.B.

2001-01-01

A "pressure-release" method that enables reproducible bulk preservation of pure, porous, methane hydrate at conditions 50 to 75 K above its equilibrium T (193 K) at 1 atm is refined. The amount of hydrate preserved by this method appears to be greatly in excess of that reported in the previous citations, and is likely the result of a mechanism different from ice shielding.

Pentagonal dodecahedron methane hydrate cage and methanol ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

methane hydrate in sea bed near continental margin and underneath of permafrost ... clathrate structure,6,7 IR spectroscopy analysis of vibra- tional form of guest .... Hydrogen (H71) of the hydroxyl group of methanol is found to have formed ...

Global Assessment of Methane Gas Hydrates: Outreach for the public and policy makers

Science.gov (United States)

Beaudoin, Yannick

2010-05-01

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), via its official collaborating center in Norway, GRID-Arendal, is in the process of implementing a Global Assessment of Methane Gas Hydrates. Global reservoirs of methane gas have long been the topic of scientific discussion both in the realm of environmental issues such as natural forces of climate change and as a potential energy resource for economic development. Of particular interest are the volumes of methane locked away in frozen molecules known as clathrates or hydrates. Our rapidly evolving scientific knowledge and technological development related to methane hydrates makes these formations increasingly prospective to economic development. In addition, global demand for energy continues, and will continue to outpace supply for the foreseeable future, resulting in pressure to expand development activities, with associated concerns about environmental and social impacts. Understanding the intricate links between methane hydrates and 1) natural and anthropogenic contributions to climate change, 2) their role in the carbon cycle (e.g. ocean chemistry) and 3) the environmental and socio-economic impacts of extraction, are key factors in making good decisions that promote sustainable development. As policy makers, environmental organizations and private sector interests seek to forward their respective agendas which tend to be weighted towards applied research, there is a clear and imminent need for a an authoritative source of accessible information on various topics related to methane gas hydrates. The 2008 United Nations Environment Programme Annual Report highlighted methane from the Arctic as an emerging challenge with respect to climate change and other environmental issues. Building upon this foundation, UNEP/GRID-Arendal, in conjunction with experts from national hydrates research groups from Canada, the US, Japan, Germany, Norway, India and Korea, aims to provide a multi-thematic overview of the key

Fiber Optic Raman Spectroscopy for Detection of Methane Hydrates and Related Species

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hart, Sean

2001-01-01

.... The feasibility of using this system for methane hydrate detection is evaluated through the use of organic surrogate molecules, due to the low solubility of methane in water at atmospheric pressures...

Modelling of oceanic gas hydrate instability and methane release in response to climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reagan, M.T.; Moridis, G.J.

2008-01-01

Methane releases from oceanic hydrates are thought to have played a significant role in climatic changes that have occurred in the past. In this study, gas hydrate accumulations subjected to temperature changes were modelled in order to assess their potential for future methane releases into the ocean. Recent ocean and atmospheric chemistry studies were used to model 2 climate scenarios. Two types of hydrate accumulations were used to represent dispersed, low-saturation deposits. The 1-D multiphase thermodynamic-hydrological model considered the properties of benthic sediments; ocean depth; sea floor temperature; the saturation and distribution of the hydrates; and the effect of benthic biogeochemical activity. Results of the simulations showed that shallow deposits undergo rapid dissociation and are capable of producing methane fluxes of 2 to 13 mol m 3 per year over a period of decades. The fluxes exceed the ability of the anaerobic sea floor environment to sequester or consume the methane. A large proportion of the methane released in the scenarios emerged in the gas phase. Arctic hydrates may pose a threat to regional and global ecological systems. It was concluded that results of the study will be coupled with global climate models in order to assess the impact of the methane releases in relation to global climatic change. 39 refs., 5 figs

Experimental investigation of methane release from hydrate formation in sandstone through both hydrate dissociation and CO{sub 2} sequestration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Husebo, J.; Graue, A.; Kvamme, B. [Bergen Univ., Bergen (Norway). Dept. of Physics and Technology; Stevens, J.; Howard, J.J. [ConocoPhillips, Ponca City, OK (United States); Baldwin, B.A. [Green Country Petrophysics LLC, Dewey, OK (United States)

2008-07-01

Large amounts of natural gas trapped in hydrate reservoirs are found in Arctic regions and in deep offshore locations around the world. Natural gas production from hydrate deposits offer significant potential for future energy needs. However, research is needed in order to propose potential production schemes for natural gas hydrates. Natural gas molecules can be freed from hydrate structured cages by depressurization, by heating and by exposing the hydrate to a substance that will form a thermodynamically more stable hydrate structure. This paper provided a comparison of two approaches for releasing methane from methane hydrate in porous sandstone. The study scope covered the dissociation rate of methane hydrate in porous media through depressurization, and also referred to previous work done on producing methane from hydrates in sandstone while sequestering carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). The study was conducted in a laboratory setting. The paper discussed the experimental design which included the placing of a pressure- and temperature-controlled sample holder inside the bore of a magnetic resonance imager. The experimental procedures were then outlined, with reference to hydrate formation; carbon dioxide sequestration; hydrate dissociation experiments with constant volume; and hydrate dissociation experiments at constant pressure. The constant volume experiments demonstrated that in order to dissociate a large amount of hydrate, the initial depressurization had to be significantly lower than the hydrate stability pressure. 9 refs., 9 figs.

The potential for methane hydrate formation in deep repositories of spent nuclear fuel in granitic rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tohidi, Bahman; Chapoy, Antonin; Smellie, John; Puigdomenech, Ignasi

2010-12-01

The main aim of this work was to establish whether the pertaining pressure and temperature conditions and dissolved gas concentration in groundwater is conducive to gas hydrate formation using a modelling approach. The hydrate stability pressure-temperature zone of dissolved methane in the presence of salt has been obtained through calculations which show that a decrease in the system pressure and/or an increase in salt concentration favours hydrate formation, as both factors reduce equilibrium gas solubility in the aqueous phase. This behaviour is unlike that of the system including a gas phase, where the water phase is always saturated with methane, and hence the methane solubility in water is not a limiting factor. The main conclusion is that hydrate formation is not possible at the reported methane concentrations and water salinities for the Forsmark and Laxemar sites in Sweden and Olkiluoto in Finland. At the highest salinities and methane concentrations encountered, namely ∼0.00073 mole fraction methane and ∼10 mass % NaCl at a depth of 1,000 m in Olkiluoto, Finland, hydrates could form if the system temperatures and pressures are below 2.5 deg C and 60 bar, respectively, i.e. values that are much lower than those prevailing at that depth (∼20 deg C and ∼100 bar, respectively). Furthermore, the calculated results provide the necessary data to estimate the effect of increase in dissolved methane concentration on potential hydrate formation, as well as two phase flow. The available depth dependency of methane concentration at the sites studied in Sweden and Finland was used in another study to estimate the diffusive flow of methane in the rock volumes. These diffusion rates, which are highest at Olkiluoto, indicate that even if the conditions were to become favourable to methane hydrate formation, then it would take several millions of years before a thin layer of hydrates could be formed, a condition which is outside the required period of satisfactory

The potential for methane hydrate formation in deep repositories of spent nuclear fuel in granitic rocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tohidi, Bahman; Chapoy, Antonin (Hydrafact Ltd, Inst. of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt Univ., Edinburgh (United Kingdom)); Smellie, John (Conterra AB, Uppsala (Sweden)); Puigdomenech, Ignasi (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden))

2010-12-15

The main aim of this work was to establish whether the pertaining pressure and temperature conditions and dissolved gas concentration in groundwater is conducive to gas hydrate formation using a modelling approach. The hydrate stability pressure-temperature zone of dissolved methane in the presence of salt has been obtained through calculations which show that a decrease in the system pressure and/or an increase in salt concentration favours hydrate formation, as both factors reduce equilibrium gas solubility in the aqueous phase. This behaviour is unlike that of the system including a gas phase, where the water phase is always saturated with methane, and hence the methane solubility in water is not a limiting factor. The main conclusion is that hydrate formation is not possible at the reported methane concentrations and water salinities for the Forsmark and Laxemar sites in Sweden and Olkiluoto in Finland. At the highest salinities and methane concentrations encountered, namely approx0.00073 mole fraction methane and approx10 mass % NaCl at a depth of 1,000 m in Olkiluoto, Finland, hydrates could form if the system temperatures and pressures are below 2.5 deg C and 60 bar, respectively, i.e. values that are much lower than those prevailing at that depth (approx20 deg C and approx100 bar, respectively). Furthermore, the calculated results provide the necessary data to estimate the effect of increase in dissolved methane concentration on potential hydrate formation, as well as two phase flow. The available depth dependency of methane concentration at the sites studied in Sweden and Finland was used in another study to estimate the diffusive flow of methane in the rock volumes. These diffusion rates, which are highest at Olkiluoto, indicate that even if the conditions were to become favourable to methane hydrate formation, then it would take several millions of years before a thin layer of hydrates could be formed, a condition which is outside the required period of

Permeability of sediment cores from methane hydrate deposit in the Eastern Nankai Trough, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Konno, Y.; Yoneda, J.; Egawa, K.; Ito, T.; Jin, Y.; Kida, M.; Suzuki, K.; Nakatsuka, Y.; Nagao, J.

2013-12-01

Effective and absolute permeability are key parameters for gas production from methane-hydrate-bearing sandy sediments. Effective and/or absolute permeability have been measured using methane-hydrate-bearing sandy cores and clayey and silty cores recovered from Daini Atsumi Knoll in the Eastern Nankai Trough during the 2012 JOGMEC/JAPEX Pressure coring operation. Liquid-nitrogen-immersed cores were prepared by rapid depressurization of pressure cores recovered by a pressure coring system referred to as the Hybrid PCS. Cores were shaped cylindrically on a lathe with spraying of liquid nitrogen to prevent hydrate dissociation. Permeability was measured by a flooding test or a pressure relaxation method under near in-situ pressure and temperature conditions. Measured effective permeability of hydrate-bearing sediments is less than tens of md, which are order of magnitude less than absolute permeability. Absolute permeability of clayey cores is approximately tens of μd, which would perform a sealing function as cap rocks. Permeability reduction due to a swelling effect was observed for a silty core during flooding test of pure water mimicking hydrate-dissociation-water. Swelling effect may cause production formation damage especially at a later stage of gas production from methane hydrate deposits. This study was financially supported by the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (MH21 Research Consortium) that carries out Japan's Methane Hydrate R&D Program conducted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Inhibition of Methane Hydrate Formation by Ice-Structuring Proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Lars; Ramløv, Hans; Thomsen, Kaj

2010-01-01

, assumed biodegradable, are capable of inhibiting the growth of methane hydrate (a structure I hydrate). The ISPs investigated were type III HPLC12 (originally identified in ocean pout) and ISP type III found in meal worm (Tenebrio molitor). These were compared to polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) a well...... of inhibitors. The profile of the nonlinear growth was concentration-dependent but also dependent on the stirring rate. ISP type III HPLC12 decreased the growth rate of methane hydrate during the linear growth period by 17−75% at concentrations of 0.01−0.1 wt % (0.014−0.14 mM) while ISP from Tenebrio molitor...... and PVP decreased the growth rate by 30% and 39% at concentrations of 0.004 wt % (0.005 mM) and 0.1 wt % (0.1 mM), respectively. Considering the low concentration of Tenebrio molitor ISP used, these results indicate that ISP from Tenebrio molitor is the most effective hydrate inhibitor among those...

Analytical theory relating the depth of the sulfate-methane transition to gas hydrate distribution and saturation

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatnagar, Gaurav; Chatterjee, Sayantan; Chapman, Walter G.; Dugan, Brandon; Dickens, Gerald R.; Hirasaki, George J.

2011-03-01

We develop a theory that relates gas hydrate saturation in marine sediments to the depth of the sulfate-methane transition (SMT) zone below the seafloor using steady state, analytical expressions. These expressions are valid for systems in which all methane transported into the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) comes from deeper external sources (i.e., advective systems). This advective constraint causes anaerobic oxidation of methane to be the only sulfate sink, allowing us to link SMT depth to net methane flux. We also develop analytical expressions that define the gas hydrate saturation profile based on SMT depth and site-specific parameters such as sedimentation rate, methane solubility, and porosity. We evaluate our analytical model at four drill sites along the Cascadia Margin where methane sources from depth dominate. With our model, we calculate average gas hydrate saturations across GHSZ and the top occurrence of gas hydrate at these sites as 0.4% and 120 mbsf (Site 889), 1.9% and 70 mbsf (Site U1325), 4.7% and 40 mbsf (Site U1326), and 0% (Site U1329), mbsf being meters below seafloor. These values compare favorably with average saturations and top occurrences computed from resistivity log and chloride data. The analytical expressions thus provide a fast and convenient method to calculate gas hydrate saturation and first-order occurrence at a given geologic setting where vertically upward advection dominates the methane flux.

Thermal properties of methane hydrate by experiment and modeling and impacts upon technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warzinski, R.P.; Gamwo, I.K.; Rosenbaum, E.J. [United States Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh, PA (United States). National Energy Technology Laboratory; Myshakin, E.M. [NETL Support Contractor, South Park, PA (United States); Jiang, H.; Jordan, K.D. [Pittsburgh Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; English, N.J. [Dublin University College, Dublin (Ireland). Conway Inst. of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology; Shaw, D.W. [Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA (United States). Dept. of Engineering

2008-07-01

The current hydrate research at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) involves both experimental and theoretical work on developing models and methods for predicting the behaviour of gas hydrates in their natural environment under production of climate change scenarios. The modeling efforts include both fundamental and reservoir scale simulations and economic modeling. The thermal properties of methane hydrate are important for hydrate production, seafloor stability and climate change scenarios. A new experimental technique and advanced molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) have determined the thermal properties of pure methane hydrate under conditions similar to naturally occurring hydrate-bearing sediments. The thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity values of low-porosity methane hydrate formed in the laboratory were measured using an innovative single-sided, Transient Plane Source (TPS) technique. The results were in good agreement with results from an equilibrium MDS method using in-plane polarization of the water molecules. MDS was also performed using a non-equilibrium model with a fully polarizable force field for water. The Tough+Hydrate reservoir simulator was also used to evaluate the impact of thermal conductivity on gas production from a hydrate-bearing reservoir. 42 refs., 1 tab., 5 figs.

Changes in structure and preferential cage occupancy of ethane hydrate and ethane-methane mixed gas hydrate under high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirai, H; Takahara, N; Kawamura, T; Yamamoto, Y; Yagi, T

2010-01-01

Structural changes and preferential cage occupancies were examined for ethane hydrate and ethane-methane mixed gas hydrates with five compositions in a pressure range of 0.2 to 2.8 GPa at room temperature. X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy showed the following structural changes. The initial structure, structure I (sI), of ethane hydrate was retained up to 2.1 GPa without any structural change. For the mixed hydrates, sI was widely distributed throughout the region examined except for the methane-rich and lower pressure regions, where sII and sH appeared. Above 2.1 GPa ethane hydrate and all of the mixed hydrates decomposed into ice VI and ethane fluid or methane-ethane fluid, respectively. The Raman study revealed that occupation of the small cages by ethane molecules occurred above 0.1 GPa in ethane hydrate and continued up to decomposition at 2.1 GPa, although it was thought that ethane molecules were contained only in the large cage.

Amplitude versus offset analysis to marine seismic data acquired in Nankai Trough, offshore Japan where methane hydrate exists

Science.gov (United States)

Hato, M.; Inamori, T.; Matsuoka, T.; Shimizu, S.

2003-04-01

Occurrence of methane hydrates in the Nankai Trough, located off the south-eastern coast of Japan, was confirmed by the exploratory test well drilling conducted by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1999. Confirmation of methane hydrate has given so big impact to the Japan's future energy strategy and scientific and technological interest was derived from the information of the coring and logging results at the well. Following the above results, Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC) launched the national project, named as MH21, for establishing the technology of methane hydrate exploration and related technologies such as production and development. As one of the research project for evaluating the total amount of the methane hydrate, Amplitude versus Offset (AVO) was applied to the seismic data acquired in the Nankai Trough area. The main purpose of the AVO application is to evaluate the validity of delineation of methane hydrate-bearing zones. Since methane hydrate is thought to accompany with free-gas in general just below the methane hydrate-bearing zones, the AVO has a possibility of describing the presence of free-gas. The free-gas is thought to be located just below the base of methane hydrate stability zone which is characterized by the Bottom Simulating Reflectors (BSRs) on the seismic section. In this sense, AVO technology, which was developed as gas delineation tools, can be utilized for methane hydrate exploration. The result of AVO analysis clearly shows gas-related anomaly below the BSRs. Appearance of the AVO anomaly has so wide variety. Some of the anomalies might not correspond to the free-gas existence, however, some of them may show free-gas. We are now going to develop methodology to clearly discriminate free-gas from non-gas zone by integrating various types of seismic methods such as seismic inversion and seismic attribute analysis.

The effects of ice on methane hydrate nucleation: a microcanonical molecular dynamics study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhengcai; Guo, Guang-Jun

2017-07-26

Although ice powders are widely used in gas hydrate formation experiments, the effects of ice on hydrate nucleation and what happens in the quasi-liquid layer of ice are still not well understood. Here, we used high-precision constant energy molecular dynamics simulations to study methane hydrate nucleation from vapor-liquid mixtures exposed to the basal, prismatic, and secondary prismatic planes of hexagonal ice (ice Ih). Although no significant difference is observed in hydrate nucleation processes for these different crystal planes, it is found, more interestingly, that methane hydrate can nucleate either on the ice surface heterogeneously or in the bulk solution phase homogeneously. Several factors are mentioned to be able to promote the heterogeneous nucleation of hydrates, including the adsorption of methane molecules at the solid-liquid interface, hydrogen bonding between hydrate cages and the ice structure, the stronger ability of ice to transfer heat than that of the aqueous solution, and the higher occurrence probability of hydrate cages in the vicinity of the ice surface than in the bulk solution. Meanwhile, however, the other factors including the hydrophilicity of ice and the ice lattice mismatch with clathrate hydrates can inhibit heterogeneous nucleation on the ice surface and virtually promote homogeneous nucleation in the bulk solution. Certainly, the efficiency of ice as a promoter and as an inhibitor for heterogeneous nucleation is different. We estimate that the former is larger than the latter under the working conditions. Additionally, utilizing the benefit of ice to absorb heat, the NVE simulation of hydrate formation with ice can mimic the phenomenon of ice shrinking during the heterogeneous nucleation of hydrates and lower the overly large temperature increase during homogeneous nucleation. These results are helpful in understanding the nucleation mechanism of methane hydrate in the presence of ice.

Flash crystallization kinetics of methane (sI) hydrate in a thermoelectrically-cooled microreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Weiqi; Pinho, Bruno; Hartman, Ryan L

2017-09-12

The crystallization kinetics of methane (sI) hydrate were investigated in a thermoelectrically-cooled microreactor with in situ Raman spectroscopy. Step-wise and precise control of the temperature allowed acquisition of reproducible data within minutes, while the nucleation of methane hydrates can take up to 24 h in traditional batch reactors. The propagation rates of methane hydrate (from 3.1-196.3 μm s -1 ) at the gas-liquid interface were measured for different Reynolds' numbers (0.7-68.9), pressures (30.0-80.9 bar), and sub-cooling temperatures (1.0-4.0 K). The precise measurement of the propagation rates and their subsequent analyses revealed a transition from mixed heat-transfer-crystallization-rate-limited to mixed heat-transfer-mass-transfer-crystallization-rate-limited kinetics. A theoretical model, based on heat transfer, mass transfer, and intrinsic crystallization kinetics, was derived for the first time to understand the non-linear relationship between the propagation rate and sub-cooling temperature. The molecular diffusivity of methane within a stagnant film (ahead of the propagation front) was discovered to follow Stokes-Einstein, while calculated Hatta (0.50-0.68), Lewis (128-207), and beta (0.79-116) numbers also confirmed that the diffusive flux influences crystal growth. Understanding methane hydrate crystal growth is important to the atmospheric, oceanic, and planetary sciences and to energy production, storage, and transportation. Our discoveries could someday advance the science of other multiphase, high-pressure, and sub-cooled crystallizations.

Dissociation heat of mixed-gas hydrate composed of methane and ethane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hachikubo, A.; Nakagawa, R.; Kubota, D.; Sakagami, H.; Takahashi, N.; Shoji, H. [Kitami Inst. of Technology, Kitami (Japan)

2008-07-01

Formation and dissociation processes of natural gas hydrates in permafrost, marine and lake sediments are highly controlled by their thermal properties. Dissociation heat of gas hydrates can be estimated from phase equilibrium data using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. However, this method is applicable for pure gas hydrate and at a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. Direct calorimetric measurements on gas hydrates using a calorimeter have been developed to obtain thermal properties of gas hydrates, including dissociation heat and heat capacity. Studies have shown that a structure 2 gas hydrate appears in appropriate gas composition of methane and ethane. This paper investigated the effect of ethane concentration on dissociation heat of mixed-gas (methane and ethane) hydrate. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm the appearance of a structure 2 gas hydrate. The paper identified the experimental procedure and discussed sample preparation, Raman spectroscopy, and calorimetric measurements. A schematic diagram of the calorimeter was also presented. It was concluded that in most cases, two stages of dissociation were found at the dissociation process. 15 refs., 6 figs.

Risk factors of methane hydrate resource development in the concentrated zones distributed in the eastern Nankai Trough

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, K.; Nagakubo, S.

2009-04-01

Some environmental and safety concerns on the offshore methane hydrate development have been raised, but the ground of such allegations are sometime not fully reasonable. The risks of methane hydrate resource development to environment and safety should be discussed upon methane hydrate occurrences condition, the production methods, and the designs of production system, under comprehensively scientific manners. In the Phase 1 of the Methane Hydrate Exploitation Program in Japan (FY2001-2008), the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (MH21 Research Consortium) found methane hydrate concentrated zones in the eastern Nankai Trough that are potential prospects for resource development. The concentrated zones are consisted of turbidite-derived sandy sediments and hydrate crystals in pore spaces of sand grains (pore-filling type structure). The MH21 Research Consortium proposed the depressurization method as prime technique due to its efficiency of gas production in such concentrated zones, and has tried to develop conceptual designs of production systems based on the information of existing devices and facilities. Under the condition and circumstances described above, the authors tried to extract and evaluate some risk factors concerning methane hydrate development using depressurization in the area. Leakage of methane gas, that is less harmful substance to ecosystem than heavier hydrocarbons, from production system can be one possible risk. However, in the case of gas production through wellbore, even if catastrophic damages happen in the subsea production system during gas production, the leakages do not continue because the borehole could be filled by seawater and depressurization is stopped immediately. Another possible risk is a leakage of produced gas through seafloor. If methane hydrate production makes high pressure or temperature zones in sediments, the risk should be considered. However, depressurization method makes opposite condition

Assessing the Efficacy of the Aerobic Methanotrophic Biofilter in Methane Hydrate Environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valentine, David

2012-09-30

In October 2008 the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) initiated investigations of water column methane oxidation in methane hydrate environments, through a project funded by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) entitled: assessing the efficacy of the aerobic methanotrophic biofilter in methane hydrate environments. This Final Report describes the scientific advances and discoveries made under this award as well as the importance of these discoveries in the broader context of the research area. Benthic microbial mats inhabit the sea floor in areas where reduced chemicals such as sulfide reach the more oxidizing water that overlies the sediment. We set out to investigate the role that methanotrophs play in such mats at locations where methane reaches the sea floor along with sulfide. Mats were sampled from several seep environments and multiple sets were grown in-situ at a hydrocarbon seep in the Santa Barbara Basin. Mats grown in-situ were returned to the laboratory and used to perform stable isotope probing experiments in which they were treated with 13C-enriched methane. The microbial community was analyzed, demonstrating that three or more microbial groups became enriched in methane?s carbon: methanotrophs that presumably utilize methane directly, methylotrophs that presumably consume methanol excreted by the methanotrophs, and sulfide oxidizers that presumably consume carbon dioxide released by the methanotrophs and methylotrophs. Methanotrophs reached high relative abundance in mats grown on methane, but other bacterial processes include sulfide oxidation appeared to dominate mats, indicating that methanotrophy is not a dominant process in sustaining these benthic mats, but rather a secondary function modulated by methane availability. Methane that escapes the sediment in the deep ocean typically dissolved into the overlying water where it is available to methanotrophic bacteria. We set out to better understand the efficacy of this

A study of the methane hydrate formation by in situ turbidimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herri, J M

1996-02-02

The study of the Particle Size Distribution (PSD) during the processes of crystallization is a subject of considerable interest, notably in the offshore exploitation of liquid fuels where the gas hydrate crystallization can plug production, treatment and transport facilities. The classical remedy to this problem is mainly thermodynamic additives such as alcohols or salts, but a new way of research is the use of dispersant additives which avoid crystals formation. In this paper, we show an original apparatus that is able to measure in situ the polychromatic UV-Visible turbidity spectrum in a pressurised reactor. We apply this technology to the calculation of the PSD during the crystallization of methane hydrate particles in a stirred semi-batch tank reactor. We discuss the mathematics treatment of the turbidity spectrum in order to determine the PSD and especially the method of matrix inversion with constraint. Moreover, we give a method to calculate theoretically the refractive index of the hydrate particles and we validate it experimentally with the methane hydrate particles. We apply this technology to the study of the crystallization of methane hydrate from pure liquid water and methane gas into the range of temperature [0-2 deg. C], into the range of pressure [30-100 bars] and into the range of stirring rate [0-600 rpm]. We produce a set of experiments concerning these parameters. Then we realize a model of the crystallization taking into account the processes of nucleation, of growth, of agglomeration and flotation. We compare this model with the experimental results concerning the complex influence of stirring rate at 1 deg. C and 30 bars. Then, we investigate the influence of additives such as Fontainebleau Sand, Potassium Chloride and a surfactant such as Poly-Vinyl-Pyrrolydone. (authors). 133 refs., 210 figs., 54 tabs.

Hydrate thermal dissociation behavior and dissociation enthalpies in methane-carbon dioxide swapping process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mu, Liang; von Solms, Nicolas

2018-01-01

The swapping of methane with carbon dioxide in hydrate has been proposed as a potential strategy for geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide and production of methane from natural hydrate deposits. However, this strategy requires a better understanding of the thermodynamic characteristics of CH4...... and CO2 hydrate as well as (CH4 + CO2) or (CH4 + CO2 + N2) mixed hydrates (since (CO2 + N2) gas mixture is often used as the swapping gas), along with the thermal physics property changes during gas exchange. In this study, a high pressure micro-differential scanning calorimetry (HP μ-DSC) was performed...

Detection of Occupancy Differences in Methane Gas Hydrates by Raman Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Susanne Brunsgaard; Berg, Rolf W.; Stenby, Erling Halfdan

2004-01-01

of reservoir fluids due to plugging. Methods to prevent hydrate formation are in use, e.g. by injection of inhibitors. From environmental and security points of view an easy way to detect hydrate formation is of interest. We have tried to detect methane hydrate formation by use of Raman spectroscopy....

The rates measurement of methane hydrate formation and dissociation using micro-drilling system application for gas hydrate exploration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bin Dou [Engineering Faculty, China Univ. of Geosciences, Wuhan (China)]|[Inst. of Petroleum Engineering, Technology Univ. of Clausthal (Germany); Reinicke, K.M. [Inst. of Petroleum Engineering, Technology Univ. of Clausthal (Germany); Guosheng Jiang; Xiang Wu; Fulong Ning [Engineering Faculty, China Univ. of Geosciences, Wuhan (China)

2006-07-01

When drilling through gas hydrate bearing formations, the energy supplied by virtue of the drilling process may lead to a destabilization of the hydrates surrounding the wellbore. Therefore, as the number of oil and gas fields being development in deepwater and onshore arctic environments increases, greater emphasis should be placed on quantifying the risks, gas hydrates pose to drilling operations. The qualification of these risks requires a comprehensive understanding of gas hydrate-formation and dissociation as a result of drilling induced processes. To develop the required understanding of gas hydrat formation and dissociation, the authors conducted laboratory experiments by using a micro-drilling system, to study the dissociation rates of methane hydrates contained in a tank reactor. The test facility used is a development of China University of Geosciences. The rates of methane hydrate formation and dissociation in the tank reactor were measured at steady-state conditions at pressures ranging from 0.1 to 25 MPa and temperatures ranging from -5 to 20 C. The experimental results show that the rate of hydrate formation is strongly influenced by the fluid system used to form the hydrates, pressure and temperature, with the influence of the temperature on methane hydrate dissociation being stronger than that of the pressure. Drilling speed, drilling fluids and hydrate dissociation inhibitors were also shown to influence hydrate dissociation rate. The derived results have been used to predict hydrate drilling stability for several drilling fluid systems.

Study of methane hydrate as a future energy resource: low emission extraction and power generation

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, L.; Yamada, H.; Kanda, Y.; Sasaki, H.; Okajima, J.; Iga, Y.; Komiya, A.; Maruyama, S.

2016-08-01

With the fast increase of world energy consumption in recent years, new and sustainable energy sources are becoming more and more important. Methane Hydrate is one promising candidate for the future energy supply of humankind, due to its vast existence in permafrost regions and near-coast seabed. This study is focused on the effective low emission utilization of methane hydrate from deep seabed. The Nankai Trough of Japan is taken as the target region in this study for methane hydrate extraction and utilization system design. Low emission system and power generation system with CCS (Carbon Capture and Sequestration) processes are proposed and analyzed for production rate and electricity generation efficiency problem study. It is found that the gas production price can reach the current domestic natural gas supply price level if the production rate can be improved. The optimized system is estimated to have power efficiency about 35%. In addition, current development and analysis from micro-to-macro scale methane hydrate production and dissociation dynamics are also discussed into detail in this study.

Elasticity of methane hydrate phases at high pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beam, Jennifer; Yang, Jing; Liu, Jin [Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Liu, Chujie [Laboratory of Seismology and Physics of Earth’s Interior, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Lin, Jung-Fu, E-mail: afu@jsg.utexas.edu [Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Center for High Pressure Science and Advanced Technology Research (HPSTAR), Shanghai 201203 (China)

2016-04-21

Determination of the full elastic constants (c{sub ij}) of methane hydrates (MHs) at extreme pressure-temperature environments is essential to our understanding of the elastic, thermodynamic, and mechanical properties of methane in MH reservoirs on Earth and icy satellites in the solar system. Here, we have investigated the elastic properties of singe-crystal cubic MH-sI, hexagonal MH-II, and orthorhombic MH-III phases at high pressures in a diamond anvil cell. Brillouin light scattering measurements, together with complimentary equation of state (pressure-density) results from X-ray diffraction and methane site occupancies in MH from Raman spectroscopy, were used to derive elastic constants of MH-sI, MH-II, and MH-III phases at high pressures. Analysis of the elastic constants for MH-sI and MH-II showed intriguing similarities and differences between the phases′ compressional wave velocity anisotropy and shear wave velocity anisotropy. Our results show that these high-pressure MH phases can exhibit distinct elastic, thermodynamic, and mechanical properties at relevant environments of their respective natural reservoirs. These results provide new insight into the determination of how much methane exists in MH reservoirs on Earth and on icy satellites elsewhere in the solar system and put constraints on the pressure and temperature conditions of their environment.

Prediction of the phase equilibria of methane hydrates using the direct phase coexistence methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michalis, Vasileios K.; Costandy, Joseph; Economou, Ioannis G., E-mail: ioannis.economou@qatar.tamu.edu [Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A and M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23847, Doha (Qatar); Tsimpanogiannis, Ioannis N.; Stubos, Athanassios K. [Environmental Research Laboratory, National Center for Scientific Research NCSR “Demokritos,” Aghia Paraskevi, Attiki GR-15310 (Greece)

2015-01-28

The direct phase coexistence method is used for the determination of the three-phase coexistence line of sI methane hydrates. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are carried out in the isothermal–isobaric ensemble in order to determine the coexistence temperature (T{sub 3}) at four different pressures, namely, 40, 100, 400, and 600 bar. Methane bubble formation that results in supersaturation of water with methane is generally avoided. The observed stochasticity of the hydrate growth and dissociation processes, which can be misleading in the determination of T{sub 3}, is treated with long simulations in the range of 1000–4000 ns and a relatively large number of independent runs. Statistical averaging of 25 runs per pressure results in T{sub 3} predictions that are found to deviate systematically by approximately 3.5 K from the experimental values. This is in good agreement with the deviation of 3.15 K between the prediction of TIP4P/Ice water force field used and the experimental melting temperature of ice Ih. The current results offer the most consistent and accurate predictions from MD simulation for the determination of T{sub 3} of methane hydrates. Methane solubility values are also calculated at the predicted equilibrium conditions and are found in good agreement with continuum-scale models.

Dissociation behavior of methane--ethane mixed gas hydrate coexisting structures I and II.

Science.gov (United States)

Kida, Masato; Jin, Yusuke; Takahashi, Nobuo; Nagao, Jiro; Narita, Hideo

2010-09-09

Dissociation behavior of methane-ethane mixed gas hydrate coexisting structures I and II at constant temperatures less than 223 K was studied with use of powder X-ray diffraction and solid-state (13)C NMR techniques. The diffraction patterns at temperatures less than 203 K showed both structures I and II simultaneously convert to Ih during the dissociation, but the diffraction pattern at temperatures greater than 208 K showed different dissociation behavior between structures I and II. Although the diffraction peaks from structure II decreased during measurement at constant temperatures greater than 208 K, those from structure I increased at the initial step of dissociation and then disappeared. This anomalous behavior of the methane-ethane mixed gas hydrate coexisting structures I and II was examined by using the (13)C NMR technique. The (13)C NMR spectra revealed that the anomalous behavior results from the formation of ethane-rich structure I. The structure I hydrate formation was associated with the dissociation rate of the initial methane-ethane mixed gas hydrate.

Hydrate-based methane separation from coal mine methane gas mixture by bubbling using the scale-up equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Jing; Xu, Chun-Gang; Xia, Zhi-Ming; Chen, Zhao-Yang; Li, Xiao-Sen

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Hydrate-based methane separation was achieved in the large scale using SHW-II. •Bubbling method was beneficial to reduce energy consumption. •The optimal conditions were determined. •The morphology and flow characteristic of hydrate formation were filmed. -- Abstract: In this work, the hydrate-based methane (CH 4 ) separation from coal mine methane (CMM) gas mixture was carried out by bubbling with a scale-up equipment (SHW-II). The influences of gas/liquid volume ratios (0.25 and 0.60), gas bubble sizes (diameter: 20, 50 and 100 μm) and gas flow rates (7.50, 16.13 and 21.50 mL/min/L) on gas consumption and CH 4 recovery were systematically investigated at 277.15 K and 1.50 MPa. The hydrate formation morphology was filmed by a camera and the hydrate structure was determined by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Gas bubbles generated when gas mixture flowed into bulk solution through a bubble plate from the bottom of SHW-II. Initially, the gas hydrates formed at the bubble boundary and grew up as the shell around the bubble with the continuously rising of the gas bubble, and finally accumulated in the interface between the gaseous phase and solution. The experimental results showed that the THF/CH 4 /N 2 hydrate in SHW-II presented structure II (sII). The gas/liquid volume ratio, gas bubble size and gas flow rate had influences on gas consumption and CH 4 recovery. The increase of gas/liquid volume ratio resulted in the decrease of gas consumption and CH 4 recovery, while the increase of gas flow rate caused the decrease of gas consumption. Both the maximum gas consumption and CH 4 recovery were achieved at the gas bubble with diameter of 50 μm. The optimal operating condition for large-scale CH 4 separation via clatharate hydrate was comprehensively defined as the gas/liquid volume ratio of 0.25, the gas bubble diameter of 50 μm and the gas flow rate of 16.13 mL/min/L at 277.15 K and 1.50 MPa.

Methane hydrate dissociation using inverted five-spot water flooding method in cubic hydrate simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Gang; Li, Xiao-Sen; Li, Bo; Wang, Yi

2014-01-01

The combination forms of the hydrate dissociation methods in different well systems are divided into 6 main patterns. Dissociation processes of methane hydrate in porous media using the inverted five-spot water flooding method (Pattern 4) are investigated by the experimental observation and numerical simulation. In situ methane hydrate is synthesized in the Cubic Hydrate Simulator (CHS), a 5.832-L cubic reactor. A center vertical well is used as the hot water injection well, while the four vertical wells at the corner are the gas and water production wells. The gas production begins simultaneously with the hot water injection, while after approximately 20 min of compression, the water begins to be produced. One of the common characteristics of the inverted five-spot water flooding method is that both the gas and water production rates decrease with the reduction of the hydrate dissociation rate. The evaluation of the energy efficiency ratio might indicate the inverted five-spot water flooding as a promising gas producing method from the hydrate reservoir. - Highlights: • A three-dimensional 5.8-L cubic pressure vessel is developed. • Gas production of hydrate using inverted five-spot flooding method is studied. • Water/gas production rate and energy efficiency ratio are evaluated. • Temperature distributions of numerical simulation and experiment agree well. • Hydrate dissociation process is a moving boundary problem in this study

Dissolution of methane bubbles with hydrate armoring in deep ocean conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Kovalchuk, Margarita; Socolofsky, Scott

2017-11-01

The deep ocean is a storehouse of natural gas. Methane bubble moving upwards from marine sediments may become trapped in gas hydrates. It is uncertain precisely how hydrate armoring affects dissolution, or mass transfer from the bubble to the surrounding water column. The Texas A&M Oilspill Calculator was used to simulate a series of gas bubble dissolution experiments conducted in the United States Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory High Pressure Water Tunnel. Several variations of the mass transfer coefficient were calculated based on gas or hydrate phase solubility and clean or dirty bubble correlations. Results suggest the mass transfer coefficient may be most closely modeled with gas phase solubility and dirty bubble correlation equations. Further investigation of hydrate bubble dissolution behavior will refine current numeric models which aid in understanding gas flux to the atmosphere and plumes such as oil spills. Research funded in part by the Texas A&M University 2017 Undergraduate Summer Research Grant and a Grant from the Methane Gas Hydrates Program of the US DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Deep-Subsurface Marine Methane Hydrate Microbial Communities: Who's There and What Are They Doing?

Science.gov (United States)

Colwell, F.; Reed, D.; Fujita, Y.; Delwiche, M.; Blackwelder, D.; Uchida, T.; Fujii, T.; Lu, H.

2001-12-01

Natural gas hydrates are crystalline deposits of freshwater and primarily methane. They are estimated to represent a potentially vast reservoir of energy. Relatively little is known regarding microbial communities surrounding deep [>100 meters below sea floor (mbsf)] hydrate-bearing sediments. Deep sediment cores were collected in zones above, within, and below the hydrate bearing strata in an accretionary prism off the coast of Japan. Microorganisms were characterized using cultivation- and non-cultivation-based microbiological techniques to better understand the role that they play in the production and distribution of methane in gas hydrates. Direct counts show cell density at 105 cells/g throughout the hydrate strata. Lipid and 16S rDNA analyses indicate that diverse bacterial and archaeal microorganisms are represented throughout the strata. Acetate and hydrogen were utilized as an energy source for methane-producing microorganisms from each sediment depth. Although the methanogenic biomarker coenzyme M was not present above the detection limit in any of the samples, cloning and characterization of amplified 16S ribosomal RNA genes indicated the presence of methanogenic microorganisms related to the Methanobacteriales and Methanococcales. In addition, archaeal clones closely related to the hyperthermophilic Pyrodictiales were detected. Analysis of eubacterial clones indicated a more diverse eubacterial community compared to the archaea, including members from the groups of cyanobacteria, proteobacteria, gram positive bacteria, and flexibacter-cytophaga-bacteriodes. This study suggests that the diversity of microbial communities associated with the presence of methane in gas hydrate-rich deep marine sediments is greater than previously estimated.

Extreme Morphologic and Venting Changes in Methane Seeps at Southern Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia Margin

Science.gov (United States)

Bigham, K.; Kelley, D. S.; Solomon, E. A.; Delaney, J. R.

2017-12-01

Two highly active methane hydrate seeps have been visited over a 7-year period as part of the construction and operation of NSF's Ocean Observatory Initiative's Regional Cable Array at Southern Hydrate Ridge. The site is located 90 km west of Newport, Oregon, at a water depth of 800 m. The seeps, Einstein's Grotto (OOI instrument deployment site) and Smokey Tavern (alternate site to the north), have been visited yearly from 2010 to 2017 with ROVs. Additionally, a digital still camera deployed from 2014 to 2017 at Einstein's Grotto, has been documenting the profound morphologic and biological changes at this site. A cabled pressure sensor, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, hydrophone, seismometer array, and uncabled fluid samplers have also been operational at the site for the duration of the camera's deployment. During this time, Einstein's Grotto has evolved from a gentle mound with little venting, to a vigorously bubbling pit bounded by a near vertical wall. Early on bubble emissions blew significant amounts of sediment into the water column and thick Beggiatoa mats coverd the mound. Most recently the face of the pit has collapsed, although bubble plumes are still emitted from the site. The Smokey Tavern site has undergone more extreme changes. Similar to Einstein's Grotto it was first characterized by gentle hummocks with dispersed bacterial mats. In subsequent years, it developed an extremely rugged, elongated collapsed area with vertical walls and jets of methane bubbles rising from small pits near the base of the collapse zone. Meter-across nearly sediment-free blocks of methane hydrate were exposed on the surface and in the walls of the collapse zone. In 2016, this area was unrecognizable with a much more subdued topography, and weak venting of bubbles. Exposed methane hydrate was not visible. From these observations new evolutionary models for methane seeps are being developed for Southern Hydrate Ridge.

Analytical investigation of high temperature 1 kW solid oxide fuel cell system feasibility in methane hydrate recovery and deep ocean power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azizi, Mohammad Ali; Brouwer, Jacob; Dunn-Rankin, Derek

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A dynamic Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) model was developed. • Hydrate bed methane dissociation model was integrated with the SOFC model. • SOFC operated steadily for 120 days at high pressure deep ocean environment. • Burning some of the dissociated gas for SMR heat leads to more net methane produced. • Higher SOFC fuel utilization produces higher integrated system efficiency. - Abstract: Methane hydrates are potential valuable energy resources. However, finding an efficient method for methane gas recovery from hydrate sediments is still a challenge. New challenges arise from increasing environmental protection. This is due in part to the technical difficulties involved in the efficient dissociation of methane hydrates at high pressures. In this study, a new approach is proposed to produce valuable products of: 1. Net methane gas recovery from the methane hydrate sediment, and 2. Deep ocean power generation. We have taken the first steps toward utilization of a fuel cell system in methane gas recovery from deep ocean hydrate sediments. An integrated high pressure and high temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and steam methane reformer (SMR) system is analyzed for this application and the recoverable amount of methane from deep ocean sediments is measured. System analysis is accomplished for two major cases regarding system performance: 1. Energy for SMR is provided by the burning part of the methane gas dissociated from the hydrate sediment. 2. Energy for SMR is provided through heat exchange with fuel cell effluent gases. We found that the total production of methane gas is higher in the first case compared to the second case. The net power generated by the fuel cell system is estimated for all cases. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of integrated electrochemical devices to accomplish energy efficient dissociation of methane hydrate gases in deep ocean sediments. Concepts for use of electrochemical devices

Modeling dissociation behaviour of methane hydrate in porous soil media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jayasinghe, A.G.; Grozic, J.L.H. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada). Dept. of Civil Engineering

2008-07-01

Gas hydrates, or clathrates, exist in the form of crystalline solid structures of hydrogen bonded water molecules where the lattice cages are occupied by guest gas molecules. Methane gas hydrates are the most common. As such, hydrate bearing sediments are considered to be a potential future energy resource. Gas hydrates also function as a source or sink for atmospheric methane, which may influence global warming. The authors emphasized that an understanding of the behaviour of soils containing gas hydrates is necessary in order to develop ways of recovering the vast gas resources that exist in the form of hydrates, particularly since hydrates are also suspected to be a potential factor in the initiation and propagation of submarine slope failures. Gas hydrate dissociation occurs when water and gas are released, resulting in an increase in pore fluid pressure, thereby causing significant reductions in effective stress leading to sediment failure. Dissociation may occur as a result of pressure reductions or increases in temperature. This study focused on the strength and deformation behaviour of hydrate bearing soils associated with temperature induced dissociation. Modeling the dissociation behavior of hydrates in porous soil media involves an understanding of the geomechanics of hydrate dissociation. This paper addressed the issue of coupling the hydrate dissociation problem with the soil deformation problem. A mathematical framework was constructed in which the thermally stimulated hydrate dissociation process in porous soil media under undrained conditions was considered with conduction heat transfer. It was concluded that a knowledge of geomechanical response of hydrate bearing sediments will enable better estimates of benefits and risks associated with the recovery process, thereby ensuring safe and economical exploration. 20 refs., 1 fig., 1 appendix.

Hydrate-CASM for modeling Methane Hydrate-Bearing Sediments

Science.gov (United States)

De La Fuente Ruiz, M.; Vaunat, J.; Marin Moreno, H.

2017-12-01

A clear understanding of the geomechanical behavior of methane hydrate-bearing sediments (MHBS) is crucial to assess the stability of the seafloor and submarine infrastructures to human and natural loading changes. Here we present the Hydrate-CASM, a new elastoplastic constitutive model to predict the geomechanical behavior of MHBS. Our model employs the critical state model CASM (Clay and Sand Model) because of its flexibility in describing the shape of the yield surface and its proven ability to predict the mechanical behavior of sands, the most commercially viable hydrate reservoirs. The model considers MHBS as a deformable elastoplastic continuum, and hydrate-related changes in the stress-strain behavior are predicted by a densification mechanism. The densification attributes the mechanical contribution of hydrate to; a reduction of the available void ratio; a decrease of the swelling line slope; and an increase of the volumetric yield stress. It is described by experimentally derived physical parameters except from the swelling slope coefficient that requires empirical calibration. The Hydrate-CASM is validated against published triaxial laboratory tests performed at different confinement stresses, hydrate saturations, and hydrate morphologies. During the validation, we focused on capturing the mechanical behavior of the host sediment and consider perturbations of the sediment's mechanical properties that could result from the sample preparation. Our model successfully captures the experimentally observed influence of hydrate saturation in the magnitude and trend of the stiffness, shear strength, and dilatancy of MHBS. Hence, we propose that hydrate-related densification changes might be a major factor controlling the geomechanical response of MHBS.

Molecular dynamics study on the structure I clathrate-hydrate of methane + ethane mixture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erfan-Niya, Hamid; Modarress, Hamid; Zaminpayma, Esmaeil

2011-01-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to study the structure I stability of methane + ethane clathrate-hydrates at temperatures 273, 275 and 277 K. NVT- and NPT-ensembles are utilized in MD simulation, and each consists of 3 x 3 x 3 replica unit cells containing 46 water molecules which are considered as the host molecules and up to eight methane + ethane molecules considered as the guest molecules. In MD simulations for host-host interactions, the potential model used was a type of simple point charge (SPC) model, and for guest-guest and host-guest interactions the potential used was Lennard-Jones model. In the process of MD simulation, achieving equilibrium of the studied system was recognized by stability in calculated pressure for NVT-ensemble and volume for NPT-ensemble. To understand the characteristic configurations of the structure I hydrate, the radial distribution functions (RDFs) of host-host, host-guest and guest-guest molecules as well as other properties including kinetic energy, potential energy and total energy were calculated. The results show that guest molecules interaction with host molecules cannot decompose the hydrate structure, and these results are consistent with most previous experimental and theoretical investigations that methane + ethane mixtures form structure I hydrates over the entire mixture composition range.

Study on small-strain behaviours of methane hydrate sandy sediments using discrete element method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu Yanxin; Cheng Yipik [Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London (UCL), Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Xu Xiaomin; Soga, Kenichi [Geotechnical and Environmental Research Group, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom)

2013-06-18

Methane hydrate bearing soil has attracted increasing interest as a potential energy resource where methane gas can be extracted from dissociating hydrate-bearing sediments. Seismic testing techniques have been applied extensively and in various ways, to detect the presence of hydrates, due to the fact that hydrates increase the stiffness of hydrate-bearing sediments. With the recognition of the limitations of laboratory and field tests, wave propagation modelling using Discrete Element Method (DEM) was conducted in this study in order to provide some particle-scale insights on the hydrate-bearing sandy sediment models with pore-filling and cementation hydrate distributions. The relationship between shear wave velocity and hydrate saturation was established by both DEM simulations and analytical solutions. Obvious differences were observed in the dependence of wave velocity on hydrate saturation for these two cases. From the shear wave velocity measurement and particle-scale analysis, it was found that the small-strain mechanical properties of hydrate-bearing sandy sediments are governed by both the hydrate distribution patterns and hydrate saturation.

Petrophysical Characterization and Reservoir Simulator for Methane Gas Production from Gulf of Mexico Hydrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kishore Mohanty; Bill Cook; Mustafa Hakimuddin; Ramanan Pitchumani; Damiola Ogunlana; Jon Burger; John Shillinglaw

2006-06-30

Gas hydrates are crystalline, ice-like compounds of gas and water molecules that are formed under certain thermodynamic conditions. Hydrate deposits occur naturally within ocean sediments just below the sea floor at temperatures and pressures existing below about 500 meters water depth. Gas hydrate is also stable in conjunction with the permafrost in the Arctic. Most marine gas hydrate is formed of microbially generated gas. It binds huge amounts of methane into the sediments. Estimates of the amounts of methane sequestered in gas hydrates worldwide are speculative and range from about 100,000 to 270,000,000 trillion cubic feet (modified from Kvenvolden, 1993). Gas hydrate is one of the fossil fuel resources that is yet untapped, but may play a major role in meeting the energy challenge of this century. In this project novel techniques were developed to form and dissociate methane hydrates in porous media, to measure acoustic properties and CT properties during hydrate dissociation in the presence of a porous medium. Hydrate depressurization experiments in cores were simulated with the use of TOUGHFx/HYDRATE simulator. Input/output software was developed to simulate variable pressure boundary condition and improve the ease of use of the simulator. A series of simulations needed to be run to mimic the variable pressure condition at the production well. The experiments can be matched qualitatively by the hydrate simulator. The temperature of the core falls during hydrate dissociation; the temperature drop is higher if the fluid withdrawal rate is higher. The pressure and temperature gradients are small within the core. The sodium iodide concentration affects the dissociation pressure and rate. This procedure and data will be useful in designing future hydrate studies.

Time lapse survey plan on the first offshore methane hydrate production test in 2013 around the eastern Nankai Trough area by multi-component OBC seismic tool

Science.gov (United States)

Inamori, T.; Hayashi, T.; Asakawa, E.; Takahashi, H.; Saeki, T.

2011-12-01

We are planning to conduct the multi-component ocean bottom cable (hereafter OBC) seismic survey to monitor the methane hydrate dissociation zone at the 1st offshore methane hydrate production test site in the eastern Nankai Trough, Japan, in 2013. We conducted the first OBC survey in the methane hydrate concentrated zone around the eastern Nankai Trough area in 2006 by RSCS which we developed. We obtained to the good image of methane hydrate bearing layer by P-P section as similar as the conventional surface seismic survey. However, we could not obtain the good image from P-S section compared with P-P section. On the other hand, we studied the sonic velocity distribution at the Mallik 2nd production test before and after in 2007, by the sonic tool data. We could clearly delineate the decrease of S-wave velocity, however, we could not detect the decrease of P-wave velocity because of the presence of the dissociated methane gas from methane hydrate. From these reason we guess the S-wave data is more proper to delineate the condition of the methane hydrate zone at the methane hydrate production tests than P-wave data. We are now developing the new OBC system, which we call Deep-sea Seismic System (hereafter DSS). The sensor of the DSS will install three accelerometers and one hydrophone. A feasibility study to detect the methane hydrate dissociation with the DSS was carried out and we found that the methane hydrate dissociation could be detected with the DSS depending on the zone of the dissociation. And the baseline survey will be held at the 1st offshore methane hydrate production test site in summer 2012. Two monitoring surveys are planned after the methane hydrate production test in 2013. We believe that we will get the good images to delineate the methane hydrate dissociated zone from this time lapse survey. The Authors would like to thank METI, MH21 consortium and JOGMEC for permissions to publish this paper.

Molecular Simulation of the Phase Diagram of Methane Hydrate: Free Energy Calculations, Direct Coexistence Method, and Hyperparallel Tempering.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Dongliang; Coasne, Benoit

2017-10-24

Different molecular simulation strategies are used to assess the stability of methane hydrate under various temperature and pressure conditions. First, using two water molecular models, free energy calculations consisting of the Einstein molecule approach in combination with semigrand Monte Carlo simulations are used to determine the pressure-temperature phase diagram of methane hydrate. With these calculations, we also estimate the chemical potentials of water and methane and methane occupancy at coexistence. Second, we also consider two other advanced molecular simulation techniques that allow probing the phase diagram of methane hydrate: the direct coexistence method in the Grand Canonical ensemble and the hyperparallel tempering Monte Carlo method. These two direct techniques are found to provide stability conditions that are consistent with the pressure-temperature phase diagram obtained using rigorous free energy calculations. The phase diagram obtained in this work, which is found to be consistent with previous simulation studies, is close to its experimental counterpart provided the TIP4P/Ice model is used to describe the water molecule.

Preliminary Experimental Examination Of Controls On Methane Expulsion During Melting Of Natural Gas Hydrate Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kneafsey, T. J.; Flemings, P. B.; Bryant, S. L.; You, K.; Polito, P. J.

2013-12-01

Global climate change will cause warming of the oceans and land. This will affect the occurrence, behavior, and location of subseafloor and subterranean methane hydrate deposits. We suggest that in many natural systems local salinity, elevated by hydrate formation or freshened by hydrate dissociation, may control gas transport through the hydrate stability zone. We are performing experiments and modeling the experiments to explore this behavior for different warming scenarios. Initially, we are exploring hydrate association/dissociation in saline systems with constant water mass. We compare experiments run with saline (3.5 wt. %) water vs. distilled water in a sand mixture at an initial water saturation of ~0.5. We increase the pore fluid (methane) pressure to 1050 psig. We then stepwise cool the sample into the hydrate stability field (~3 degrees C), allowing methane gas to enter as hydrate forms. We measure resistivity and the mass of methane consumed. We are currently running these experiments and we predict our results from equilibrium thermodynamics. In the fresh water case, the modeled final hydrate saturation is 63% and all water is consumed. In the saline case, the modeled final hydrate saturation is 47%, the salinity is 12.4 wt. %, and final water saturation is 13%. The fresh water system is water-limited: all the water is converted to hydrate. In the saline system, pore water salinity is elevated and salt is excluded from the hydrate structure during hydrate formation until the salinity drives the system to three phase equilibrium (liquid, gas, hydrate) and no further hydrate forms. In our laboratory we can impose temperature gradients within the column, and we will use this to investigate equilibrium conditions in large samples subjected to temperature gradients and changing temperature. In these tests, we will quantify the hydrate saturation and salinity over our meter-long sample using spatially distributed temperature sensors, spatially distributed

BSR and methane hydrates: New challenges for geophysics and rock physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nur, A. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Geophysics

1996-12-31

It is generally accepted that solid gas hydrates which form within the uppermost few hundred meters of the sea floor are responsible for so-called Bottom Simulating Reflectors (BSRs) at continental margins. Gas to solid volumetric ratio in recovered hydrate samples may be as large as 170. Consequently, huge amounts of compressed methane (more than twice all recoverable and nonrecoverable oil, gas, and coal on earth) may exist under earth`s oceans. These hydrates are a potential energy resource, they influence global warming and effect seafloor mechanical stability. It is possible, in principle, to obtain a quantitative estimate of the amount and state of existing hydrates by relating seismic velocity to the volume of gas hydrate in porous sediments. This can be done by linking the elastic properties of hydrated sediments to their internal structure. The authors approach this problem by examining two micromechanical models of hydrate deposition in the pore space: (1) the hydrate cements grain contacts and thus significantly stiffens the sediment; and (2) the hydrate is located away from grain contacts and only weakly affects the stiffness of the sediment frame. To discriminate between the two models the authors use the Amplitude Versus Offset (AVO) technique of seismic data processing. This approach allows them to estimate the amount of gas hydrates in the pore space, and also to tell whether the permeability of the hydrated sediment is high or low. The latter is important for determining whether free methane can be trapped underneath a BSR.

Protocol for Measuring the Thermal Properties of a Supercooled Synthetic Sand-water-gas-methane Hydrate Sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Muraoka, Michihiro; Susuki, Naoko; Yamaguchi, Hiroko; Tsuji, Tomoya; Yamamoto, Yoshitaka

2016-03-21

Methane hydrates (MHs) are present in large amounts in the ocean floor and permafrost regions. Methane and hydrogen hydrates are being studied as future energy resources and energy storage media. To develop a method for gas production from natural MH-bearing sediments and hydrate-based technologies, it is imperative to understand the thermal properties of gas hydrates. The thermal properties' measurements of samples comprising sand, water, methane, and MH are difficult because the melting heat of MH may affect the measurements. To solve this problem, we performed thermal properties' measurements at supercooled conditions during MH formation. The measurement protocol, calculation method of the saturation change, and tips for thermal constants' analysis of the sample using transient plane source techniques are described here. The effect of the formation heat of MH on measurement is very small because the gas hydrate formation rate is very slow. This measurement method can be applied to the thermal properties of the gas hydrate-water-guest gas system, which contains hydrogen, CO2, and ozone hydrates, because the characteristic low formation rate of gas hydrate is not unique to MH. The key point of this method is the low rate of phase transition of the target material. Hence, this method may be applied to other materials having low phase-transition rates.

International Workshop on Methane Hydrate Research and Development (4th) Held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on May 9-11, 2005

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Coffin, Richard B; Chapman, Ross

2006-01-01

... on methane hydrate research. The 2.5-day workshop included plenary lectures and panel discussions, conducted as a working event where all participants engaged in open discussions to develop collaborative methane hydrate studies...

Deep-Water Acoustic Anomalies from Methane Hydrate in the Bering Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Warren T.; Barth, Ginger A.; Scholl, David W.; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina

2015-01-01

A recent expedition to the central Bering Sea, one of the most remote locations in the world, has yielded observations confirming gas and gas hydrates in this deep ocean basin. Significant sound speed anomalies found using inversion of pre-stack seismic data are observed in association with variable seismic amplitude anomalies in the thick sediment column. The anomalously low sound speeds below the inferred base of methane hydrate stability indicate the presence of potentially large quantities of gas-phase methane associated with each velocity-amplitude anomaly (VAMP). The data acquired are of such high quality that quantitative estimates of the concentrations of gas hydrates in the upper few hundred meters of sediment are also possible, and analyses are under way to make these estimates. Several VAMPs were specifically targeted in this survey; others were crossed incidentally. Indications of many dozens or hundreds of these features exist throughout the portion of the Bering Sea relevant to the U.S. extended continental shelf (ECS) consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 

Methane Hydrate Pellet Transport Using the Self-Preservation Effect: A Techno-Economic Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans Osterkamp

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Within the German integrated project SUGAR, aiming for the development of new technologies for the exploration and exploitation of submarine gas hydrates, the option of gas transport by gas hydrate pellets has been comprehensively re-investigated. A series of pVT dissociation experiments, combined with analytical tools such as x-ray diffraction and cryo-SEM, were used to gather an additional level of understanding on effects controlling ice formation. Based on these new findings and the accessible literature, knowns and unknowns of the self-preservation effect important for the technology are summarized. A conceptual process design for methane hydrate production and pelletisation has been developed. For the major steps identified, comprising (i hydrate formation; (ii dewatering; (iii pelletisation; (iv pellet cooling; and (v pressure relief, available technologies have been evaluated, and modifications and amendments included where needed. A hydrate carrier has been designed, featuring amongst other technical solutions a pivoted cargo system with the potential to mitigate sintering, an actively cooled containment and cargo distribution system, and a dual fuel engine allowing the use of the boil-off gas. The design was constrained by the properties of gas hydrate pellets, the expected operation on continental slopes in areas with rough seas, a scenario-defined loading capacity of 20,000 m³ methane hydrate pellets, and safety as well as environmental considerations. A risk analysis for the transport at sea has been carried out in this early stage of development, and the safety level of the new concept was compared to the safety level of other ship types with similar scopes, i.e., LNG carriers and crude oil tankers. Based on the results of the technological part of this study, and with best knowledge available on the alternative technologies, i.e., pipeline, LNG and CNG transportation, an evaluation of the economic

HyFlux - Part I: Regional Modeling of Methane Flux From Near-Seafloor Gas Hydrate Deposits on Continental Margins

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, I. R.; Asper, V.; Garcia, O. P.; Kastner, M.; Leifer, I.; Naehr, T.; Solomon, E.; Yvon-Lewis, S.; Zimmer, B.

2008-12-01

HyFlux - Part I: Regional modeling of methane flux from near-seafloor gas hydrate deposits on continental margins MacDonald, I.R., Asper, V., Garcia, O., Kastner, M., Leifer, I., Naehr, T.H., Solomon, E., Yvon-Lewis, S., and Zimmer, B. The Dept. of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE/NETL) has recently awarded a project entitled HyFlux: "Remote sensing and sea-truth measurements of methane flux to the atmosphere." The project will address this problem with a combined effort of satellite remote sensing and data collection at proven sites in the Gulf of Mexico where gas hydrate releases gas to the water column. Submarine gas hydrate is a large pool of greenhouse gas that may interact with the atmosphere over geologic time to affect climate cycles. In the near term, the magnitude of methane reaching the atmosphere from gas hydrate on continental margins is poorly known because 1) gas hydrate is exposed to metastable oceanic conditions in shallow, dispersed deposits that are poorly imaged by standard geophysical techniques and 2) the consumption of methane in marine sediments and in the water column is subject to uncertainty. The northern GOM is a prolific hydrocarbon province where rapid migration of oil, gases, and brines from deep subsurface petroleum reservoirs occurs through faults generated by salt tectonics. Focused expulsion of hydrocarbons is manifested at the seafloor by gas vents, gas hydrates, oil seeps, chemosynthetic biological communities, and mud volcanoes. Where hydrocarbon seeps occur in depths below the hydrate stability zone (~500m), rapid flux of gas will feed shallow deposits of gas hydrate that potentially interact with water column temperature changes; oil released from seeps forms sea-surface features that can be detected in remote-sensing images. The regional phase of the project will quantify verifiable sources of methane (and oil) the Gulf of Mexico continental margin and selected margins (e.g. Pakistan Margin, South China Sea

Submarine methane hydrates - Potential fuel resource of the 21st century

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Desa, E.

of these countries to initiate harvesting methane hydrates as soon as scientists and technologists come forward with dependable, safe and cost effective mechanisms to explore and exploit this resource. Technological factors : Lack of suitable production technology... reduction in deep-water development costs. All these are positive factors for hydrate exploration and development. Much of the engineering required to exploit these deposits can be achieved by suitably adopting proven technology currently used...

Methane Hydrate Formation from Enhanced Organic Carbon Burial During Glacial Lowstands: Examples from the Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Malinverno, A.; Cook, A.; Daigle, H.; Oryan, B.

2017-12-01

Methane hydrates in fine-grained marine sediments are often found within veins and fractures occupying discrete depth intervals that are surrounded by hydrate-free sediments. As they are not connected with gas sources beneath the base of the methane hydrate stability zone (MHSZ), these isolated hydrate-bearing intervals have been interpreted as formed by in situ microbial methane. We investigate here the hypothesis that these hydrate deposits form in sediments that were deposited during glacial lowstands and contain higher amounts of labile particulate organic carbon (POC), leading to enhanced microbial methanogenesis. During Pleistocene lowstands, river loads are deposited near the steep top of the continental slope and turbidity currents transport organic-rich, fine-grained sediments to deep waters. Faster sedimentation rates during glacial periods result in better preservation of POC because of decreased exposure times to oxic conditions. The net result is that more labile POC enters the methanogenic zone and more methane is generated in these sediments. To test this hypothesis, we apply an advection-diffusion-reaction model with a time-dependent deposition of labile POC at the seafloor controlled by glacioeustatic sea level variations in the last 250 kyr. The model is run for parameters estimated at three sites drilled by the 2009 Gulf of Mexico Joint Industry Project: Walker Ridge in the Terrebonne Basin (WR313-G and WR313-H) and Green Canyon near the canyon embayment into the Sigsbee Escarpment (GC955-H). In the model, gas hydrate forms in sediments with higher labile POC content deposited during the glacial cycle between 230 and 130 kyr (marine isotope stages 6 and 7). The corresponding depth intervals in the three sites contain hydrates, as shown by high bulk electrical resistivities and resistive subvertical fracture fills. This match supports the hypothesis that enhanced POC burial during glacial lowstands can result in hydrate formation from in situ

Methane Hydrate Formation from Enhanced Organic Carbon Burial During Glacial Lowstands: Examples from the Gulf of Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malinverno, Alberto; Cook, Ann; Daigle, Hugh; Oryan, Bar

2017-12-15

Methane hydrates in fine-grained marine sediments are often found within veins and fractures occupying discrete depth intervals that are surrounded by hydrate-free sediments. As they are not connected with gas sources beneath the base of the methane hydrate stability zone (MHSZ), these isolated hydrate-bearing intervals have been interpreted as formed by in situ microbial methane. We investigate here the hypothesis that these hydrate deposits form in sediments that were deposited during glacial lowstands and contain higher amounts of labile particulate organic carbon (POC), leading to enhanced microbial methanogenesis. During Pleistocene lowstands, river loads are deposited near the steep top of the continental slope and turbidity currents transport organic-rich, fine-grained sediments to deep waters. Faster sedimentation rates during glacial periods result in better preservation of POC because of decreased exposure times to oxic conditions. The net result is that more labile POC enters the methanogenic zone and more methane is generated in these sediments. To test this hypothesis, we apply an advection-diffusion-reaction model with a time-dependent deposition of labile POC at the seafloor controlled by glacioeustatic sea level variations in the last 250 kyr. The model is run for parameters estimated at three sites drilled by the 2009 Gulf of Mexico Joint Industry Project: Walker Ridge in the Terrebonne Basin (WR313-G and WR313-H) and Green Canyon near the canyon embayment into the Sigsbee Escarpment (GC955-H). In the model, gas hydrate forms in sediments with higher labile POC content deposited during the glacial cycle between 230 and 130 kyr (marine isotope stages 6 and 7). The corresponding depth intervals in the three sites contain hydrates, as shown by high bulk electrical resistivities and resistive subvertical fracture fills. This match supports the hypothesis that enhanced POC burial during glacial lowstands can result in hydrate formation from in situ

Water Transfer Characteristics during Methane Hydrate Formation Processes in Layered Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yousheng Deng

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Gas hydrate formation processes in porous media are always accompanied by water transfer. To study the transfer characteristics comprehensively, two kinds of layered media consisting of coarse sand and loess were used to form methane hydrate in them. An apparatus with three PF-meter sensors detecting water content and temperature changes in media during the formation processes was applied to study the water transfer characteristics. It was experimentally observed that the hydrate formation configurations in different layered media were similar; however, the water transfer characteristics and water conversion ratios were different.

Biogeographical distribution and diversity of microbes in methane hydrate-bearing deep marine sediments, on the Pacific Ocean Margin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Inagaki, F.; Nunoura, T.; Nakagawa, S.

2006-01-01

The deep subseafloor biosphere is among the least-understood habitats on Earth, even though the huge microbial biomass therein plays an important role for potential long-term controls on global biogeochemical cycles. We report here the vertical and geographical distribution of microbes and their ......The deep subseafloor biosphere is among the least-understood habitats on Earth, even though the huge microbial biomass therein plays an important role for potential long-term controls on global biogeochemical cycles. We report here the vertical and geographical distribution of microbes...... of the uncultivated Deep-Sea Archaeal Group were consistently the dominant phylotype in sediments associated with methane hydrate. Sediment cores lacking methane hydrates displayed few or no Deep-Sea Archaeal Group phylotypes. Bacterial communities in the methane hydrate-bearing sediments were dominated by members...

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Surface Sediments and methane hydrate-bearing sediments in the Shenhu area of South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, J.; Shen, Z.; Jia, Y.

2017-12-01

Methane hydrates are superior energy resources and potential predisposing factors of geohazard. With the success in China's persistent exploitation of methane hydrates in the Shenhu area of South China Sea for 60 days, there is an increasing demand for detailed knowledge of sediment properties and hazard assessment in this area. In this paper, the physical and mechanical properties of both the surface sediments and methane hydrate-bearing sediments (MHBS) in the exploitation area, the Shenhu area of South China Sea, were investigated using laboratory geotechnical experiments, and triaxial tests were carried out on remolded sediment samples using a modified triaxial apparatus. The results show that sediments in this area are mainly silt with high moisture content, high plasticity, low permeability and low shear strength. The moisture content and permeability decrease while the shear strength increases with the increasing depth. The elastic modulus and peak strength of MHBS increase with the increasing effective confining pressure and higher hydrate saturation. The cohesion increases with higher hydrate saturation while the internal friction angle is barely affected by hydrate saturation. The obtained results demonstrate clearly that methane hydrates have significant impacts on the physical and mechanical properties of sediments and there is still a wide gap in knowledge about MHBS.

Thermodynamic calculations in the system CH4-H2O and methane hydrate phase equilibria

Science.gov (United States)

Circone, S.; Kirby, S.H.; Stern, L.A.

2006-01-01

Using the Gibbs function of reaction, equilibrium pressure, temperature conditions for the formation of methane clathrate hydrate have been calculated from the thermodynamic properties of phases in the system CH4-H 2O. The thermodynamic model accurately reproduces the published phase-equilibria data to within ??2 K of the observed equilibrium boundaries in the range 0.08-117 MPa and 190-307 K. The model also provides an estimate of the third-law entropy of methane hydrate at 273.15 K, 0.1 MPa of 56.2 J mol-1 K-1 for 1/n CH4??H 2O, where n is the hydrate number. Agreement between the calculated and published phase-equilibria data is optimized when the hydrate composition is fixed and independent of the pressure and temperature for the conditions modeled. ?? 2006 American Chemical Society.

Modeling of methane bubbles released from large sea-floor area: Condition required for methane emission to the atmosphere

OpenAIRE

Yamamoto, A.; Yamanaka, Y.; Tajika, E.

2009-01-01

Massive methane release from sea-floor sediments due to decomposition of methane hydrate, and thermal decomposition of organic matter by volcanic outgassing, is a potential contributor to global warming. However, the degree of global warming has not been estimated due to uncertainty over the proportion of methane flux from the sea-floor to reach the atmosphere. Massive methane release from a large sea-floor area would result in methane-saturated seawater, thus some methane would reach the atm...

Instrumented Pressure Testing Chamber (IPTC) Characterization of Methane Gas Hydrate-Bearing Pressure Cores Collected from the Methane Production Test Site in the Eastern Nankai Trough, Offshore Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Waite, W. F.; Santamarina, J. C.; Dai, S.; Winters, W. J.; Yoneda, J.; Konno, Y.; Nagao, J.; Suzuki, K.; Fujii, T.; Mason, D. H.; Bergeron, E.

2014-12-01

Pressure cores obtained at the Daini-Atsumi Knoll in the eastern Nankai Trough, the site of the methane hydrate production test completed by the Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (MH21) project in March 2013, were recovered from ~300 meters beneath the sea floor at close to in situ pressure. Cores were subsequently stored at ~20 MPa and ~5°C, which maintained hydrate in the cores within stability conditions. Pressure core physical properties were measured at 10 MPa and ~6°C, also within the methane hydrate stability field, using the IPTC and other Pressure Core Characterization Tools (PCCTs). Discrete IPTC measurements were carried out in strata ranging from silty sands to clayey silts within the turbidite sequences recovered in the cores. As expected, hydrate saturations were greatest in more permeable coarser-grained layers. Key results include: 1) Where hydrate saturation exceeded 40% in sandy sediments, the gas hydrate binds sediment grains within the matrix. The pressure core analyses yielded nearly in situ mechanical properties despite the absence of effective stress in the IPTC. 2) In adjacent fine-grained sediment (hydrate saturation < 15%), hydrate did not significantly bind the sediment. IPTC results in these locations were consistent with the zero effective-stress limit of comparable measurements made in PCCT devices that are designed to restore the specimen's in situ effective stress. In sand-rich intervals with high gas hydrate saturations, the measured compressional and shear wave velocities suggest that hydrate acts as a homogeneously-distributed, load-bearing member of the bulk sediment. The sands with high gas hydrate saturations were prone to fracturing (brittle failure) during insertion of the cone penetrometer and electrical conductivity probes. Authors would like to express their sincere appreciation to MH21 and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for permitting this work to be disclosed at the 2014 Fall AGU meeting.

3Wave propagation in rock samples under medium and low temperature conditions. Characteristics of methane hydrate-BSR phenomena; Chu teion ryoiki ni okeru ganseki shiryo no hado denpa tokusei. 1. Methane hydrate BSR gensho no kosatsu suitei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rokugawa, S; Kato, Y; Matsushima, J; Sano, A [The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1997-10-22

In relation to sea-bottom pseudo reflection face and methane hydrate in seismic exploration records, fundamental experimental studies have been made. In order to get a handhold to elucidate phenomena accompanying methane hydrate, the studies have investigated wave propagation behavior of rock samples and sandy sediments under medium and low temperature conditions. The experiments have used a constant-temperature cooling water circulating equipment to control temperatures of each sample. The samples were placed in a cooler box with the vibration transmitter and receiver fixedly installed, and changes of the waves against temperature change were measured. Sand-stones and two kinds of tuffs were used as rock samples for the measurement. Artificial sand sample soaked in water was used as a substitute for a methane hydrate layer. As a result of the experiments, the relation between the hydrate layer and the gas layer was comprehended. In addition, the blanking phenomenon was thought occurring as a result of the nearly whole substance presenting the speed of ice due to freezing of the sediments, rather than by what is described in the ground homogeneousness theory. 5 refs., 9 figs.

Time-series measurements of bubble plume variability and water column methane distribution above Southern Hydrate Ridge, Oregon

Science.gov (United States)

Philip, Brendan T.; Denny, Alden R.; Solomon, Evan A.; Kelley, Deborah S.

2016-03-01

An estimated 500-2500 gigatons of methane carbon is sequestered in gas hydrate at continental margins and some of these deposits are associated with overlying methane seeps. To constrain the impact that seeps have on methane concentrations in overlying ocean waters and to characterize the bubble plumes that transport methane vertically into the ocean, water samples and time-series acoustic images were collected above Southern Hydrate Ridge (SHR), a well-studied hydrate-bearing seep site ˜90 km west of Newport, Oregon. These data were coregistered with robotic vehicle observations to determine the origin of the seeps, the plume rise heights above the seafloor, and the temporal variability in bubble emissions. Results show that the locations of seep activity and bubble release remained unchanged over the 3 year time-series investigation, however, the magnitude of gas release was highly variable on hourly time scales. Bubble plumes were detected to depths of 320-620 m below sea level (mbsl), in several cases exceeding the upper limit of hydrate stability by ˜190 m. For the first time, sustained gas release was imaged at the Pinnacle site and in-between the Pinnacle and the Summit area of venting, indicating that the subseafloor transport of fluid and gas is not restricted to the Summit at SHR, requiring a revision of fluid-flow models. Dissolved methane concentrations above background levels from 100 to 300 mbsl are consistent with long-term seep gas transport into the upper water column, which may lead to the build-up of seep-derived carbon in regional subsurface waters and to increases in associated biological activity.

Giant seafloor craters formed by hydrate-controlled large-scale methane expulsion from the Arctic seafloor after ice sheet retreat

Science.gov (United States)

Andreassen, K.; Hubbard, A.; Patton, H.; Vadakkepuliyambatta, S.; Winsborrow, M.; Plaza-Faverola, A. A.; Serov, P.

2017-12-01

Large-scale methane releases from thawing Arctic gas hydrates is a major concern, yet the processes and fluxes involved remain elusive. We present geophysical data indicating two contrasting processes of natural methane emissions from the seafloor of the northern Barents Sea, Polar North Atlantic. Abundant gas flares, acoustically imaged in the water column reveal slow, gradual release of methane bubbles, a process that is commonly documented from nearby areas, elsewhere in the Arctic and along continental margins worldwide. Conversely, giant craters across the study area indicate a very different process. We propose that these are blow-out craters, formed through large-scale, abrupt methane expulsion induced when gas hydrates destabilized after the Barents Sea Ice Sheet retreated from the area. The data reveal over 100 giant seafloor craters within an area of 440 km2. These are up to 1000 m in diameter, 30 m deep and with a semi-circular to elliptical shape. We also identified numerous large seafloor mounds, which we infer to have formed by the expansion of gas hydrate accumulations within the shallow subsurface, so-called gas hydrate pingos. These are up to 1100 m wide and 20 m high. Smaller craters and mounds < 200 m wide and with varying relief are abundant across the study site. The empirical observations and analyses are combined with numerical modelling of ice sheet, isostatic and gas hydrate evolution and indicate that during glaciation, natural gas migrating from underlying hydrocarbon reservoirs was stored as subglacial gas hydrates. On ice sheet retreat, methane from these hydrate reservoirs and underlying free gas built up and abruptly released, forming the giant mounds and craters observed in the study area today. Petroleum basins are abundant beneath formerly and presently glaciated regions. We infer that episodes of subglacial sequestration of gas hydrates and underlying free gas and subsequent abrupt expulsions were common and widespread throughout

Response of the Black Sea methane budget to massive short-term submarine inputs of methane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmale, O.; Haeckel, M.; McGinnis, D. F.

2011-01-01

A steady state box model was developed to estimate the methane input into the Black Sea water column at various water depths. Our model results reveal a total input of methane of 4.7 Tg yr(-1). The model predicts that the input of methane is largest at water depths between 600 and 700 m (7......% of the total input), suggesting that the dissociation of methane gas hydrates at water depths equivalent to their upper stability limit may represent an important source of methane into the water column. In addition we discuss the effects of massive short-term methane inputs (e. g. through eruptions of deep......-water mud volcanoes or submarine landslides at intermediate water depths) on the water column methane distribution and the resulting methane emission to the atmosphere. Our non-steady state simulations predict that these inputs will be effectively buffered by intense microbial methane consumption...

High-pressure structures of methane hydrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirai, H; Uchihara, Y; Fujihisa, H; Sakashita, M; Katoh, E; Aoki, K; Yamamoto, Y; Nagashima, K; Yagi, T

2002-01-01

Three high-pressure structures of methane hydrate, a hexagonal structure (str. A) and two orthorhombic structures (str. B and str. C), were found by in situ x-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. The well-known structure I (str. I) decomposed into str. A and fluid at 0.8 GPa. Str. A transformed into str. B at 1.6 GPa, and str. B further transformed into str. C at 2.1 GPa which survived above 7.8 GPa. The fluid solidified as ice VI at 1.4 GPa, and the ice VI transformed to ice VII at 2.1 GPa. The bulk moduli, K 0 , for str. I, str. A, and str. C were calculated to be 7.4, 9.8, and 25.0 GPa, respectively

Modeling the methane hydrate formation in an aqueous film submitted to steady cooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Avendano-Gomez, J.R. [ESIQIE, Laboratorio de Ingenieria Quimica Ambiental, Mexico (Mexico). Inst. Politecnico Nacional; Garcia-Sanchez, F. [Laboratorio de Termodinamica, Mexico (Mexico). Inst. Mexicano del Petroleo; Gurrola, D.V. [UPIBI, Laboratorio de Diseno de Plantas, Mexico (Mexico). Inst. Politecnico Nacional

2008-07-01

Gas hydrates, or clathrate hydrates, are ice-like compounds that results from the kinetic process of crystallization of an aqueous solution supersaturated with a dissolved gas. This paper presented a model that took into account two factors involved in the hydrate crystallization, notably the stochastic nature of crystallization that causes sub-cooling and the heat resulting from the exothermic enthalpy of hydrate formation. The purpose of this study was to model the thermal evolution inside a hydrate forming system which was submitted to an imposed steady cooling. The study system was a cylindrical thin film of aqueous solution at 19 Mpa. The study involved using methane as the hydrate forming molecule. It was assumed that methane was homogeneously dissolved in the aqueous phase. Ethane hydrate was formed through a kinetic process of nucleation and crystallization. In order to predict the onset time of nucleation, the induction time needed to be considered. This paper discussed the probability of nucleation as well as the estimation of the rate of nucleation. It also presented the mathematical model and boundary conditions. These included assumptions and derivation of the model; boundary conditions; initial conditions; and numerical solution of the model equation. It was concluded that the heat source must be considered when investigating crystallization effects. 34 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs.

Investigating the influence of lithologic heterogeneity on gas hydrate formation and methane recycling at the base of the gas hydrate stability zone in channelized systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daigle, Hugh; Nole, Michael; Cook, Ann; Malinverno, Alberto

2017-12-14

In marine environments, gas hydrate preferentially accumulates in coarse-grained sediments. At the meso- to micro-scale, however, hydrate distribution in these coarse-grained units is often heterogeneous. We employ a methane hydrate reservoir simulator coupling heat and mass transfer as well as capillary effects to investigate how capillary controls on methane solubility affect gas and hydrate accumulations in reservoirs characterized by graded bedding and alternating sequences of coarse-grained sands and fine-grained silt and clay. Simulations bury a channelized reservoir unit encased in homogeneous, fine-grained material characterized by small pores (150 nm) and low permeability (~1 md in the absence of hydrate). Pore sizes within each reservoir bed between vary between coarse sand and fine silt. Sands have a median pore size of 35 microns and a lognormal pore size distribution. We also investigate how the amount of labile organic carbon (LOC) affects hydrate growth due to microbial methanogenesis within the sediments. In a diffusion-dominated system, methane movies into reservoir layers along spatial gradients in dissolved methane concentration. Hydrate grows in such a way as to minimize these concentration gradients by accumulating slower in finer-grained reservoir layers and faster in coarser-grained layers. Channelized, fining-upwards sediment bodies accumulate hydrate first along their outer surfaces and thence inward from top to bottom. If LOC is present in thin beds within the channel, higher saturations of hydrate will be distributed more homogeneously throughout the unit. When buried beneath the GHSZ, gas recycling can occur only if enough hydrate is present to form a connected gas phase upon dissociation. Simulations indicate that this is difficult to achieve for diffusion-dominated systems, especially those with thick GHSZs and/or small amounts of LOC. However, capillary-driven fracturing behavior may be more prevalent in settings with thick GHSZs.

Characterization of Methane Degradation and Methane-Degrading Microbes in Alaska Coastal Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirchman, David L. [Univ. of Delaware, Lewes, DE (United States)

2012-03-29

The net flux of methane from methane hydrates and other sources to the atmosphere depends on methane degradation as well as methane production and release from geological sources. The goal of this project was to examine methane-degrading archaea and organic carbon oxidizing bacteria in methane-rich and methane-poor sediments of the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. The Beaufort Sea system was sampled as part of a multi-disciplinary expedition (Methane in the Arctic Shelf or MIDAS) in September 2009. Microbial communities were examined by quantitative PCR analyses of 16S rRNA genes and key methane degradation genes (pmoA and mcrA involved in aerobic and anaerobic methane degradation, respectively), tag pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes to determine the taxonomic make up of microbes in these sediments, and sequencing of all microbial genes (metagenomes ). The taxonomic and functional make-up of the microbial communities varied with methane concentrations, with some data suggesting higher abundances of potential methane-oxidizing archaea in methane-rich sediments. Sequence analysis of PCR amplicons revealed that most of the mcrA genes were from the ANME-2 group of methane oxidizers. According to metagenomic data, genes involved in methane degradation and other degradation pathways changed with sediment depth along with sulfate and methane concentrations. Most importantly, sulfate reduction genes decreased with depth while the anaerobic methane degradation gene (mcrA) increased along with methane concentrations. The number of potential methane degradation genes (mcrA) was low and inconsistent with other data indicating the large impact of methane on these sediments. The data can be reconciled if a small number of potential methane-oxidizing archaea mediates a large flux of carbon in these sediments. Our study is the first to report metagenomic data from sediments dominated by ANME-2 archaea and is one of the few to examine the entire microbial assemblage potentially involved in

Kinetics of CO2 and methane hydrate formation : an experimental analysis in the bulk phase

NARCIS (Netherlands)

He, Y.; Rudolph, E.S.J.; Zitha, P.L.J.; Golombok, M.

2011-01-01

Gas resources captured in the form of gas hydrates are by an order of magnitude larger than the resources available from conventional resources. In order to keep the CO2CO2 footprint in the world as small as possible, the idea is to produce methane hydrates and sequestrate CO2CO2 into hydrates in

METHANE HYDRATE PRODUCTION FROM ALASKAN PERMAFROST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard Sigal; Kent Newsham; Thomas Williams; Barry Freifeld; Timothy Kneafsey; Carl Sondergeld; Shandra Rai; Jonathan Kwan; Stephen Kirby; Robert Kleinberg; Doug Griffin

2005-02-01

Natural-gas hydrates have been encountered beneath the permafrost and considered a nuisance by the oil and gas industry for years. Engineers working in Russia, Canada and the USA have documented numerous drilling problems, including kicks and uncontrolled gas releases, in arctic regions. Information has been generated in laboratory studies pertaining to the extent, volume, chemistry and phase behavior of gas hydrates. Scientists studying hydrate potential agree that the potential is great--on the North Slope of Alaska alone, it has been estimated at 590 TCF. However, little information has been obtained on physical samples taken from actual rock containing hydrates. The work scope drilled and cored a well The Hot Ice No. 1 on Anadarko leases beginning in FY 2003 and completed in 2004. An on-site core analysis laboratory was built and utilized for determining the physical characteristics of the hydrates and surrounding rock. The well was drilled from a new Anadarko Arctic Platform that has a minimal footprint and environmental impact. The final efforts of the project are to correlate geology, geophysics, logs, and drilling and production data and provide this information to scientists developing reservoir models. No gas hydrates were encountered in this well; however, a wealth of information was generated and is contained in this report. The Hot Ice No. 1 well was drilled from the surface to a measured depth of 2300 ft. There was almost 100% core recovery from the bottom of surface casing at 107 ft to total depth. Based on the best estimate of the bottom of the methane hydrate stability zone (which used new data obtained from Hot Ice No. 1 and new analysis of data from adjacent wells), core was recovered over its complete range. Approximately 580 ft of porous, mostly frozen, sandstone and 155 of conglomerate were recovered in the Ugnu Formation and approximately 215 ft of porous sandstone were recovered in the West Sak Formation. There were gas shows in the bottom

MORPHOLOGY OF METHANE HYDRATE HOST SEDIMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

JONES, K.W.; FENG, H.; TOMOV, S.; WINTER, W.J.; EATON, M.; MAHAJAN, D.

2004-01-01

Results from simulated experiments in several laboratories show that host sediments influence hydrate formation in accord with known heterogeneity of host sediments at sites of gas hydrate occurrence (1). For example, in Mackenzie Delta, NWT Canada (Mallik 2L-38 well), coarser-grained units (pore-filling model) are found whereas in the Gulf of Mexico, the found hydrate samples do not appear to be lithologically controlled. We have initiated a systematic study of sediments, initially focusing on samples from various depths at a specific site, to establish a correlation with hydrate occurrence (or variations thereof) to establish differences in their microstructure, porosity, and other associated properties. The synchrotron computed microtomography (CMT) set-up at the X-27A tomography beam line at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), Brookhaven National Laboratory was used as a tool to study sediments from Blake Ridge at three sub bottom depths of 0.2, 50, and 667 meters. Results from the tomographic analysis of the deepest sample (667 m) are presented here to illustrate how tomography can be used to obtain new insights into the structures of methane hydrate host sediments. The investigation shows the internal grain/pore space resolution in the microstructure and a 3-D visualization of the connecting pathways obtained following data segmentation into pore space and grains within the sediment sample. The analysis gives the sample porosity, specific surface area, mean particle size, and tortuosity, as well. An earlier report on the experimental program has been given by Mahajan et al. (2)

The inhibition of methane hydrate formation by water alignment underneath surface adsorption of surfactants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Ngoc N.; Nguyen, Anh V.; Dang, Liem X.

2017-06-01

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been widely shown to strongly promote the formation of methane hydrate. Here we show that SDS displays an extraordinary inhibition effect on methane hydrate formation when the surfactant is used in sub-millimolar concentration (around 0.3 mM). We have also employed Sum Frequency Generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG) and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) to elucidate the molecular mechanism of this inhibition. The SFG and MDS results revealed a strong alignment of water molecules underneath surface adsorption of SDS in its sub-millimolar solution. Interestingly, both the alignment of water and the inhibition effect (in 0.3 mM SDS solution) went vanishing when an oppositely-charged surfactant (tetra-n-butylammonium bromide, TBAB) was suitably added to produce a mixed solution of 0.3 mM SDS and 3.6 mM TBAB. Combining structural and kinetic results, we pointed out that the alignment of water underneath surface adsorption of dodecyl sulfate (DS-) anions gave rise to the unexpected inhibition of methane hydration formation in sub-millimolar solution of SDS. The adoption of TBAB mitigated the SDS-induced electrostatic field at the solution’s surface and, therefore, weakened the alignment of interfacial water which, in turn, erased the inhibition effect. We discussed this finding using the concept of activation energy of the interfacial formation of gas hydrate. The main finding of this work is to reveal the interplay of interfacial water in governing gas hydrate formation which sheds light on a universal molecular-scale understanding of the influence of surfactants on gas hydrate formation. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences. The calculations were carried out using computer resources provided by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

METHANE HYDRATE PRODUCTION FROM ALASKAN PERMAFROST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas E. Williams; Keith Millheim; Bill Liddell

2005-03-01

Natural-gas hydrates have been encountered beneath the permafrost and considered a nuisance by the oil and gas industry for years. Oil-field engineers working in Russia, Canada and the USA have documented numerous drilling problems, including kicks and uncontrolled gas releases, in Arctic regions. Information has been generated in laboratory studies pertaining to the extent, volume, chemistry and phase behavior of gas hydrates. Scientists studying hydrates agree that the potential is great--on the North Slope of Alaska alone, it has been estimated at 590 TCF. However, little information has been obtained on physical samples taken from actual rock containing hydrates. This gas-hydrate project is a cost-shared partnership between Maurer Technology, Anadarko Petroleum, Noble Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Methane Hydrate R&D program. The purpose of the project is to build on previous and ongoing R&D in the area of onshore hydrate deposition to help identify, quantify and predict production potential for hydrates located on the North Slope of Alaska. As part of the project work scope, team members drilled and cored the HOT ICE No. 1 on Anadarko leases beginning in January 2003 and completed in March 2004. Due to scheduling constraints imposed by the Arctic drilling season, operations at the site were suspended between April 21, 2003 and January 30, 2004. An on-site core analysis laboratory was designed, constructed and used for determining physical characteristics of frozen core immediately after it was retrieved from the well. The well was drilled from a new and innovative Anadarko Arctic Platform that has a greatly reduced footprint and environmental impact. Final efforts of the project were to correlate geology, geophysics, logs, and drilling and production data and provide this information to scientists for future hydrate operations. Unfortunately, no gas hydrates were encountered in this well; however, a wealth of information was generated

Methane hydrate distribution from prolonged and repeated formation in natural and compacted sand samples: X-ray CT observations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rees, E.V.L.; Kneafsey, T.J.; Seol, Y.

2010-07-01

To study physical properties of methane gas hydrate-bearing sediments, it is necessary to synthesize laboratory samples due to the limited availability of cores from natural deposits. X-ray computed tomography (CT) and other observations have shown gas hydrate to occur in a number of morphologies over a variety of sediment types. To aid in understanding formation and growth patterns of hydrate in sediments, methane hydrate was repeatedly formed in laboratory-packed sand samples and in a natural sediment core from the Mount Elbert Stratigraphic Test Well. CT scanning was performed during hydrate formation and decomposition steps, and periodically while the hydrate samples remained under stable conditions for up to 60 days. The investigation revealed the impact of water saturation on location and morphology of hydrate in both laboratory and natural sediments during repeated hydrate formations. Significant redistribution of hydrate and water in the samples was observed over both the short and long term.

Permafrost-associated gas hydrates of Northern Alaska: A possible source of atmospheric methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collett, T.S.

1991-01-01

Numerous researchers have suggested that destabilized gas hydrates may be contributing to this buildup in atmospheric methane. Little is known about the geologic or geochemical nature of gas hydrates, even though they are known to occur in numerous arctic sedimentary basins. Because of the abundance of available geologic data, the author's research has focused on assessing the distribution of gas hydrates within the onshore regions of northern Alaska; currently, onshore permafrost-associated gas hydrates are believed to be insulated from most atmospheric temperature changes and are not at this time an important source of atmospheric methane. Their onshore gas hydrate studies, however, can be used to develop geologic analogs for potential gas hydrate occurrences within unexplored areas, such as the thermally unstable nearshore continental shelf. On the North Slope, gas hydrates have been identified in 36 industry wells by using well-log responses calibrated to the response of an interval in one well where gas hydrates were recovered in a core by an oil company. Most gas hydrates they identified occur in six laterally continuous Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary sandstone and conglomerate units; all these hydrates are geographically restricted to the area overlying the eastern part of the Kuparuk River Oil Field and the western part of the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. Stable carbon isotope geochemical analysis of well cuttings suggests that the identified hydrates originated from a mixture of deep-source thermogenic gas and shallow microbial gas that was either directly converted to gas hydrate or first concentrated in existing traps and later converted to gas hydrate. They postulate that the thermogenic gas migrated from deeper reservoirs along the faults thought to be migration pathways for the large volumes of shallow, heavy oil found in the same area

Direct phase coexistence molecular dynamics study of the phase equilibria of the ternary methane-carbon dioxide-water hydrate system.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalis, Vasileios K; Tsimpanogiannis, Ioannis N; Stubos, Athanassios K; Economou, Ioannis G

2016-09-14

Molecular dynamics simulation is used to predict the phase equilibrium conditions of a ternary hydrate system. In particular, the direct phase coexistence methodology is implemented for the determination of the three-phase coexistence temperature of the methane-carbon dioxide-water hydrate system at elevated pressures. The TIP4P/ice, TraPPE-UA and OPLS-UA forcefields for water, carbon dioxide and methane respectively are used, in line with our previous studies of the phase equilibria of the corresponding binary hydrate systems. The solubility in the aqueous phase of the guest molecules of the respective binary and ternary systems is examined under hydrate-forming conditions, providing insight into the predictive capability of the methodology as well as the combination of these forcefields to accurately describe the phase behavior of the ternary system. The three-phase coexistence temperature is calculated at 400, 1000 and 2000 bar for two compositions of the methane-carbon dioxide mixture. The predicted values are compared with available calculations with satisfactory agreement. An estimation is also provided for the fraction of the guest molecules in the mixed hydrate phase under the conditions examined.

Fluid flow and methane occurrences in the Disko Bugt area offshore West Greenland: indications for gas hydrates?

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Tove; Laier, Troels; Kuijpers, Antoon; Rasmussen, Tine L.; Mikkelsen, Naja E.; Nørgård-Pedersen, Niels

2014-12-01

The present study is the first to directly address the issue of gas hydrates offshore West Greenland, where numerous occurrences of shallow hydrocarbons have been documented in the vicinity of Disko Bugt (Bay). Furthermore, decomposing gas hydrate has been implied to explain seabed features in this climate-sensitive area. The study is based on archive data and new (2011, 2012) shallow seismic and sediment core data. Archive seismic records crossing an elongated depression (20×35 km large, 575 m deep) on the inner shelf west of Disko Bugt (Bay) show a bottom simulating reflector (BSR) within faulted Mesozoic strata, consistent with the occurrence of gas hydrates. Moreover, the more recently acquired shallow seismic data reveal gas/fluid-related features in the overlying sediments, and geochemical data point to methane migration from a deeper-lying petroleum system. By contrast, hydrocarbon signatures within faulted Mesozoic strata below the strait known as the Vaigat can be inferred on archive seismics, but no BSR was visible. New seismic data provide evidence of various gas/fluid-releasing features in the overlying sediments. Flares were detected by the echo-sounder in July 2012, and cores contained ikaite and showed gas-releasing cracks and bubbles, all pointing to ongoing methane seepage in the strait. Observed seabed mounds also sustain gas seepages. For areas where crystalline bedrock is covered only by Pleistocene-Holocene deposits, methane was found only in the Egedesminde Dyb (Trough). There was a strong increase in methane concentration with depth, but no free gas. This is likely due to the formation of gas hydrate and the limited thickness of the sediment infill. Seabed depressions off Ilulissat Isfjord (Icefjord) previously inferred to express ongoing gas release from decomposing gas hydrate show no evidence of gas seepage, and are more likely a result of neo-tectonism.

METHANE HYDRATE PRODUCTION FROM ALASKAN PERMAFROST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donn McGuire; Steve Runyon; Richard Sigal; Bill Liddell; Thomas Williams; George Moridis

2005-02-01

Natural-gas hydrates have been encountered beneath the permafrost and considered a nuisance by the oil and gas industry for years. Engineers working in Russia, Canada and the USA have documented numerous drilling problems, including kicks and uncontrolled gas releases, in arctic regions. Information has been generated in laboratory studies pertaining to the extent, volume, chemistry and phase behavior of gas hydrates. Scientists studying hydrate potential agree that the potential is great--on the North Slope of Alaska alone, it has been estimated at 590 TCF. However, little information has been obtained on physical samples taken from actual rock containing hydrates. This gas-hydrate project is in the final stages of a cost-shared partnership between Maurer Technology, Noble Corporation, Anadarko Petroleum, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Methane Hydrate R&D program. The purpose of the project is to build on previous and ongoing R&D in the area of onshore hydrate deposition to identify, quantify and predict production potential for hydrates located on the North Slope of Alaska. Hot Ice No. 1 was planned to test the Ugnu and West Sak sequences for gas hydrates and a concomitant free gas accumulation on Anadarko's 100% working interest acreage in section 30 of Township 9N, Range 8E of the Harrison Bay quadrangle of the North Slope of Alaska. The Ugnu and West Sak intervals are favorably positioned in the hydrate-stability zone over an area extending from Anadarko's acreage westward to the vicinity of the aforementioned gas-hydrate occurrences. This suggests that a large, north-to-south trending gas-hydrate accumulation may exist in that area. The presence of gas shows in the Ugnu and West Sak reservoirs in wells situated eastward and down dip of the Hot Ice location indicate that a free-gas accumulation may be trapped by gas hydrates. The Hot Ice No. 1 well was designed to core from the surface to the base of the West Sak interval using the

Analysis of three-phase equilibrium conditions for methane hydrate by isometric-isothermal molecular dynamics simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Yuhara, Daisuke; Brumby, Paul E.; Wu, David T.; Sum, Amadeu K.; Yasuoka, Kenji

2018-05-01

To develop prediction methods of three-phase equilibrium (coexistence) conditions of methane hydrate by molecular simulations, we examined the use of NVT (isometric-isothermal) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. NVT MD simulations of coexisting solid hydrate, liquid water, and vapor methane phases were performed at four different temperatures, namely, 285, 290, 295, and 300 K. NVT simulations do not require complex pressure control schemes in multi-phase systems, and the growth or dissociation of the hydrate phase can lead to significant pressure changes in the approach toward equilibrium conditions. We found that the calculated equilibrium pressures tended to be higher than those reported by previous NPT (isobaric-isothermal) simulation studies using the same water model. The deviations of equilibrium conditions from previous simulation studies are mainly attributable to the employed calculation methods of pressure and Lennard-Jones interactions. We monitored the pressure in the methane phase, far from the interfaces with other phases, and confirmed that it was higher than the total pressure of the system calculated by previous studies. This fact clearly highlights the difficulties associated with the pressure calculation and control for multi-phase systems. The treatment of Lennard-Jones interactions without tail corrections in MD simulations also contributes to the overestimation of equilibrium pressure. Although improvements are still required to obtain accurate equilibrium conditions, NVT MD simulations exhibit potential for the prediction of equilibrium conditions of multi-phase systems.

Analysis of three-phase equilibrium conditions for methane hydrate by isometric-isothermal molecular dynamics simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuhara, Daisuke; Brumby, Paul E; Wu, David T; Sum, Amadeu K; Yasuoka, Kenji

2018-05-14

To develop prediction methods of three-phase equilibrium (coexistence) conditions of methane hydrate by molecular simulations, we examined the use of NVT (isometric-isothermal) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. NVT MD simulations of coexisting solid hydrate, liquid water, and vapor methane phases were performed at four different temperatures, namely, 285, 290, 295, and 300 K. NVT simulations do not require complex pressure control schemes in multi-phase systems, and the growth or dissociation of the hydrate phase can lead to significant pressure changes in the approach toward equilibrium conditions. We found that the calculated equilibrium pressures tended to be higher than those reported by previous NPT (isobaric-isothermal) simulation studies using the same water model. The deviations of equilibrium conditions from previous simulation studies are mainly attributable to the employed calculation methods of pressure and Lennard-Jones interactions. We monitored the pressure in the methane phase, far from the interfaces with other phases, and confirmed that it was higher than the total pressure of the system calculated by previous studies. This fact clearly highlights the difficulties associated with the pressure calculation and control for multi-phase systems. The treatment of Lennard-Jones interactions without tail corrections in MD simulations also contributes to the overestimation of equilibrium pressure. Although improvements are still required to obtain accurate equilibrium conditions, NVT MD simulations exhibit potential for the prediction of equilibrium conditions of multi-phase systems.

A possible reason behind the initial formation of pentagonal dodecahedron cavities in sI-methane hydrate nucleation: A DFT study

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Sukanta; Goswami, Tamal; Jana, Gourhari; Misra, Anirban; Chattaraj, Pratim Kumar

2018-01-01

In this letter, a possible reason behind selective host-guest organization in the initial stage of sI methane hydrate nucleation is provided, through density functional theory based calculations. In doing so, we have connected earlier experimental and theoretical observations on the structure and energetics of sI methane hydrate to our findings. Geometry and relative stability of small (H2O)5 and (H2O)6 clusters, presence of CH4 guest, integrity and cavity radius of (H2O)20 and (H2O)24, as well as the weak van der Waals type of forces, particularly dispersion interaction, are major factors responsible for initial formation of methane encapsulated dodecahedron cavity over tetrakaidecahedron.

A polyether glycol derived from cashew nutshell as a kinetic inhibitor for methane hydrate formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, Jorge Cesar; Esteves, Pierre M., E-mail: pesteves@iq.ufrj.br [Instituto de Quimica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Teixeira, Adriana [Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Leopoldo Americo Miguez de Mello, PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2012-07-01

The polyether glycol derived from cashew nutshell liquid inhibited the formation of methane hydrate. The polymer proved to be more efficient than the polyvinyl pyrrolidone-poly(N-vinyl) caprolactam (PVP-PVCap) co-polymer under tested conditions (CH{sub 4}, 1470 psi and 4 degree C), being the latter one of the best commercially available hydrate inhibitors. (author)

An innovative approach to enhance methane hydrate formation kinetics with leucine for energy storage application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veluswamy, Hari Prakash; Kumar, Asheesh; Kumar, Rajnish; Linga, Praveen

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Innovative combinatorial hybrid approach to reduce nucleation stochasticity and enhance hydrate growth. • Methane hydrate growth curves are similar in UTR and STR configurations in presence of leucine. • Amalgamation of stirred (STR) and unstirred (UTR) configuration is demonstrated. • Reliable method for scale up and commercial production of Solidified Natural Gas (SNG). - Abstract: Natural gas storage in clathrate hydrates or solidified natural gas (SNG) offers the safest, cleanest and the most compact mode of storage aided by the relative ease in natural gas (NG) recovery with minimal cost compared to known conventional methods of NG storage. The stochastic nature of hydrate nucleation and the slow kinetics of hydrate growth are major challenges that needs to be addressed on the SNG production side. A deterministic and fast nucleation coupled with rapid crystallization kinetics would empower this beneficial technology for commercial application. We propose a hybrid combinatorial approach of methane hydrate formation utilizing the beneficial aspect of environmentally benign amino acid (leucine) as a kinetic promoter by combining stirred and unstirred reactor operation. This hybrid approach is simple, can easily be implemented and scaled-up to develop an economical SNG technology for efficient storage of natural gas on a large scale. Added benefits include the minimal energy requirement during hydrate growth resulting in overall cost reduction for SNG technology.

METHANE HYDRATE PRODUCTION FROM ALASKAN PERMAFROST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali Kadaster; Bill Liddell; Tommy Thompson; Thomas Williams; Michael Niedermayr

2005-02-01

Natural-gas hydrates have been encountered beneath the permafrost and considered a nuisance by the oil and gas industry for years. Engineers working in Russia, Canada and the USA have documented numerous drilling problems, including kicks and uncontrolled gas releases, in arctic regions. Information has been generated in laboratory studies pertaining to the extent, volume, chemistry and phase behavior of gas hydrates. Scientists studying hydrate potential agree that the potential is great--on the North Slope of Alaska alone, it has been estimated at 590 TCF. However, little information has been obtained on physical samples taken from actual rock containing hydrates. This gas-hydrate project was a cost-shared partnership between Maurer Technology, Noble Corporation, Anadarko Petroleum, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Methane Hydrate R&D program. The purpose of the project is to build on previous and ongoing R&D in the area of onshore hydrate deposition to identify, quantify and predict production potential for hydrates located on the North Slope of Alaska. The work scope included drilling and coring a well (Hot Ice No. 1) on Anadarko leases beginning in FY 2003 and completed in 2004. During the first drilling season, operations were conducted at the site between January 28, 2003 to April 30, 2003. The well was spudded and drilled to a depth of 1403 ft. Due to the onset of warmer weather, work was then suspended for the season. Operations at the site were continued after the tundra was re-opened the following season. Between January 12, 2004 and March 19, 2004, the well was drilled and cored to a final depth of 2300 ft. An on-site core analysis laboratory was built and implemented for determining physical characteristics of the hydrates and surrounding rock. The well was drilled from a new Anadarko Arctic Platform that has a minimal footprint and environmental impact. Final efforts of the project are to correlate geology, geophysics, logs, and drilling and

Study of methane hydrate inhibition using AA/AMPS copolymers; Etude du mecanisme d'action d'une famille de copolymeres inhibiteurs cinetiques susceptibles de modifier la cristallisation des hydrates de methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cingotti, B.

1999-12-02

Gas hydrates are inclusion compounds that form when water and natural gas come into contact at high pressure and low temperature. In hydrocarbon production, these conditions can be reached in cold areas (artic zones) or in subsea pipelines where hydrates formation can block production facilities. For a few years, a lot of work has been done to develop a new class of low dosage additives called kinetic inhibitors. These hydrosoluble additives are crystallization inhibitors: they delay nucleation and/or slow down crystal growth and/or agglomeration. In this work, we have studied methane hydrate inhibition using AA/AMPS copolymers. To study methane hydrate crystallization, we use a semibatch reactor equipped with a turbidimetric sensor allowing to measure the turbidity spectrum in the reactor. From turbidity measurements, it is possible to calculate the particles size distribution. This set up allows us to obtain macroscopic results (induction time, gas consumption rate) and microscopic results (hydrate particles granulometry). With this set up, we have studied methane hydrate crystallization without additive at macroscopic and microscopic scale and at different pressures and stirring rates. Copolymers have then been tested in the same experimental conditions. Influence of copolymer composition, copolymer molecular mass and additive concentration has been studied. These copolymers have an inhibiting effect on crystals formation kinetics. Optimal performances are obtained for an AMPS molar ratio or 50 %. Furthermore, minimum additive concentration and minimum mean molecular mass are needed to obtain a kinetic effect on crystals. The higher the pressure (driving force) and the higher the stirring rate (gas transfer), the higher these minimum values. To understand results with and without additives, we have used a model. Relating gas consumption rate to crystal growth, it seems that the copolymer inhibits crystal growth by means of a dead zone. Then, using a model based

Modes of occurrence and accumulation mechanism of methane hydrate -result of meti exploratory test wells ''Tokai-Oki To Kumano-Nada''

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, Tetsuya; Namikawa, Takatoshi; Nakamizu, Masaru; Tsuji, Yoshihiro; Okui, Toshiharu; Kawasaki, Masayuki; Ochiai, Koji

2005-07-01

In the Nankai Trough, offshore central Japan, seismic data indicates widespread existence of BSR, which is interpreted as an indicator of bottom boundary of methane hydrate bearing zone. Methane hydrate is regarded as future possible natural gas resource. However, the volume, distribution and occurrence of hydrate have been poorly understood. In order to obtain data for the understanding of methane hydrate occurrence and volume estimation, METI exploratory test wells ''Tokai-oki to Kumano-nada'' were drilled from January to May in 2004. First, LWD (Logging While Drilling) was carried out at 16 sites that were selected based on 2D and 3D seismic interpretation. Secondly, coring was carried out at 4 sites where high concentration of methane hydrate was expected based on resistivity log curve. In addition, continuous formation temperature measurement was carried out in order to investigate in-situ temperature condition in hydrate bearing sediments. Coring was carried out using both ODP type core sampler and PTCS (Pressure Temperature Core Sampler). PTCS coring were mainly focused on the hydrate bearing zone. Hydrate was confirmed in the pore space of turbidite sandstone layer in two of these sites, while it was confirmed as massive or layered condition in mud in one of the sites. Coring results suggest that most of hydrate were concentrated in sand layers in the alternation of sand and mud. The evidence may indicates permeable sandstone is ideal for hydrate accumulation. Hydrate dissociation and gas measurement test on board was also carried out and natural hydrate saturation data, which may calibrate logging results, was obtained. (Author)

Detection and Production of Methane Hydrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

George Hirasaki; Walter Chapman; Gerald Dickens; Colin Zelt; Brandon Dugan; Kishore Mohanty; Priyank Jaiswal

2011-12-31

This project seeks to understand regional differences in gas hydrate systems from the perspective of as an energy resource, geohazard, and long-term climate influence. Specifically, the effort will: (1) collect data and conceptual models that targets causes of gas hydrate variance, (2) construct numerical models that explain and predict regional-scale gas hydrate differences in 2-dimensions with minimal 'free parameters', (3) simulate hydrocarbon production from various gas hydrate systems to establish promising resource characteristics, (4) perturb different gas hydrate systems to assess potential impacts of hot fluids on seafloor stability and well stability, and (5) develop geophysical approaches that enable remote quantification of gas hydrate heterogeneities so that they can be characterized with minimal costly drilling. Our integrated program takes advantage of the fact that we have a close working team comprised of experts in distinct disciplines. The expected outcomes of this project are improved exploration and production technology for production of natural gas from methane hydrates and improved safety through understanding of seafloor and well bore stability in the presence of hydrates. The scope of this project was to more fully characterize, understand, and appreciate fundamental differences in the amount and distribution of gas hydrate and how this would affect the production potential of a hydrate accumulation in the marine environment. The effort combines existing information from locations in the ocean that are dominated by low permeability sediments with small amounts of high permeability sediments, one permafrost location where extensive hydrates exist in reservoir quality rocks and other locations deemed by mutual agreement of DOE and Rice to be appropriate. The initial ocean locations were Blake Ridge, Hydrate Ridge, Peru Margin and GOM. The permafrost location was Mallik. Although the ultimate goal of the project was to understand

Experimental investigation into methane hydrate production during three-dimensional thermal stimulation with five-spot well system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yi; Li, Xiao-Sen; Li, Gang; Zhang, Yu; Li, Bo; Chen, Zhao-Yang

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The production behaviors of methane hydrate are obtained in the 3-D simulator. • The thermal stimulation method with a five-spot well is used for hydrate production. • The water and gas production, efficiency, recovery, production rate are analyzed. • The effect of injection rate change on the production behavior is investigated. - Abstract: The cubic hydrate simulator (CHS) is used to study the methane hydrate production behaviors in porous media by the thermal stimulation with a five-spot well system. The hot water injection rates range from 10.0 to 40.0 ml/min. The thermal stimulation process is analyzed, and the conclusions are that the hydrate decomposition boundary moves from the central point to the surroundings gradually and finally covers almost the entire hydrate field in the CHS during the thermal stimulation process. The heat conduction plays a more significant role than the convection for the heat diffusion in the thermal stimulation process. The increasing injection rate of the hot water enhances the rate of hydrate decomposition, shortens the production time, and decreases the water production volumes, while it has little influence on the final gas production volumes. Furthermore, the change of the hot water injection rate (R inj ) has little influence on the final gas recovery, however, the higher R inj leads to the higher average production rate and the lower energy efficiency

Experimental determination of methane hydrate formation in the presence of ammonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, T.B.; Wang, L.Y.; Liu, A.X.; Guo, X.Q.; Chen, G.J.; Ma, Q.L.; Li, G.W. [China Univ. of Petroleum, Beijng (China). State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing

2008-07-01

Gas hydrates are non-stoichiometric inclusion compounds that are created by a lattice of water molecules. The host molecule has a strong hydrogen bond and encages low molecular weight gases or volatile liquids. The guest molecules favor hydrate formation. Historically, gas hydrates have been thought to be problematic during natural gas transportation because the formed solid hydrate can block pipelines and cause tubing and casing collapse. However, the discovery of huge deposits of gas hydrates in deep-sea sediments and in permafrost has renewed interest in gas hydrates as a new energy resource. This paper discussed a study that is a part of an ongoing experimental and computational program dealing with the thermodynamics of gas hydrate formation in ammonia-water systems. The purpose of the study was to develop a new method to separate and recycle the vent gas of ammonia synthesis by forming or dissociating hydrate. The hydrate-forming conditions of methane in ammonia and water system were studied and reported in this paper with reference to the experimental apparatus and procedure. The materials and preparation of samples were also explained. The experimental results showed that the ammonia had an inhibitive effect on the hydrate formation. 26 refs., 2 tabs., 3 figs.

Gas Hydrates of Coal Layers as a Methane Source in the Atmosphere and Mine Working

Science.gov (United States)

Dyrdin, Valery; Shepeleva, Sofya; Kim, Tatiana

2017-11-01

Living conditions of gas hydrates of a methane in a coal matrix as one of possible forms of finding of molecules of a methane in coal layers are considered. However, gas hydrates are formed not in all mineral coals even under the thermobaric conditions corresponding to their equilibrium state as the minimum humidity and the corresponding pore width are necessary for each brand of coal for formation of gas hydrate. It is shown that it depends on electric electrical dipole moment of a macromolecule of coal. Coals of brands K, D, Zh were considered. The electric field created by the surface of coal does not allow molecules of water to carry out threedimensional driving, and they keep on an internal surface of a time. By means of theoretical model operation a dipole - dipole interaction of molecules of water with the steam surface of coal values of energy of fiber interaction for various functional groups located in coal "fringe" which size for the first and second layers does not allow molecules of water to participate in formation of gas hydrates are received. For coals of brands K, Zh, D, considering distribution of a time on radiuses, the percent of moisture, which cannot share in education solid coal of gas solutions, is calculated.

Two Mechanisms for Methane Release at the Paleocene/Eocene Boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, M. E.; Cramer, B. S.; Mountain, G. S.; Mountain, G. S.; Katz, S.; Miller, K. G.; Miller, K. G.

2001-12-01

The rapid global warming of the Paleocene/Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) has been attributed to a massive methane release from marine gas hydrate reservoirs. Two mechanisms have been proposed for this methane release. The first relies on a deepwater circulation change and water temperature increase that was sufficiently large and rapid to trigger massive thermal dissociation of gas hydrate frozen beneath the seafloor (Dickens et al., 1995). The second relies on slope failure (via erosion or seismic activity) of the oversteepened continental margins of the western North Atlantic to allow methane to escape from gas reservoirs trapped between the hydrate-bearing sediments and the underlying reef front (Katz et al., in press). We evaluate thermal dissociation by modeling heat flow through the sediments to show the effect of the temperature change on the gas hydrate stability zone through time. We use Paleocene bottom water temperatures (constrained by isotope records) and assume an instantaneous water temperature increase (i.e., no time allotted for ocean circulation change and water mass mixing). This yields an end-member minimum estimate of >2350 years necessary to melt all gas hydrate at locations shallower than 1570m; gas hydrates at greater depths remain frozen. We also use this model to predict the amount of C12-enriched methane that could have contributed to the carbon isotope excursion (CIE). Using reasonable methane distributions within sediments, we conclude that thermal dissociation alone cannot account for the full magnitude of the CIE. We propose that thermal dissociation did not initiate the CIE; rather, a different mechanism injected a large amount of carbon into the atmosphere, causing global greenhouse warming that could have led to subsequent thermal dissociation. Methane remains a plausible source for this initial carbon injection; however, initial release would have resulted from mechanical disruption of sediments rather than thermal dissociation

Acoustical Survey of Methane Plumes on North Hydrate Ridge: Constraining Temporal and Spatial Characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kannberg, P. K.; Trehu, A. M.

2008-12-01

While methane plumes associated with hydrate formations have been acoustically imaged before, little is known about their temporal characteristics. Previous acoustic surveys have focused on determining plume location, but as far as we know, multiple, repeated surveys of the same plume have not been done prior to the survey presented here. In July 2008, we acquired sixteen identical surveys within 19 hours over the northern summit of Hydrate Ridge in the Cascadia accretionary complex using the onboard 3.5 and 12 kHz echosounders. As in previous studies, the plumes were invisible to the 3.5 kHz echosounder and clearly imaged with 12 kHz. Seafloor depth in this region is ~600 m. Three distinct plumes were detected close to where plumes were located by Heeschen et al. (2003) a decade ago. Two of the plumes disappeared at ~520 m water depth, which is the depth of the top of the gas hydrate stability as determined from CTD casts obtained during the cruise. This supports the conclusion of Heeschen et al. (2003) that the bubbles are armored by gas hydrate and that they dissolve in the water column when they leave the hydrate stability zone. One of the plumes near the northern summit, however, extended through this boundary to at least 400 m (the shallowest depth recorded). A similar phenomenon was observed in methane plumes in the Gulf of Mexico, where the methane was found to be armored by an oil skin. In addition to the steady plumes, two discrete "burps" were observed. One "burp" occurred approximately 600 m to the SSW of the northern summit. This was followed by a second strong event 300m to the north an hour later. To evaluate temporal and spatial patterns, we summed the power of the backscattered signal in different depth windows for each survey. We present the results as a movie in which the backscatter power is shown in map view as a function of time. The surveys encompassed two complete tidal cycles, but no correlation between plume location or intensity and tides

Resource assessment of methane hydrate in the eastern Nankai Trough, Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, T.; Saeki, T.; Kobayashi, T.; Inamori, T.; Hayashi, M.; Takano, O.; Takayama, T.; Kawasaki, T.; Nagakubo, S.; Nakamizu, M.; Yokoi, K. [Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp., Mihama-ku, Chiba (Japan). Technology and Research Center

2008-07-01

This study investigated the methane hydrate (MH) in the Nankai Trough offshore Japan as a potential natural gas resource. The resource assessment of MH was determined from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) exploratory test wells Tokai-oki to Kumano-nada. Logging-while-drilling (LWD) campaigns were launched at 16 sites, coring at 4 sites and wirelogging at 2 sites. This study used high resolution 2D/3D seismic data and introduced a new concept for the MH concentrated zone and applied it to resource assessment. MH bearing layers in the survey area were classified into 2 categories, notably MH concentrated zones and MH bearing layers other than relatively thin, low saturated MH layers. The total amount of methane gas in place was estimated to be 40 tcf as Pmean value (10 tcf as P90, 82 tcf as P10). More than 10 prospective MH concentrated zones were extracted. They were characterized by high resistivity well logs, strong seismic reflectors, high p-wave interval velocity and turbidite deposits delineated by sedimentary facies analysis. The total gas in place for MH concentrated zones was estimated to be 20 tcf (half of the total amount) as Pmean value. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the net-to-gross ratio and methane pore saturation have higher sensitivity than other parameters. As such, they are important for further detail analysis. 22 refs., 3 tabs., 9 figs.

Hysteresis of methane hydrate formation/decomposition at subsea geological conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapproth, Alice; Piltz, Ross; Peterson, Vanessa K.; Kennedy, Shane J.; Kozielski, Karen A.; Hartley, Patrick G.

2009-01-01

Full text: Gas hydrates are a major risk when transporting oil and gas in offshore subsea pipelines. Under typical conditions in these pipelines (at high pressure and low temperature) the formation of gas hydrates is favourable. The hydrates form large solid plugs that can block pipelines and can even cause them to burst. This represents a major problem for the gas mining industry, which currently goes to extreme measures to reduce the risk of hydrate formation because there is no reliable experimental data on hydrate processes. The mechanisms of gas hydrate formation, growth and inhibition are poorly understood. A clear understanding of the fundamental processes will allow development of cost effective technologies to avoid production losses in gas pipelines. We are studying the nucleation of the methane hydrates by measuring the hysteresis of hydrate formation/decomposition by neutron diffraction. When a gas hydrate is decomposed (melted) the resulting water has a 'supposed memory effect' raising the probability of rapid hydrate reformation. This rapid reformation does not occur for pure water where nucleation can be delayed by several hours (induction time) due to metastability [1]. The memory effect can only be destroyed by extreme heating of the effected area. Possible causes of this effect include residual water structure, persistent hydrate crystal lites remaining in solution and remaining dissolved gas. We will compare the kinetics of formation and the stability region of hydrate formation of 'memory' water for comparison with pure water. This information has important implications for the oil and gas industry because it should provide a better understanding of the role of multiple dissociation and reformation of gas hydrates in plug formation.

Small Molecule Catalysts for Harvesting Methane Gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baker, S. E. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Ceron-Hernandez, M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Oakdale, J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Lau, E. Y. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2016-12-06

As the average temperature of the earth increases the impact of these changes are becoming apparent. One of the most dramatic changes to the environment is the melting of arctic permafrost. The disappearance of the permafrost has resulted in release of streams of methane that was trapped in remote areas as gas hydrates in ice. Additionally, the use of fracking has also increased emission of methane. Currently, the methane is either lost to the atmosphere or flared. If these streams of methane could be brought to market, this would be an abundant source of revenue. A cheap conversion of gaseous methane to a more convenient form for transport would be necessary to economical. Conversion of methane is a difficult reaction since the C-H bond is very stable (104 kcal/mole). At the industrial scale, the Fischer-Tropsch reaction can be used to convert gaseous methane to liquid methanol but is this method is impractical for these streams that have low pressures and are located in remote areas. Additionally, the Fischer-Tropsch reaction results in over oxidation of the methane leading to many products that would need to be separated.

Potential impact on climate of the exploitation of methane hydrate deposits offshore

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Glasby, G.P.

. Brewer (2000) has identified two examples, one in the Eel River Basin off the coast of northern California (Brooks, Field, & Kennicutt, 1991) and the other in the Gulf of Mexico (MacDonald et al., 1994), where the methane hydrate deposits lie almost... of Mexico (an example of the structural type of deposit) are potentially the most attractive deposits economically. In particular, it was considered that devel- opment costs for these deposits would be low because the accumulations are located at relatively...

Origin of pingo-like features on the Beaufort Sea shelf and their possible relationship to decomposing methane gas hydrates

Science.gov (United States)

Paull, C.K.; Ussler, W.; Dallimore, S.R.; Blasco, S.M.; Lorenson, T.D.; Melling, H.; Medioli, B.E.; Nixon, F.M.; McLaughlin, F.A.

2007-01-01

The Arctic shelf is currently undergoing dramatic thermal changes caused by the continued warming associated with Holocene sea level rise. During this transgression, comparatively warm waters have flooded over cold permafrost areas of the Arctic Shelf. A thermal pulse of more than 10??C is still propagating down into the submerged sediment and may be decomposing gas hydrate as well as permafrost. A search for gas venting on the Arctic seafloor focused on pingo-like-features (PLFs) on the Beaufort Sea Shelf because they may be a direct consequence of gas hydrate decomposition at depth. Vibracores collected from eight PLFs had systematically elevated methane concentrations. ROV observations revealed streams of methane-rich gas bubbles coming from the crests of PLFs. We offer a scenario of how PLFs may be growing offshore as a result of gas pressure associated with gas hydrate decomposition. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

Concentrations and carbon isotope compositions of methane in the cored sediments from offshore SW Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chuang, P.C.; Yang, T.F.; Hong, W.L. [National Taiwan Univ., Taipei, Taiwan (China). Dept. of Geosciences; Lin, S.; Chen, J.C. [National Taiwan Univ., Taipei, Taiwan (China). Inst. of Oceanography; Sun, C.H. [CPC Corp., Wen Shan, Miaoli, Taiwan (China). Exploration and Development Research Inst.; Wang, Y. [Central Geological Survey, MOEA, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

2008-07-01

Gas hydrates are natural occurring solids that contain natural gases, mainly methane, within a rigid lattice of water molecules. They are a type of non-stoichiometric clathrates and metastable crystal products in low temperature and high pressure conditions and are widely distributed in oceans and in permafrost regions around the world. Gas hydrates have been considered as potential energy resources for the future since methane is the major gas inside gas hydrates. Methane is also a greenhouse gas that might affect the global climates from the dissociations of gas hydrates. Bottom simulating reflections (BSRs) have been found to be widely distributed in offshore southwestern Taiwan therefore, inferring the existence of potential gas hydrates underneath the seafloor sediments. This paper presented a study that involved the systematic collection of sea waters and cored sediments as well as the analysis of the gas composition of pore-space of sediments through ten cruises from 2003 to 2006. The paper discussed the results in terms of the distribution of methane concentrations in bottom waters and cored sediments; methane fluxes in offshore southwestern Taiwan; and isotopic compositions of methane in pore spaces of cored sediments. It was concluded that the carbon isotopic compositions of methane demonstrated that biogenic gas source was dominated at shallower depth. However, some thermogenic gases might be introduced from deeper source in this region. 15 refs., 5 figs.

Enhancement of the surface methane hydrate-bearing layer based on the specific microorganisms form deep seabed sediment in Japan Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Hata, T.; Yoneda, J.; Yamamoto, K.

2017-12-01

A methane hydrate-bearing layer located near the Japan Sea has been investigated as a new potential energy resource. In this study examined the feasibility of the seabed surface sediment strength located in the Japan Sea improvement technologies for enhancing microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) process. First, the authors cultivated the specific urease production bacterium culture medium from this surface methane hydrate-bearing layer in the seabed (-600m depth) of Japan Sea. After that, two types of the laboratory test (consolidated-drained triaxial tests) were conducted using this specific culture medium from the seabed in the Japan Sea near the Toyama Prefecture and high urease activities bacterium named Bacillus pasteurii. The main outcomes of this research are as follows. 1) Specific culture medium focused on the urease production bacterium can enhancement of the urease activities from the methane hydrate-bearing layer near the Japan Sea side, 2) This specific culture medium can be enhancement of the surface layer strength, 3) The microbial induced carbonate precipitation process can increase the particle size compared to that of the original particles coating the calcite layer surface, 4) The mechanism for increasing the soil strength is based on the addition of cohesion like a cement stabilized soil.

Estimating Global Seafloor Total Organic Carbon Using a Machine Learning Technique and Its Relevance to Methane Hydrates

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, T. R.; Wood, W. T.; Dale, J.

2017-12-01

Empirical and theoretical models of sub-seafloor organic matter transformation, degradation and methanogenesis require estimates of initial seafloor total organic carbon (TOC). This subsurface methane, under the appropriate geophysical and geochemical conditions may manifest as methane hydrate deposits. Despite the importance of seafloor TOC, actual observations of TOC in the world's oceans are sparse and large regions of the seafloor yet remain unmeasured. To provide an estimate in areas where observations are limited or non-existent, we have implemented interpolation techniques that rely on existing data sets. Recent geospatial analyses have provided accurate accounts of global geophysical and geochemical properties (e.g. crustal heat flow, seafloor biomass, porosity) through machine learning interpolation techniques. These techniques find correlations between the desired quantity (in this case TOC) and other quantities (predictors, e.g. bathymetry, distance from coast, etc.) that are more widely known. Predictions (with uncertainties) of seafloor TOC in regions lacking direct observations are made based on the correlations. Global distribution of seafloor TOC at 1 x 1 arc-degree resolution was estimated from a dataset of seafloor TOC compiled by Seiter et al. [2004] and a non-parametric (i.e. data-driven) machine learning algorithm, specifically k-nearest neighbors (KNN). Built-in predictor selection and a ten-fold validation technique generated statistically optimal estimates of seafloor TOC and uncertainties. In addition, inexperience was estimated. Inexperience is effectively the distance in parameter space to the single nearest neighbor, and it indicates geographic locations where future data collection would most benefit prediction accuracy. These improved geospatial estimates of TOC in data deficient areas will provide new constraints on methane production and subsequent methane hydrate accumulation.

Methane and carbon dioxide hydrates on Mars: Potential origins, distribution, detection, and implications for future in situ resource utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Pellenbarg, Robert E.; Max, Michael D.; Clifford, Stephen M.

2003-04-01

There is high probability for the long-term crustal accumulation of methane and carbon dioxide on Mars. These gases can arise from a variety of processes, including deep biosphere activity and abiotic mechanisms, or, like water, they could exist as remnants of planetary formation and by-products of internal differentiation. CH4 and CO2 would tend to rise buoyantly toward the planet's surface, condensing with water under appropriate conditions of temperature and pressure to form gas hydrate. Gas hydrates are a class of materials created when gas molecules are trapped within a crystalline lattice of water-ice. The hydrate stability fields of both CH4 and CO2 encompass a portion of the Martian crust that extends from within the water-ice cryosphere, from a depth as shallow as ~10-20 m to as great as a kilometer or more below the base of the Martian cryosphere. The presence and distribution of methane and carbon dioxide hydrates may be of critical importance in understanding the geomorphic evolution of Mars and the geophysical identification of water and other volatiles stored in the hydrates. Of critical importance, Martian gas hydrates would ensure the availability of key in situ resources for sustaining future robotic and human exploration, and the eventual colonization, of Mars.

Simulation of microwave stimulation for the production of gas from methane hydrate sediment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Jiafei; Fan, Zhen; Wang, Bin; Dong, Hongsheng; Liu, Yu; Song, Yongchen

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: Schematic diagram illustrating the process of gas production in hydrate-bearing sediment induced by microwave stimulation. Temperature gradients caused by the drop of microwave penetration depth appear in the sediment, leading to a rapid dissociation rate at the upper part of reservoir. - Highlights: • Hydrate dissociation behavior was analyzed in porous media by microwave stimulation. • Microwave stimulation provides sufficient energy conversion for hydrate dissociation. • Hydrate saturation and specific heat capacity of sediment mainly affect efficiency. • Heat conduction decreases temperature gradients promoting homogeneous dissociation. - Abstract: Natural gas hydrates dissociate via an endothermic process. One of the key requirements for any production technique is to supply the heat necessary for this dissociation. In this study, first, a microwave stimulation model for the production of gas from methane hydrate sediment is developed, which includes mass transport, energy conversion and conservation, and intrinsic kinetic reactions as the governing equations. In addition, the theoretical mixing rule of Lichtenecker and Rother is introduced for calculating the average dielectric data of the sediment containing methane hydrates, which affects the penetration of microwaves into the sediment. Next, simulations are performed for investigating gas production, as well as effects of initial water saturation, initial hydrate saturation, and sediment thermal properties induced by microwave stimulation. Moreover, the energy efficiency ratio is employed in the simulation. The simulation results show that microwave stimulation provides timely energy conversion sufficient for promoting the dissociation of hydrates, with rapid, continuous gas production. Temperature gradients caused by the decrease of the microwave penetration depth appear in the reservoir, leading to a rapid dissociation rate in the upper part of the sediment. The energy

Decarbonisation of fossil energy via methane pyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kreysa, G.; Agar, D.W.; Schultz, I. [Technische Univ. Dortmund (Germany)

2010-12-30

Despite the rising consumption of energy over the last few decades, the proven reserves of fossil fuels have steadily increased. Additionally, there are potentially tremendous reserves of methane hydrates available, which remain to be exploited. The use of fossil energy sources is thus increasingly being dictated less by supply than by the environmental concerns raised by climate change. In the context of the decarbonisation of the global energy system that this has stimulated, new means must be explored for using methane as energy source. Noncatalytic thermal pyrolysis of methane is proposed here as a promising concept for utilising methane with low to zero carbon dioxide emissions. Following cracking, only the energy content of the hydrogen is used, while the carbon can be stored safely and retrievably in disused coal mines. The thermodynamics and different process engineering concepts for the technical realisation of such a carbon moratorium technology are discussed. The possible contribution of methane pyrolysis to carbon negative geoengineering is also addressed. (orig.)

A marine microbial consortium apparently mediating anaerobic oxidation of methane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boetius, A.; Ravenschlag, K.; Schubert, CJ

2000-01-01

microorganisms mediating this reaction have not yet been isolated, and the pathway of anaerobic oxidation of methane is insufficiently understood. Recent data suggest that certain archaea reverse the process of methanogenesis by interaction with sulphate-reducing bacteria(5-7). Here we provide microscopic...... cells and are surrounded by sulphate-reducing bacteria. These aggregates were abundant in gas-hydrate-rich sediments with extremely high rates of methane-based sulphate reduction, and apparently mediate anaerobic oxidation of methane.......A large fraction of globally produced methane is converted to CO2 by anaerobic oxidation in marine sediments(1). Strong geochemical evidence for net methane consumption in anoxic sediments is based on methane profiles(2), radiotracer experiments(3) and stable carbon isotope data(4). But the elusive...

Titan's Methane Cycle is Closed

Science.gov (United States)

Hofgartner, J. D.; Lunine, J. I.

2013-12-01

Doppler tracking of the Cassini spacecraft determined a polar moment of inertia for Titan of 0.34 (Iess et al., 2010, Science, 327, 1367). Assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, one interpretation is that Titan's silicate core is partially hydrated (Castillo-Rogez and Lunine, 2010, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L20205). These authors point out that for the core to have avoided complete thermal dehydration to the present day, at least 30% of the potassium content of Titan must have leached into an overlying water ocean by the end of the core overturn. We calculate that for probable ammonia compositions of Titan's ocean (compositions with greater than 1% ammonia by weight), that this amount of potassium leaching is achievable via the substitution of ammonium for potassium during the hydration epoch. Formation of a hydrous core early in Titan's history by serpentinization results in the loss of one hydrogen molecule for every hydrating water molecule. We calculate that complete serpentinization of Titan's core corresponds to the release of more than enough hydrogen to reconstitute all of the methane atoms photolyzed throughout Titan's history. Insertion of molecular hydrogen by double occupancy into crustal clathrates provides a storage medium and an opportunity for ethane to be converted back to methane slowly over time--potentially completing a cycle that extends the lifetime of methane in Titan's surface atmosphere system by factors of several to an order of magnitude over the photochemically-calculated lifetime.

Limited contribution of ancient methane to surface waters of the U.S. Beaufort Sea shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Sparrow, Katy J.; Kessler, John D.; Southon, John R.; Garcia-Tigreros, Fenix; Schreiner, Kathryn M.; Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Miller, John B.; Lehman, Scott J.; Xu, Xiaomei

2018-01-01

In response to warming climate, methane can be released to Arctic Ocean sediment and waters from thawing subsea permafrost and decomposing methane hydrates. However, it is unknown whether methane derived from this sediment storehouse of frozen ancient carbon reaches the atmosphere. We quantified the fraction of methane derived from ancient sources in shelf waters of the U.S. Beaufort Sea, a region that has both permafrost and methane hydrates and is experiencing significant warming. Although the radiocarbon-methane analyses indicate that ancient carbon is being mobilized and emitted as methane into shelf bottom waters, surprisingly, we find that methane in surface waters is principally derived from modern-aged carbon. We report that at and beyond approximately the 30-m isobath, ancient sources that dominate in deep waters contribute, at most, 10 ± 3% of the surface water methane. These results suggest that even if there is a heightened liberation of ancient carbon–sourced methane as climate change proceeds, oceanic oxidation and dispersion processes can strongly limit its emission to the atmosphere.

Anaerobic oxidation of methane above gas hydrates at Hydrate Ridge, NE Pacific Ocean

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Treude, T.; Boetius, A.; Knittel, K.

2003-01-01

oxidation was extremely low (2.1 mmol m(-2) d(-1)) and was probably due to aerobic oxidation of methane. SR was fueled largely by methane at flow-impacted sites, but exceeded AOM in some cases, most likely due to sediment heterogeneity. At the Acharax field, SR was decoupled from methane oxidation...... and showed low activity. Aggregates of the AOM consortium were abundant at the fluid-impacted sites (between 5.1 x 10(12) and 7.9 x 10(12) aggregates m(-2)) but showed low numbers at the Acharax field (0.4 x 10(12) aggregates m(-2)). A transportreaction model was applied to estimate AOM at Beggiatoa fields...

Dynamic morphology of gas hydrate on a methane bubble in water: Observations and new insights for hydrate film models

Science.gov (United States)

Warzinski, Robert P.; Lynn, Ronald; Haljasmaa, Igor; Leifer, Ira; Shaffer, Frank; Anderson, Brian J.; Levine, Jonathan S.

2014-10-01

Predicting the fate of subsea hydrocarbon gases escaping into seawater is complicated by potential formation of hydrate on rising bubbles that can enhance their survival in the water column, allowing gas to reach shallower depths and the atmosphere. The precise nature and influence of hydrate coatings on bubble hydrodynamics and dissolution is largely unknown. Here we present high-definition, experimental observations of complex surficial mechanisms governing methane bubble hydrate formation and dissociation during transit of a simulated oceanic water column that reveal a temporal progression of deep-sea controlling mechanisms. Synergistic feedbacks between bubble hydrodynamics, hydrate morphology, and coverage characteristics were discovered. Morphological changes on the bubble surface appear analogous to macroscale, sea ice processes, presenting new mechanistic insights. An inverse linear relationship between hydrate coverage and bubble dissolution rate is indicated. Understanding and incorporating these phenomena into bubble and bubble plume models will be necessary to accurately predict global greenhouse gas budgets for warming ocean scenarios and hydrocarbon transport from anthropogenic or natural deep-sea eruptions.

Geological modeling for methane hydrate reservoir characterization in the eastern Nankai Trough, offshore Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Tamaki, M.; Komatsu, Y.; Suzuki, K.; Takayama, T.; Fujii, T.

2012-12-01

The eastern Nankai trough, which is located offshore of central Japan, is considered as an attractive potential resource field of methane hydrates. Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation is planning to conduct a production test in early 2013 at the AT1 site in the north slope of Daini-Atsumi Knoll in the eastern Nankai Trough. The depositional environment of methane hydrate-bearing sediments around the production test site is a deep submarine-fan turbidite system, and it is considered that the reservoir properties should show lateral as well as vertical heterogeneity. Since the variations in the reservoir heterogeneity have an impact on the methane hydrate dissociation and gas production performance, precise geological models describing reservoir heterogeneity would be required for the evaluation of reservoir potentials. In preparation for the production test, 3 wells; two monitoring boreholes (AT1-MC and AT1-MT1) and a coring well (AT1-C), were newly acquired in 2012. In addition to a geotechnical hole drilling survey in 2011 (AT1-GT), totally log data from 2 wells and core data from 2 wells were obtained around the production test site. In this study, we conducted well correlations between AT1 and A1 wells drilled in 2003 and then, 3D geological models were updated including AT1 well data in order to refine hydrate reservoir characterization around the production test site. The results of the well correlations show that turbidite sand layers are characterized by good lateral continuity, and give significant information for the distribution morphology of sand-rich channel fills. We also reviewed previously conducted 3D geological models which consist of facies distributions and petrophysical properties distributions constructed from integration of 3D seismic data and a well data (A1 site) adopting a geostatistical approach. In order to test the practical validity of the previously generated models, cross-validation was conducted using AT1 well data. The

Capillary pressure controlled methane hydrate and ice growth-melting patterns in porous media : synthetic silica versus natural sandstone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, R.; Tohidi, B.; Webber, B. [Heriot-Watt Univ., Centre for Gas Research, Edinburgh (United Kingdom). Inst. of Petroleum Engineering

2008-07-01

Although naturally-occurring gas hydrates (or clathrate hydrates) in marine sediments can pose a hazard to deepwater hydrocarbon production operations, they represent a potential strategic energy reserve. Gas hydrates can also provide a means for deep ocean carbon dioxide disposal through sequestration/storage. They have long-term importance with respect to ocean margin stability, methane release, and global climate change. However, fundamental knowledge is still lacking regarding the mechanisms of hydrate growth, accumulation and distribution within the subsurface. Marine sediments which host gas hydrates are commonly fine-grained silts, muds, and clays with narrow mean pore diameters, leading to speculation that capillary phenomena could play a significant role in controlling hydrate distribution in the seafloor, and may be partly responsible for discrepancies between observed and predicted hydrate stability zone thicknesses. A close relationship between hydrate inhibition and pore size has been confirmed through previous laboratory studies. Clathrate stability has been significantly reduced in narrow pores. However, the focus of investigations has generally been hydrate dissociation conditions in porous media, with capillary controls on the equally important process of hydrate growth being largely overlooked. This paper presented the results of an experimental investigation into methane hydrate growth and dissociation equilibria in natural medium grained sandstone. The study also compared data with that previously measured for mesoporous silica glasses. The paper discussed solid-liquid phase behaviour in confined geometries including hysteresis in porous media. It also discussed the experimental equipment and method. It was concluded that, as for synthetic silicas, hydrate growth and dissociation in the sandstone were characterised by a measurable hysteresis between opposing transitions, notably hydrate (or ice) formation occurring at temperatures lower than

In-Situ Sampling and Characterization of Naturally Occurring Marine Methane Hydrate Using the D/V JOIDES Resolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frank R. Rack

2006-09-20

Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-01NT41329 between Joint Oceanographic Institutions and DOE-NETL was divided into two phases based on successive proposals and negotiated statements of work pertaining to activities to sample and characterize methane hydrates on ODP Leg 204 (Phase 1) and on IODP Expedition 311 (Phase 2). The Phase 1 Final Report was submitted to DOE-NETL in April 2004. This report is the Phase 2 Final Report to DOE-NETL. The primary objectives of Phase 2 were to sample and characterize methane hydrates using the systems and capabilities of the D/V JOIDES Resolution during IODP Expedition 311, to enable scientists the opportunity to establish the mass and distribution of naturally occurring gas and gas hydrate at all relevant spatial and temporal scales, and to contribute to the DOE methane hydrate research and development effort. The goal of the work was to provide expanded measurement capabilities on the JOIDES Resolution for a dedicated hydrate cruise to the Cascadia continental margin off Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada (IODP Expedition 311) so that hydrate deposits in this region would be well characterized and technology development continued for hydrate research. IODP Expedition 311 shipboard activities on the JOIDES Resolution began on August 28 and were concluded on October 28, 2005. The statement of work for this project included three primary tasks: (1) research management oversight, provided by JOI; (2) mobilization, deployment and demobilization of pressure coring and core logging systems, through a subcontract with Geotek Ltd.; and, (3) mobilization, deployment and demobilization of a refrigerated container van that will be used for degassing of the Pressure Core Sampler and density logging of these pressure cores, through a subcontract with the Texas A&M Research Foundation (TAMRF). Additional small tasks that arose during the course of the research were included under these three primary tasks in consultation with the DOE

Methane hydrate induced permeability modification for multiphase flow in unsaturated porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Seol, Yongkoo; Kneafsey, Timothy J.

2011-08-01

An experimental study was performed using X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning to capture three-dimensional (3-D) methane hydrate distributions and potential discrete flow pathways in a sand pack sample. A numerical study was also performed to develop and analyze empirical relations that describe the impacts of hydrate accumulation habits within pore space (e.g., pore filling or grain cementing) on multiphase fluid migration. In the experimental study, water was injected into a hydrate-bearing sand sample that was monitored using an X-ray CT scanner. The CT images were converted into numerical grid elements, providing intrinsic sample data including porosity and phase saturations. The impacts of hydrate accumulation were examined by adapting empirical relations into the flow simulations as additional relations governing the evolution of absolute permeability of hydrate bearing sediment with hydrate deposition. The impacts of pore space hydrate accumulation habits on fluid migration were examined by comparing numerical predictions with experimentally measured water saturation distributions and breakthrough curves. A model case with 3-D heterogeneous initial conditions (hydrate saturation, porosity, and water saturation) and pore body-preferred hydrate accumulations best captured water migration behavior through the hydrate-bearing sample observed in the experiment. In the best matching model, absolute permeability in the hydrate bearing sample does not decrease significantly with increasing hydrate saturation until hydrate saturation reaches about 40%, after which it drops rapidly, and complete blockage of flow through the sample can occur as hydrate accumulations approach 70%. The result highlights the importance of permeability modification due to hydrate accumulation habits when predicting multiphase flow through high-saturation, reservoir quality hydrate-bearing sediments.

Microbial diversity in methane hydrate-bearing deep marine sediments core preserved in the original pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Y.; Hata, T.; Nishida, H.

2017-12-01

In normal coring of deep marine sediments, the sampled cores are exposed to the pressure of the atmosphere, which results in dissociation of gas-hydrates and might change microbial diversity. In this study, we analyzed microbial composition in methane hydrate-bearing sediment core sampled and preserved by Hybrid-PCS (Pressure Coring System). We sliced core into three layers; (i) outside layer, which were most affected by drilling fluids, (ii) middle layer, and (iii) inner layer, which were expected to be most preserved as the original state. From each layer, we directly extracted DNA, and amplified V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA gene. We determined at least 5000 of nucleotide sequences of the partial 16S rDNA from each layer by Miseq (Illumina). In the all layers, facultative anaerobes, which can grow with or without oxygen because they can metabolize energy aerobically or anaerobically, were detected as majority. However, the genera which are often detected anaerobic environment is abundant in the inner layer compared to the outside layer, indicating that condition of drilling and preservation affect the microbial composition in the deep marine sediment core. This study was conducted as a part of the activity of the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan [MH21 consortium], and supported by JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation). The sample was provided by AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology).

Methane recovery from coal mine gas using hydrate formation in water-in-oil emulsions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Dong-Liang; Ding, Kun; Lu, Yi-Yu; Yan, Jin; Zhao, Wei-Long

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A water-in-oil emulsion was developed for CH_4 separation from coal mine methane gas. • Stable W/O emulsions were obtained with water cut in the range of (10–70%). • Gas hydrates nucleated faster with the reduction of water–oil volume ratio. • Gas uptake increased with the decrease of water–oil volume ratio. • CH_4 recovery was greatly enhanced by hydrate formation in W/O emulsions. - Abstract: In this work, a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion was developed using liquid water, mineral oil, Sorbitan monooleate (Span 80), and cyclopentane. It was employed to enhance gas hydrate formation for CH_4 separation from a simulated coal mine methane (CMM) gas (30 mol% CH_4, 60 mol% N_2, and 10 mol% O_2). The stability test at atmospheric pressure and at a high pressure of 3.5 MPa showed that stable W/O emulsions were obtained when the water–oil volume ratio (WOR) was below 80%. The emulsified droplets size was measured with WOR ranging from 10% to 70%. Then kinetic experiments of CH_4 separation by hydrate formation in W/O emulsions were carried out at 273.6 K and (3.5–5.0) MPa in batch operation. The results indicated that water–oil volume ratio is a key factor that affects the kinetics of gas hydrate formation from the CMM gas mixture. Hydrate nucleation was observed to occur faster while WOR was decreased, and gas uptake increased significantly with the decrease of WOR. CH_4 concentration in the recovered gas mixture was increased to 52 mol% as compared to 30 mol% in the original gas mixture through one-stage hydrate formation in the W/O emulsions. It was found that the experimental conditions of 273.6 K, 3.5 MPa and WOR = 30% were favorable for CH_4 recovery from the CMM gas. The CH_4 recovery obtained under these conditions was 43%. It was higher than those obtained at WOR = 10% and 70%, and was greatly increased as compared with those obtained in the same reactor with the presence of TBAB (26%) and CP (33%).

A gas production system from methane hydrate layers by hot water injection and BHP control with radial horizontal wells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamakawa, T.; Ono, S.; Iwamoto, A.; Sugai, Y.; Sasaki, K. [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka, Fukuoka (Japan)

2010-07-01

Reservoir characterization of methane hydrate (MH) bearing turbidite channel in the eastern Nankai Trough, in Japan has been performed to develop a gas production strategy. This paper proposed a gas production system from methane hydrate (MH) sediment layers by combining the hot water injection method and bottom hole pressure control at the production well using radial horizontal wells. Numerical simulations of the cylindrical homogeneous MH layer model were performed in order to evaluate gas production characteristics by the depressurization method with bottom hole pressure control. In addition, the effects of numerical block modeling and averaging physical properties of MH layers were presented. According to numerical simulations, combining the existing production system with hot water injection and bottom hole pressure control results in an outward expansion of the hot water chamber from the center of the MH layer with continuous gas production. 10 refs., 15 figs.

Kinetics of methane-ethane gas replacement in clathrate-hydrates studied by time-resolved neutron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Murshed, M Mangir; Schmidt, Burkhard C; Kuhs, Werner F

2010-01-14

The kinetics of CH(4)-C(2)H(6) replacement in gas hydrates has been studied by in situ neutron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Deuterated ethane structure type I (C(2)H(6) sI) hydrates were transformed in a closed volume into methane-ethane mixed structure type II (CH(4)-C(2)H(6) sII) hydrates at 5 MPa and various temperatures in the vicinity of 0 degrees C while followed by time-resolved neutron powder diffraction on D20 at ILL, Grenoble. The role of available surface area of the sI starting material on the formation kinetics of sII hydrates was studied. Ex situ Raman spectroscopic investigations were carried out to crosscheck the gas composition and the distribution of the gas species over the cages as a function of structure type and compared to the in situ neutron results. Raman micromapping on single hydrate grains showed compositional and structural gradients between the surface and core of the transformed hydrates. Moreover, the observed methane-ethane ratio is very far from the one expected for a formation from a constantly equilibrated gas phase. The results also prove that gas replacement in CH(4)-C(2)H(6) hydrates is a regrowth process involving the nucleation of new crystallites commencing at the surface of the parent C(2)H(6) sI hydrate with a progressively shrinking core of unreacted material. The time-resolved neutron diffraction results clearly indicate an increasing diffusion limitation of the exchange process. This diffusion limitation leads to a progressive slowing down of the exchange reaction and is likely to be responsible for the incomplete exchange of the gases.

Mathematical model of the methane replacement by carbon dioxide in the gas hydrate reservoir taking into account the diffusion kinetics

Science.gov (United States)

Musakaev, N. G.; Khasanov, M. K.; Rafikova, G. R.

2018-03-01

The problem of the replacement of methane in its hydrate by carbon dioxide in a porous medium is considered. The gas-exchange kinetics scheme is proposed in which the intensity of the process is limited by the diffusion of CO2 through the hydrate layer formed between the gas mixture flow and the CH4 hydrate. Dynamics of the main parameters of the process is numerically investigated. The main characteristic stages of the process are determined.

Generalized hypothesis of the origin of the living-matter simplest elements, transformation of the Archean atmosphere, and the formation of methane-hydrate deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostrovskii, Viktor E; Kadyshevich, Elena A

2007-01-01

The original hydrate hypothesis of the origin of living-matter simplest elements (LMSEs), i.e., the 'Life Origination Hydrate hypothesis,' abbreviated as the LOH hypothesis, is discussed. It includes notions of the interdependence and interconditionality of processes leading to the life origin, to the transformation of the primary atmosphere, and to the underground methane-hydrate formation. Saturation of the young earth's crust with nebular hydrogen is taken into consideration for the first time. The origin of LMSEs is regarded as a result of regular and thermodynamically caused inevitable chemical transformations and of the universal physical and chemical laws. According to the LOH hypothesis, LMSEs originated repeatedly and, maybe, are now originating from methane (or other simple hydrocarbons), niter, and phosphate within boundary layers of the solid phases of the hydrates of the simplest hydrocarbons. It is assumed that the phenomenon of monochirality of nucleic acids is caused by geometric features of the structure matrix. (reviews of topical problems)

Generalized hypothesis of the origin of the living-matter simplest elements, transformation of the Archean atmosphere, and the formation of methane-hydrate deposits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ostrovskii, Viktor E [L. Ya. Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry, Moscow (Russian Federation); Kadyshevich, Elena A [A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2007-02-28

The original hydrate hypothesis of the origin of living-matter simplest elements (LMSEs), i.e., the 'Life Origination Hydrate hypothesis,' abbreviated as the LOH hypothesis, is discussed. It includes notions of the interdependence and interconditionality of processes leading to the life origin, to the transformation of the primary atmosphere, and to the underground methane-hydrate formation. Saturation of the young earth's crust with nebular hydrogen is taken into consideration for the first time. The origin of LMSEs is regarded as a result of regular and thermodynamically caused inevitable chemical transformations and of the universal physical and chemical laws. According to the LOH hypothesis, LMSEs originated repeatedly and, maybe, are now originating from methane (or other simple hydrocarbons), niter, and phosphate within boundary layers of the solid phases of the hydrates of the simplest hydrocarbons. It is assumed that the phenomenon of monochirality of nucleic acids is caused by geometric features of the structure matrix. (reviews of topical problems)

Controls on methane expulsion during melting of natural gas hydrate systems. Topic area 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flemings, Peter [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

2016-01-14

1.1. Project Goal The project goal is to predict, given characteristic climate-induced temperature change scenarios, the conditions under which gas will be expelled from existing accumulations of gas hydrate into the shallow ocean or directly to the atmosphere. When those conditions are met, the fraction of the gas accumulation that escapes and the rate of escape shall be quantified. The predictions shall be applicable in Arctic regions and in gas hydrate systems at the up dip limit of the stability zone on continental margins. The behavior shall be explored in response to two warming scenarios: longer term change due to sea level rise (e.g. 20 thousand years) and shorter term due to atmospheric warming by anthropogenic forcing (decadal time scale). 1.2. Project Objectives During the first budget period, the objectives are to review and categorize the stability state of existing well-studied hydrate reservoirs, develop conceptual and numerical models of the melting process, and to design and conduct laboratory experiments that dissociate methane hydrate in a model sediment column by systematically controlling the temperature profile along the column. The final objective of the first budget period shall be to validate the models against the experiments. In the second budget period, the objectives are to develop a model of gas flow into sediment in which hydrate is thermodynamically stable, and conduct laboratory experiments of this process to validate the model. The developed models shall be used to quantify the rate and volume of gas that escapes from dissociating hydrate accumulations. In addition, specific scaled simulations characteristic of Arctic regions and regions near the stability limit at continental margins shall be performed. 1.3. Project Background and Rationale The central hypothesis proposed is that hydrate melting (dissociation) due to climate change generates free gas that can, under certain conditions, propagate through the gas hydrate stability

Do Pleistocene Glacial-Interglacial Cycles Control Methane Hydrate Formation? An Example from Green Canyon, Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Oryan, B.; Malinverno, A.; Goldberg, D.; Fortin, W.

2017-12-01

Well GC955-H was drilled in the Green Canyon region under the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrates Joint Industry Project in 2009. Logging-while-drilling resistivity logs obtained at the well indicate that the saturation of gas hydrate varies between high and low values in an alternating fashion. This trend is observed from 180 to 360mbsf, depths that correspond to the Late Pleistocene. Similar gas hydrate saturation patterns have been observed in other Gulf of Mexico locations (Walker Ridge sites WR313-G and 313-H) in Late Pleistocene sediments. Our hypothesis is that these variations in saturation can be explained by sea level changes through time during glacial-interglacial cycles. A higher amount of organic matter is deposited and buried in the sediment column during glacial intervals when sea level is low. Microbes in the sediment column degrade organic matter and produce methane gas as a byproduct. Higher availability of organic matter in the sediment column can increase the concentration of methane in the sediment pore water and in turn lead to the formation of gas hydrate. We use a time-dependent numerical model of the formation of gas hydrate to test this hypothesis. The model predicts the volume and distribution of gas hydrates using mass balance equations. Model inputs include in situ porosity determined from bulk density logs; local thermal gradient estimated from the depth of the bottom of the gas hydrate stability zone in proximity to the well; and sedimentation rate determined using the biostratigraphy of an industry well in the vicinity of GC955-H. Initial results show a good match between gas hydrate saturation predicted by the model and resistivity logs obtained in the well. We anticipate that this correlation will establish whether a causal link exists between the saturation of gas hydrate in this reservoir and glacioeustatic sea level changes in the Late Pleistocene.

Cage occupancies of natural gas hydrates encaging methane and ethane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kida, M.; Hachikubo, A.; Sakagami, H.; Minami, H.; Krylov, A.; Yamashita, S.; Takahashi, N.; Shoji, H. [Kitami Inst. of Technology, Kitami (Japan); Kida, M. [National Inst. of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo (Japan); Khlystov, O. [Limnological Inst., Irkutsk (Russian Federation). Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Poort, J. [Ghent Univ., Ghent (Belgium). Renard Centre of Marine Geology; Narita, H. [National Inst. of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo (Japan)

2008-07-01

Natural gas hydrates are crystalline compounds that contain large amounts of natural gas in its structure and are expected to provide natural gas resources in the future. The gas species are trapped in different types of polyhedral cages which consist of hydrogen bonded water molecules. Three main types of crystallographic structures exist, notably structure 1, structure 2 and structure H (sH). The crystallographic structure of natural gas hydrates depends on the encaged gas components. The cage occupancy is the ratio of the number of cages occupied by guest molecules to the number of total cages. It is also important to estimate the amount of natural gas, since it depends on the condition of the hydrate formation such as gas composition. The cages of natural gas hydrates mainly contain methane. However, other heavier hydrocarbons such as ethane (C{sub 2}H{sub 6}), propane (C{sub 3}H{sub 8}), and isobutane (i-C{sub 4}H{sub 1}0) may be encaged together with CH{sub 4}. Little is known about cage occupancies of natural gas hydrates including CH{sub 4} and heavier hydrocarbons. This paper discussed a study that developed cage occupancy estimations of natural gas hydrates encaging heavier hydrocarbons. 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements were conducted. The assignments of resonance lines were based on 13C chemical shifts obtained by artificial sample measurements. The paper presented the experimental data and discussed the results of the study. The large cages were almost fully occupied with CH{sub 4} and C{sub 2}H{sub 6} molecules, whereas the small cage occupancies of CH{sub 4} were below 0.8. The distribution of CH{sub 4} and C{sub 2}H{sub 6} in each cage were similar to that of synthetic CH{sub 4} + C{sub 2}H{sub 6} hydrate. It was concluded that these results should be useful for optimal estimation of the amount of natural gas in gas hydrates. 18 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.

A 2D Micromodel Study of Fines Migration and Clogging Behavior in Porous Media: Implications of Fines on Methane Extraction from Hydrate-Bearing Sediments

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Cao, S. C.; Jang, J.; Waite, W. F.; Jafari, M.; Jung, J.

2017-12-01

Fine-grained sediment, or "fines," exist nearly ubiquitously in natural sediment, even in the predominantly coarse-grained sediments that host gas hydrates. Fines within these sandy sediments can play a crucial role during gas hydrate production activities. During methane extraction, several processes can alter the mobility and clogging potential of fines: 1) fluid flow as the formation is depressurized to release methane from hydrate; 2) pore-fluid chemistry shifts as pore-fluid brine freshens due to pure water released from dissociating hydrate; 3) the presence of a moving gas/water interface as gas evolves from dissociating hydrate and moves through the reservoir toward the production well. To evaluate fines migration and clogging behavior changes resulting from methane gas production and pore-water freshening during hydrate dissociation, 2D micromodel experiments have been conducted on a selection of pure fines, pore-fluids, and micromodel pore-throat sizes. Additionally, tests have been run with and without an invading gas phase (CO2) to test the significance of a moving meniscus on fines mobility and clogging. The endmember fine particles chosen for this research include silica silt, mica, calcium carbonate, diatoms, kaolinite, illite, and bentonite (primarily made of montmorillonite). The pore fluids include deionized water, sodium chloride brine (2M concentration), and kerosene. The microfluidic pore models, used as porous media analogs, were fabricated with pore-throat widths of 40, 60, and 100 µm. Results from this research show that in addition to the expected dependence of clogging on the ratio of particle-to-pore-throat size, pore-fluid chemistry is also a significant factor because the interaction between a particular type of fine and pore fluid influences that fine's capacity to cluster, clump together and effectively increase its particle "size" relative to the pore-throat width. The presence of a moving gas/fluid meniscus increases the clogging

Methane-oxidizing seawater microbial communities from an Arctic shelf

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Uhlig, Christiane; Kirkpatrick, John B.; D'Hondt, Steven; Loose, Brice

2018-06-01

Marine microbial communities can consume dissolved methane before it can escape to the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Seawater over the shallow Arctic shelf is characterized by excess methane compared to atmospheric equilibrium. This methane originates in sediment, permafrost, and hydrate. Particularly high concentrations are found beneath sea ice. We studied the structure and methane oxidation potential of the microbial communities from seawater collected close to Utqiagvik, Alaska, in April 2016. The in situ methane concentrations were 16.3 ± 7.2 nmol L-1, approximately 4.8 times oversaturated relative to atmospheric equilibrium. The group of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in the natural seawater and incubated seawater was > 97 % dominated by Methylococcales (γ-Proteobacteria). Incubations of seawater under a range of methane concentrations led to loss of diversity in the bacterial community. The abundance of MOB was low with maximal fractions of 2.5 % at 200 times elevated methane concentration, while sequence reads of non-MOB methylotrophs were 4 times more abundant than MOB in most incubations. The abundances of MOB as well as non-MOB methylotroph sequences correlated tightly with the rate constant (kox) for methane oxidation, indicating that non-MOB methylotrophs might be coupled to MOB and involved in community methane oxidation. In sea ice, where methane concentrations of 82 ± 35.8 nmol kg-1 were found, Methylobacterium (α-Proteobacteria) was the dominant MOB with a relative abundance of 80 %. Total MOB abundances were very low in sea ice, with maximal fractions found at the ice-snow interface (0.1 %), while non-MOB methylotrophs were present in abundances similar to natural seawater communities. The dissimilarities in MOB taxa, methane concentrations, and stable isotope ratios between the sea ice and water column point toward different methane dynamics in the two environments.

MethaneSat: Detecting Methane Emissions in the Barnett Shale Region

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Propp, A. M.; Benmergui, J. S.; Turner, A. J.; Wofsy, S. C.

2017-12-01

In this study, we investigate the new information that will be provided by MethaneSat, a proposed satellite that will measure the total column dry-air mole fraction of methane at 1x1 km or 2x2 km spatial resolution with 0.1-0.2% random error. We run an atmospheric model to simulate MethaneSat's ability to characterize methane emissions from the Barnett Shale, a natural gas province in Texas. For comparison, we perform observation system simulation experiments (OSSEs) for MethaneSat, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration (NOAA) surface and aircraft network, and Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT). The results demonstrate the added benefit that MethaneSat would provide in our efforts to monitor and report methane emissions. We find that MethaneSat successfully quantifies total methane emissions in the region, as well as their spatial distribution and steep gradients. Under the same test conditions, both the NOAA network and GOSAT fail to capture this information. Furthermore, we find that the results for MethaneSat depend far less on the prior emission estimate than do those for the other observing systems, demonstrating the benefit of high sampling density. The results suggest that MethaneSat would be an incredibly useful tool for obtaining detailed methane emission information from oil and gas provinces around the world.

Methane fluxes and inventories in the accretionary prism of southwestern Taiwan

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Lin, L. H.; Chen, N. C.; Yang, T. F.; Hong, W. L.; Chen, H. W.; Chen, H. C.; Hu, C. Y.; Huang, Y. C.; Lin, S.; Su, C. C.; Liao, W. Z.; Sun, C. H.; Wang, P. L.; Yang, T.; Jiang, S. Y.; Liu, C. S.; Wang, Y.; Chung, S. H.

2017-12-01

Sediments distributed across marine and terrestrial realms represent the largest methane reservoir on Earth. The degassing of methane facilitated through either geological structures or perturbation would contribute significantly to global climatic fluctuation and elemental cycling. The exact fluxes and processes governing methane production, consumption and transport in a geological system remain largely unknown in part due to the limited coverage and access of samples. In this study, more than 200 sediment cores were collected from offshore and onshore southwestern Taiwan and analyzed for their gas and aqueous geochemistry. These data combined with published data and existing parameters of subduction system were used to calculate methane fluxes across different geochemical transitions and to develop scenarios of mass balance to constrain deep microbial and thermogenic methane production rates within the Taiwanese accretionary prism. The results showed that high methane fluxes tend to be associated with structural features, suggesting a strong structural control on methane transport. A significant portion of ascending methane (>50%) was consumed by anaerobic oxidation of methane at most sites. Gas compositions and isotopes revealed a transition from the predominance of microbial methane in the passive margin to thermogenic methane at the upper slope of the active margin and onshore mud volcanoes. Methane production and consumption at shallow depths were nearly offset with a small fraction of residual methane discharged into seawater or the atmosphere. The flux imbalance arose primarily from the deep microbial and thermogenic production and could be likely accounted for by the sequestration of methane into hydrate forms, and clay absorption.

Strong atmospheric chemistry feedback to climate warming from Arctic methane emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Isaksen, Ivar S.A.; Gauss, Michael; Myhre, Gunnar; Walter Anthony, Katey M.; Ruppel, Carolyn

2011-01-01

The magnitude and feedbacks of future methane release from the Arctic region are unknown. Despite limited documentation of potential future releases associated with thawing permafrost and degassing methane hydrates, the large potential for future methane releases calls for improved understanding of the interaction of a changing climate with processes in the Arctic and chemical feedbacks in the atmosphere. Here we apply a “state of the art” atmospheric chemistry transport model to show that large emissions of CH4 would likely have an unexpectedly large impact on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and on radiative forcing (RF). The indirect contribution to RF of additional methane emission is particularly important. It is shown that if global methane emissions were to increase by factors of 2.5 and 5.2 above current emissions, the indirect contributions to RF would be about 250% and 400%, respectively, of the RF that can be attributed to directly emitted methane alone. Assuming several hypothetical scenarios of CH4 release associated with permafrost thaw, shallow marine hydrate degassing, and submarine landslides, we find a strong positive feedback on RF through atmospheric chemistry. In particular, the impact of CH4 is enhanced through increase of its lifetime, and of atmospheric abundances of ozone, stratospheric water vapor, and CO2 as a result of atmospheric chemical processes. Despite uncertainties in emission scenarios, our results provide a better understanding of the feedbacks in the atmospheric chemistry that would amplify climate warming.

The phase transition of methane caused by pressure change during its seeping up from seepage, revealed by video observation and acoustic reflection data

Science.gov (United States)

Aoyama, C.

2017-12-01

Methane plumes often exist in the vicinity sea area where shallow type methane hydrates are extracted and they are observed as images displayed on monitors of multi-beam sonar and echo sounder onboard, where methane hydrates are expected at sea bottom on ROV observation data. The hydrates are generally considered to be generated in shallow depths below the sea floor. In this study, author examined annual amount of methane dissolving into seawater by measuring the amount of plume in order to make a quantification of dissolving methane from seafloor. Measurement procedure is plume exploration using multi-beam and quantitative echo sounder , submerge ROV to gushing point at seafloor , calculate the rising speed of methane plumes and examine the phases by monitoring seeping plumes from seafloor with high-definition camera. Components of seeping plumes were defined as methane hydrate particles based on the result by measuring water temperature. From this procedure, it can be concluded that the minimum rising speed of methane hydrate particles from gushing point is 1.6×10-1(m/s) and the maximum of 2.0×10-1(m/s) indicating a difference of more than ten times the gaseous theoretical value of 2.74(m/s). This speed is theoretically closer to the solid speed of the material with physical property similar to hydrates, which is 3.05×10-1 (m/s). Therefore, it can be determined that those particles are in the solid state, immediately above seafloor. To measure the amount of plumes seeping from gushing points funnel-shaped instruments with 20cm diameter opening were used to collect methane plumes in this sea area. This was performed in three different gushing points. As a result, 300ml of methane plume was collected in 643 seconds. Assuming that gushing points exist evenly in the sea area, the annual amount of methane gas seeping from these points will be 7.7×105m3 /per m2. Result shows a large quantity of methane seeping from seafloor into the water. This data is an important

Application of the independent molecule model to elucidate the dynamics of structure I methane hydrate: a third report.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshioki, Shuzo

2009-01-01

Two new model systems of methane hydrate, larger than the previous systems, are constructed. One consists of 63 small and large cages with a small cage at the centre. The other has 65 small and large cages with a large cage at the centre. Three different H-bonding network patterns between water are formed, and three random orientations of methane in each cage are chosen. Using the surface water fixed method, we obtained the energy minimum conformations, fitted to the X-ray crystallographic structure. With normal mode analysis, we calculated frequencies of 2915.1 cm(-1) for a small cage, and 2911.0 cm(-1) for a large cage. These frequencies are a little nearer to the Raman spectra than were previous model systems. Treating three force constants of anharmonic potential energy and the strength of H-bonding between methane and water as four parameters, we obtained frequencies of 2913.6 cm(-1) for a small cage, a little lower than the Raman, and 2906.6 cm(-1) for a large cage, a little higher than the Raman. The calculations thus almost reach the Raman spectra.

On morphology of methane-derived authigenic carbonates

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Logvina, E.; Matveeva, T.

2009-04-01

Studies of methane-derived carbonates revealed a great variety their morphological types. Although the processes of these carbonates formation is not clearly understood, it has been suggested that in general bacterially mediated processes of hydrocarbon oxidation, coupled with sulphate reduction, produce unusually high levels of alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon in the pore fluids that is partitioned between the precipitating carbonate and CO2 rich plumes which emanate into the water column (Aharon, 1994). These carbonates consist by three main CaCO3 polymorphs - calcite, aragonite and dolomite. Carbonates with different petrography cemented from these polymorphs can be classified according to their specific locality mode of formation and biogenic or non-biogenic origin (Greinert et al., 2002). There are classifications for the authigenic carbonates which are based on petrography, morphology, or based on age and origin. In this work we will consider the petrographical and morphological differences of authigenic carbonates. The large structures vary from 10 to 200 m size, named as chemoherm carbonates. Usually they cemented by pure aragonite with minor Mg-calcite admixture. These chemoherms rise up to 50 m above the seafloor. The structures are irregular in shape and have numerous pores and open pathways resulting from plumbing system of fluid expulsion. This type of authigenic carbonates was observed in the NE Black Sea (Michaelis et al., 2002), at the Hydrate Ridge area (Greinert et al., 2001), at Aleutian accretionary margin (Greinert et al., 2002). Diagenetic carbonates - carbonate cemented sediments both growing at the seafloor or within the sediment framework and showing a large variety of shapes (chimneys, crusts, concretions est.), with grey to dark-grey color. Petrographically the carbonate cement represents by Mg-calcite, protodolomite and dolomite. The diagenetic carbonates occur widely in the fluid venting areas. In particular, diagenetic

Experimental Simulation of Methane Hydrate Extraction at High Pressure Conditions: Influence of the Sediment Bed

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Agudo, J. R.; Park, J.; Luzi, G.; Williams, M.; Rauh, C.; Wierschem, A.; Delgado, A.

2017-10-01

Being a clean alternative to other fossil fuels, Methane Hydrate (MH) is currently considered as one of the most important potential sources for hydrocarbon fuels [1]. In addition, the high energy density of MH and its stability at higher temperatures as compared to LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) makes MH a potential greener method for energy transportation. At the same time, the low thermodynamic stability of MH strongly questions the future exploitation of gas hydrate deposits, turning its extraction into a possible geohazard [2]. Fluctuations in pressure, temperature, salinity, degree of saturation or sediment bed properties may cause methane gas release from the water lattice. We experimentally study the influence of the sediment bed geometry during formation-dissociation of MH. For this purpose, MH is synthesized within regular substrates in a 93 cm3 high pressure vessel. The regular substrates are triangular and quadratic arrangements of identical glass spheres with a diameter of 2 and 5 mm, respectively. MH formation within regular substrate reduces the possibility of spontaneous nucleation to a unique geometrical configuration. This fact permits us to characterize the kinetics of MH formation-dissociation as a function of the sediment bed geometry. Preliminary experimental results reveal a strong dependence of MH formation on the geometry of the regular substrate. For instance, under the same pressure and temperature, the kinetics of MH production is found to change by a factor 3 solely depending on the substrate symmetry, i.e. triangular or quadratic.

The impact of fluid advection on gas hydrate stability: Investigations at sites of methane seepage offshore Costa Rica

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Crutchley, G. J.; Klaeschen, D.; Planert, L.; Bialas, J.; Berndt, C.; Papenberg, C.; Hensen, C.; Hornbach, M. J.; Krastel, S.; Brueckmann, W.

2014-09-01

Fluid flow through marine sediments drives a wide range of processes, from gas hydrate formation and dissociation, to seafloor methane seepage including the development of chemosynthetic ecosystems, and ocean acidification. Here, we present new seismic data that reveal the 3D nature of focused fluid flow beneath two mound structures on the seafloor offshore Costa Rica. These mounds have formed as a result of ongoing seepage of methane-rich fluids. We show the spatial impact of advective heat flow on gas hydrate stability due to the channelled ascent of warm fluids towards the seafloor. The base of gas hydrate stability (BGHS) imaged in the seismic data constrains peak heat flow values to ∼60 mW m and ∼70 mW m beneath two separate seep sites known as Mound 11 and Mound 12, respectively. The initiation of pronounced fluid flow towards these structures was likely controlled by fault networks that acted as efficient pathways for warm fluids ascending from depth. Through the gas hydrate stability zone, fluid flow has been focused through vertical conduits that we suggest developed as migrating fluids generated their own secondary permeability by fracturing strata as they forced their way upwards towards the seafloor. We show that Mound 11 and Mound 12 (about 1 km apart on the seafloor) are sustained by independent fluid flow systems through the hydrate system, and that fluid flow rates across the BGHS are probably similar beneath both mounds. 2D seismic data suggest that these two flow systems might merge at approximately 1 km depth, i.e. much deeper than the BGHS. This study provides a new level of detail and understanding of how channelled, anomalously-high fluid flow towards the seafloor influences gas hydrate stability. Thus, gas hydrate systems have good potential for quantifying the upward flow of subduction system fluids to seafloor seep sites, since the fluids have to interact with and leave their mark on the hydrate system before reaching the seafloor.

Numerical simulation of vertical transport and oxidation of methane in Arctic Ocean

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Stepanenko, Victor; Iakovlev, Nikolai

2013-04-01

The high abundance of methane in shelf of East Siberian Arctic Seas (ESAS) has been a subject of a number of field studies (e.g. Shakhova et al., 2010). This experimental evidence provoked discussions on probable origins of that methane and possible feedbacks to modern climate change. For instance, the hypothesis of methane hydrates degradation under current ocean warming was tested recently in several modeling studies none of which supported this degradation to be significant feedback for climate change. Regardless the origin of methane the knowledge of its budget in the water column is important to link its bottom flux with emission to the atmosphere (and vice versa). It is frequently assumed that all methane released from a seabed of ESAS shelf reaches the atmosphere. When using ocean circulation models (Biastoch et al., 2011) this simplification is cancelled out but the vertical resolution of 3D models at the shelf (that is several tens meters deep) is not enough to accurately resolve turbulent transport of methane and other gases. Moreover, up the knowledge of authors none of the ocean models includes explicitly bubble transport of gases. These constrains motivate this study. In this study a high-resolution 1D single column ocean model is constructed to explicitly simulate the methane transport, oxidation and emission to the atmosphere. The model accounts for both vertical turbulent transport (using k-ɛ closure) and bubble transport of gases. The ground under the seabed is represented by multilayer heat and moisture transfer model, including methane hydrate evolution. It is forced by time series of atmospheric variables from NCEP reanalysis and horizontal advection terms taken from FEMAO-1 3D ocean model. The baseline simulation is performed for the period 1948-2011. The model is validated using temperature profiles measured at research vessels in ESAS. The annual cycle and multiyear variability of methane profiles in water are studied and compared to

Methane cycling. Nonequilibrium clumped isotope signals in microbial methane.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, David T; Gruen, Danielle S; Lollar, Barbara Sherwood; Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe; Stewart, Lucy C; Holden, James F; Hristov, Alexander N; Pohlman, John W; Morrill, Penny L; Könneke, Martin; Delwiche, Kyle B; Reeves, Eoghan P; Sutcliffe, Chelsea N; Ritter, Daniel J; Seewald, Jeffrey S; McIntosh, Jennifer C; Hemond, Harold F; Kubo, Michael D; Cardace, Dawn; Hoehler, Tori M; Ono, Shuhei

2015-04-24

Methane is a key component in the global carbon cycle, with a wide range of anthropogenic and natural sources. Although isotopic compositions of methane have traditionally aided source identification, the abundance of its multiply substituted "clumped" isotopologues (for example, (13)CH3D) has recently emerged as a proxy for determining methane-formation temperatures. However, the effect of biological processes on methane's clumped isotopologue signature is poorly constrained. We show that methanogenesis proceeding at relatively high rates in cattle, surface environments, and laboratory cultures exerts kinetic control on (13)CH3D abundances and results in anomalously elevated formation-temperature estimates. We demonstrate quantitatively that H2 availability accounts for this effect. Clumped methane thermometry can therefore provide constraints on the generation of methane in diverse settings, including continental serpentinization sites and ancient, deep groundwaters. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Lattice constants of pure methane and carbon dioxide hydrates at low temperatures. Implementing quantum corrections to classical molecular dynamics studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costandy, Joseph; Michalis, Vasileios K.; Economou, Ioannis G., E-mail: i.tsimpanogiannis@qatar.tamu.edu, E-mail: ioannis.economou@qatar.tamu.edu [Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha (Qatar); Tsimpanogiannis, Ioannis N., E-mail: i.tsimpanogiannis@qatar.tamu.edu, E-mail: ioannis.economou@qatar.tamu.edu [Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha (Qatar); Environmental Research Laboratory, National Center for Scientific Research NCSR “Demokritos,” 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis (Greece); Stubos, Athanassios K. [Environmental Research Laboratory, National Center for Scientific Research NCSR “Demokritos,” 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis (Greece)

2016-03-28

We introduce a simple correction to the calculation of the lattice constants of fully occupied structure sI methane or carbon dioxide pure hydrates that are obtained from classical molecular dynamics simulations using the TIP4PQ/2005 water force field. The obtained corrected lattice constants are subsequently used in order to obtain isobaric thermal expansion coefficients of the pure gas hydrates that exhibit a trend that is significantly closer to the experimental behavior than previously reported classical molecular dynamics studies.

Light-Dependent Aerobic Methane Oxidation Reduces Methane Emissions from Seasonally Stratified Lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Oswald, Kirsten; Milucka, Jana; Brand, Andreas; Littmann, Sten; Wehrli, Bernhard; Kuypers, Marcel M. M.; Schubert, Carsten J.

2015-01-01

Lakes are a natural source of methane to the atmosphere and contribute significantly to total emissions compared to the oceans. Controls on methane emissions from lake surfaces, particularly biotic processes within anoxic hypolimnia, are only partially understood. Here we investigated biological methane oxidation in the water column of the seasonally stratified Lake Rotsee. A zone of methane oxidation extending from the oxic/anoxic interface into anoxic waters was identified by chemical profiling of oxygen, methane and δ13C of methane. Incubation experiments with 13C-methane yielded highest oxidation rates within the oxycline, and comparable rates were measured in anoxic waters. Despite predominantly anoxic conditions within the zone of methane oxidation, known groups of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea were conspicuously absent. Instead, aerobic gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs were identified as the active methane oxidizers. In addition, continuous oxidation and maximum rates always occurred under light conditions. These findings, along with the detection of chlorophyll a, suggest that aerobic methane oxidation is tightly coupled to light-dependent photosynthetic oxygen production both at the oxycline and in the anoxic bottom layer. It is likely that this interaction between oxygenic phototrophs and aerobic methanotrophs represents a widespread mechanism by which methane is oxidized in lake water, thus diminishing its release into the atmosphere. PMID:26193458

Methane production and methane consumption: a review of processes underlying wetland methane fluxes.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Segers, R.

1998-01-01

Potential rates of both methane production and methane consumption vary over three orders of magnitude and their distribution is skew. These rates are weakly correlated with ecosystem type, incubation temperature, in situ aeration, latitude, depth and distance to oxic/anoxic interface. Anaerobic

Biogenic Methane Generation Potential in the Eastern Nankai Trough, Japan: Effect of Reaction Temperature and Total Organic Carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Aung, T. T.; Fujii, T.; Amo, M.; Suzuki, K.

2017-12-01

Understanding potential of methane flux from the Pleistocene fore-arc basin filled turbiditic sedimentary formation along the eastern Nankai Trough is important in the quantitative assessment of gas hydrate resources. We considered generated methane could exist in sedimentary basin in the forms of three major components, and those are methane in methane hydrate, free gas and methane dissolved in water. Generation of biomethane strongly depends on microbe activity and microbes in turn survive in diverse range of temperature, salinity and pH. This study aims to understand effect of reaction temperature and total organic carbon on generation of biomethane and its components. Biomarker analysis and cultural experiment results of the core samples from the eastern Nankai Trough reveal that methane generation rate gets peak at various temperature ranging12.5°to 35°. Simulation study of biomethane generation was made using commercial basin scale simulator, PetroMod, with different reaction temperature and total organic carbon to predict how these effect on generation of biomethane. Reaction model is set by Gaussian distribution with constant hydrogen index and standard deviation of 1. Series of simulation cases with peak reaction temperature ranging 12.5°to 35° and total organic carbon of 0.6% to 3% were conducted and analyzed. Simulation results show that linear decrease in generation potential while increasing reaction temperature. But decreasing amount becomes larger in the model with higher total organic carbon. At higher reaction temperatures, >30°, extremely low generation potential was found. This is due to the fact that the source formation modeled is less than 1 km in thickness and most of formation do not reach temperature more than 30°. In terms of the components, methane in methane hydrate and free methane increase with increasing TOC. Drastic increase in free methane was observed in the model with 3% of TOC. Methane amount dissolved in water shows almost

Minimal geological methane emissions during the Younger Dryas-Preboreal abrupt warming event.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrenko, Vasilii V; Smith, Andrew M; Schaefer, Hinrich; Riedel, Katja; Brook, Edward; Baggenstos, Daniel; Harth, Christina; Hua, Quan; Buizert, Christo; Schilt, Adrian; Fain, Xavier; Mitchell, Logan; Bauska, Thomas; Orsi, Anais; Weiss, Ray F; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P

2017-08-23

Methane (CH 4 ) is a powerful greenhouse gas and plays a key part in global atmospheric chemistry. Natural geological emissions (fossil methane vented naturally from marine and terrestrial seeps and mud volcanoes) are thought to contribute around 52 teragrams of methane per year to the global methane source, about 10 per cent of the total, but both bottom-up methods (measuring emissions) and top-down approaches (measuring atmospheric mole fractions and isotopes) for constraining these geological emissions have been associated with large uncertainties. Here we use ice core measurements to quantify the absolute amount of radiocarbon-containing methane ( 14 CH 4 ) in the past atmosphere and show that geological methane emissions were no higher than 15.4 teragrams per year (95 per cent confidence), averaged over the abrupt warming event that occurred between the Younger Dryas and Preboreal intervals, approximately 11,600 years ago. Assuming that past geological methane emissions were no lower than today, our results indicate that current estimates of today's natural geological methane emissions (about 52 teragrams per year) are too high and, by extension, that current estimates of anthropogenic fossil methane emissions are too low. Our results also improve on and confirm earlier findings that the rapid increase of about 50 per cent in mole fraction of atmospheric methane at the Younger Dryas-Preboreal event was driven by contemporaneous methane from sources such as wetlands; our findings constrain the contribution from old carbon reservoirs (marine methane hydrates, permafrost and methane trapped under ice) to 19 per cent or less (95 per cent confidence). To the extent that the characteristics of the most recent deglaciation and the Younger Dryas-Preboreal warming are comparable to those of the current anthropogenic warming, our measurements suggest that large future atmospheric releases of methane from old carbon sources are unlikely to occur.

Minimal geological methane emissions during the Younger Dryas-Preboreal abrupt warming event

Science.gov (United States)

Petrenko, Vasilii V.; Smith, Andrew M.; Schaefer, Hinrich; Riedel, Katja; Brook, Edward; Baggenstos, Daniel; Harth, Christina; Hua, Quan; Buizert, Christo; Schilt, Adrian; Fain, Xavier; Mitchell, Logan; Bauska, Thomas; Orsi, Anais; Weiss, Ray F.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.

2017-08-01

Methane (CH4) is a powerful greenhouse gas and plays a key part in global atmospheric chemistry. Natural geological emissions (fossil methane vented naturally from marine and terrestrial seeps and mud volcanoes) are thought to contribute around 52 teragrams of methane per year to the global methane source, about 10 per cent of the total, but both bottom-up methods (measuring emissions) and top-down approaches (measuring atmospheric mole fractions and isotopes) for constraining these geological emissions have been associated with large uncertainties. Here we use ice core measurements to quantify the absolute amount of radiocarbon-containing methane (14CH4) in the past atmosphere and show that geological methane emissions were no higher than 15.4 teragrams per year (95 per cent confidence), averaged over the abrupt warming event that occurred between the Younger Dryas and Preboreal intervals, approximately 11,600 years ago. Assuming that past geological methane emissions were no lower than today, our results indicate that current estimates of today’s natural geological methane emissions (about 52 teragrams per year) are too high and, by extension, that current estimates of anthropogenic fossil methane emissions are too low. Our results also improve on and confirm earlier findings that the rapid increase of about 50 per cent in mole fraction of atmospheric methane at the Younger Dryas-Preboreal event was driven by contemporaneous methane from sources such as wetlands; our findings constrain the contribution from old carbon reservoirs (marine methane hydrates, permafrost and methane trapped under ice) to 19 per cent or less (95 per cent confidence). To the extent that the characteristics of the most recent deglaciation and the Younger Dryas-Preboreal warming are comparable to those of the current anthropogenic warming, our measurements suggest that large future atmospheric releases of methane from old carbon sources are unlikely to occur.

Thermodynamic and structural signatures of water-driven methane-methane attraction in coarse-grained mW water.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Bin; Molinero, Valeria

2013-08-07

Hydrophobic interactions are responsible for water-driven processes such as protein folding and self-assembly of biomolecules. Microscopic theories and molecular simulations have been used to study association of a pair of methanes in water, the paradigmatic example of hydrophobic attraction, and determined that entropy is the driving force for the association of the methane pair, while the enthalpy disfavors it. An open question is to which extent coarse-grained water models can still produce correct thermodynamic and structural signatures of hydrophobic interaction. In this work, we investigate the hydrophobic interaction between a methane pair in water at temperatures from 260 to 340 K through molecular dynamics simulations with the coarse-grained monatomic water model mW. We find that the coarse-grained model correctly represents the free energy of association of the methane pair, the temperature dependence of free energy, and the positive change in entropy and enthalpy upon association. We investigate the relationship between thermodynamic signatures and structural order of water through the analysis of the spatial distribution of the density, energy, and tetrahedral order parameter Qt of water. The simulations reveal an enhancement of tetrahedral order in the region between the first and second hydration shells of the methane molecules. The increase in tetrahedral order, however, is far from what would be expected for a clathrate-like or ice-like shell around the solutes. This work shows that the mW water model reproduces the key signatures of hydrophobic interaction without long ranged electrostatics or the need to be re-parameterized for different thermodynamic states. These characteristics, and its hundred-fold increase in efficiency with respect to atomistic models, make mW a promising water model for studying water-driven hydrophobic processes in more complex systems.

Device for manufacturing methane or synthetic gas from materials containing carbon using a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaeger, W.

1984-01-01

This invention concerns a device for manufacturing methane or synthetic gas from materials containing carbon using a nuclear reactor, where part of the carbon is gasified with hydration and the remaining carbon is converted to synthetic gas by adding steam. This synthetic gas consists mainly of H 2 , CO, CO 2 and CH 4 and can be converted to methane in so-called methanising using a nickel catalyst. The hydrogen gasifier is situated in the first of two helium circuits of a high temperature reactor, and the splitting furnace is situated in the second helium circuit, where part of the methane produced is split into hydrogen at high temperature, which is used for the hydrating splitting of another part of the material containing carbon. (orig./RB) [de

Atmospheric methane removal by methane-oxidizing bacteria immobilized on porous building materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganendra, Giovanni; De Muynck, Willem; Ho, Adrian; Hoefman, Sven; De Vos, Paul; Boeckx, Pascal; Boon, Nico

2014-04-01

Biological treatment using methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) immobilized on six porous carrier materials have been used to mitigate methane emission. Experiments were performed with different MOB inoculated in building materials at high (~20 % (v/v)) and low (~100 ppmv) methane mixing ratios. Methylocystis parvus in autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) exhibited the highest methane removal rate at high (28.5 ± 3.8 μg CH₄ g⁻¹ building material h⁻¹) and low (1.7 ± 0.4 μg CH₄ g⁻¹ building material h⁻¹) methane mixing ratio. Due to the higher volume of pores with diameter >5 μm compared to other materials tested, AAC was able to adsorb more bacteria which might explain for the higher methane removal observed. The total methane and carbon dioxide-carbon in the headspace was decreased for 65.2 ± 10.9 % when M. parvus in Ytong was incubated for 100 h. This study showed that immobilized MOB on building materials could be used to remove methane from the air and also act as carbon sink.

Rain increases methane production and methane oxidation in a boreal thermokarst bog

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, R. B.; Moorberg, C.; Turner, J.; Wong, A.; Waldrop, M. P.; Euskirchen, E. S.; Edgar, C.; Turetsky, M. R.

2017-12-01

Bottom-up biogeochemical models of wetland methane emissions simulate the response of methane production, oxidation and transport to wetland conditions and environmental forcings. One reason for mismatches between bottom-up and top-down estimates of emissions is incomplete knowledge of factors and processes that control microbial rates and methane transport. To advance mechanistic understanding of wetland methane emissions, we conducted a multi-year field investigation and plant manipulation experiment in a thermokarst bog located near Fairbanks, Alaska. The edge of the bog is experiencing active permafrost thaw, while the center of the bog thawed 50 to 100 years ago. Our study, which captured both an average year and two of the wettest years on record, revealed how rain interacts with vascular vegetation and recently thawed permafrost to affect methane emissions. In the floating bog, rain water warmed and oxygenated the subsurface, but did not alter soil saturation. The warmer peat temperatures increased both microbial methane production and plant productivity at the edge of the bog near the actively thawing margin, but minimally altered microbial and plant activity in the center of the bog. These responses indicate processes at the edge of the bog were temperature limited while those in the center were not. The compounding effect of increased microbial activity and plant productivity at the edge of the bog doubled methane emissions from treatments with vascular vegetation during rainy years. In contrast, methane emissions from vegetated treatments in the center of the bog did not change with rain. The oxygenating influence of rain facilitated greater methane oxidation in treatments without vascular vegetation, which offset warming-induced increases in methane production at the edge of the bog and decreased methane emissions in the center of the bog. These results elucidate the complex and spatially variable response of methane production and oxidation in

Experimental study and thermodynamic modelling of methane clathrate hydrate dissociation conditions in silica gel porous media in the presence of methanol aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashemi, Hamed; Javanmardi, Jafar; Zarifi, Mojdeh; Eslamimanesh, Ali; Mohammadi, Amir H.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Phase equilibria of hydrates of methane in confined silica gel pores are reported. ► Dissociation data in the presences of methanol aqueous solution are also measured. ► A thermodynamic model is developed for prediction of the obtained data. ► Acceptable agreement is found between the obtained data and the predicted results. - Abstract: In this work, the phase equilibria of clathrate hydrates of methane in the presence of pure water and 0.035 mass fraction of methanol aqueous solution in confined silica gel pores with (10 and 15) nm mean diameters are measured and reported. A thermodynamic model is also developed for prediction of the obtained experimental hydrate dissociation data. The Valderrama–Patel–Teja (VPT-EoS) equation of state (EoS) accompanied with the non-density dependent (NDD) mixing rules coupled with a previously developed activity model are applied to evaluate the fugacity of the species present and the activity coefficient of water in methanol aqueous solution. Acceptable agreement between the reported data and the predicted results using the proposed model and an existing method reported in the literature demonstrates the reliability of the presented model.

Phase changes induced by guest orientational ordering of filled ice Ih methane hydrate under high pressure and low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirai, H; Tanaka, T; Yagi, T; Matsuoka, T; Ohishi, Y; Ohtake, M; Yamamoto, Y

2014-01-01

Low-temperature and high-pressure experiments were performed with filled ice Ih structure of methane hydrate under pressure and temperature conditions of 2.0 to 77.0 GPa and 30 to 300 K, respectively, using diamond anvil cells and a helium-refrigeration cryostat. Distinct changes in the axial ratios of the host framework were revealed by In-situ X-ray diffractometry. Splitting in the CH vibration modes of the guest methane molecules, which was previously explained by the orientational ordering of the guest molecules, was observed by Raman spectroscopy. The pressure and temperature conditions at the split of the vibration modes agreed well with those of the axial ratio changes. The results indicated that orientational ordering of the guest methane molecules from orientational disordered-state occurred at high pressures and low temperatures, and that this guest ordering led to the axial ratio changes in the host framework. Existing regions of the guest disordered-phase and the guest ordered-phase were roughly estimated by the X-ray data. In addition, above the pressure of the guest-ordered phase, another high pressure phase was developed at a low-temperature region. The deuterated-water host samples were also examined and isotopic effects on the guest ordering and phase changes were observed.

A New Critical State Model for Geomechanical Behavior of Methane Hydrate-Bearing Sands

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, J. S.; Xing, P.; Rutqvist, J.; Seol, Y.; Choi, J. H.

2014-12-01

Methane hydrate bearing sands behave like sands once the hydrate has dissociated, but could exhibit a substantial increase in the shear strength, stiffness and dilatancy as the degree of hydrate saturation increases. A new critical state model was developed that incorporates the spatially mobilized plane (SMP) concept, which has been proven effective in modeling mechanical behavior of sands. While this new model was built on the basic constructs of the critical state model, important enhancements were introduced. The model adopted the t-stress concept, which defined the normal and shear stress on the SMP, in describing the plastic behavior of the soil. In this connection the versatile Matsuoka-Nakai yield criterion was also employed, which defined the general three dimensional yield behavior. The resulting constitutive law was associated in the t-stress space, but became non-associated in the conventional p-q stress space as it should be for sands. The model also introduced a generalized degree of hydrate saturation concept that was modified from the pioneering work of the Cambridge group. The model gives stress change when the sands are subjected to straining, and/or to hydrate saturation changes. The performance of the model has been found satisfactory using data from laboratory triaxial tests on reconstituted samples and core samples taken from Nankai Trough, Japan. The model has been implemented into FLAC3D. A coupling example with the multiphase flow code, TOUGH+, is presented which simulates the mechanical behavior of a sample when the surrounding temperature has been raised, and the hydrate undergoes state change and no longer resides in the stability zone.

Study on gas hydrate as a new energy resource in the twenty first century

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryu, Byung Jae; Kim, Won Sik; Oh, Jae Ho [Korea Institute of Geology Mining and Materials, Taejon (Korea)] [and others

1998-12-01

Methane hydrate, a special type of clathrate hydrates, is a metastable solid compound mainly consisted of methane and water and generally called as gas hydrate. It is stable in the specific low- temperature/high-pressure conditions. Very large amount of methane that is the main component of natural gas, is accumulated in the form of methane hydrate subaquatic areas. Methane hydrate are the major reservoir of methane on the earth. On the other hand, the development and transmission through pipeline of oil and natural gas in the permafrost and deep subaquatic regions are significantly complicated by formation and dissociation of methane hydrate. The dissociation of natural methane hydrates caused by increasing temperature and decreasing pressure could cause the atmospheric pollution and geohazard. The formation, stable existence and dissociation of natural methane hydrates depend on the temperature, pressure, and composition of gas and characteristics of the interstitial waters. For the study on geophysical and geological conditions for the methane hydrate accumulation and to find BSR in the East Sea, Korea, the geophysical surveys using air-gun system, multibeam echo sounder, SBP were implemented in last September. The water temperature data vs. depth were obtained to determine the methane hydrate stability zone in the study area. The experimental equilibrium condition of methane hydrate was also measured in 3 wt.% sodium chloride solution. The relationship between Methane hydrate formation time and overpressure was analyzed through the laboratory work. (author). 49 refs., 6 tabs., 26 figs.

Physical properties and rock physics models of sediment containing natural and laboratory-formed methane gas hydrate

Science.gov (United States)

Winters, W.J.; Pecher, I.A.; Waite, W.F.; Mason, D.H.

2004-01-01

This paper presents results of shear strength and acoustic velocity (p-wave) measurements performed on: (1) samples containing natural gas hydrate from the Mallik 2L-38 well, Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories; (2) reconstituted Ottawa sand samples containing methane gas hydrate formed in the laboratory; and (3) ice-bearing sands. These measurements show that hydrate increases shear strength and p-wave velocity in natural and reconstituted samples. The proportion of this increase depends on (1) the amount and distribution of hydrate present, (2) differences, in sediment properties, and (3) differences in test conditions. Stress-strain curves from the Mallik samples suggest that natural gas hydrate does not cement sediment grains. However, stress-strain curves from the Ottawa sand (containing laboratory-formed gas hydrate) do imply cementation is present. Acoustically, rock physics modeling shows that gas hydrate does not cement grains of natural Mackenzie Delta sediment. Natural gas hydrates are best modeled as part of the sediment frame. This finding is in contrast with direct observations and results of Ottawa sand containing laboratory-formed hydrate, which was found to cement grains (Waite et al. 2004). It therefore appears that the microscopic distribution of gas hydrates in sediment, and hence the effect of gas hydrate on sediment physical properties, differs between natural deposits and laboratory-formed samples. This difference may possibly be caused by the location of water molecules that are available to form hydrate. Models that use laboratory-derived properties to predict behavior of natural gas hydrate must account for these differences.

Reconstructing Methane Emission Events in the Arctic Ocean: Observations from the Past to Present

Science.gov (United States)

Panieri, G.; Mienert, J.; Fornari, D. J.; Torres, M. E.; Lepland, A.

2015-12-01

Methane hydrates are ice-like crystals that are present along continental margins, occurring in the pore space of deep sediments or as massive blocks near the seafloor. They form in high pressure and low temperature environments constrained by thermodynamic stability, and supply of methane. In the Arctic, gas hydrates are abundant, and the methane released by their destabilization can affect local to global carbon budgets and cycles, ocean acidification, and benthic community survival. With the aim to locate in space and time the periodicity of methane venting, CAGE is engaged in a vast research program in the Arctic, a component of which comprises the analyses of numerous sediment cores and correlative geophysical and geochemical data from different areas. Here we present results from combined analyses of biogenic carbonate archives along the western Svalbard Margin, which reveal past methane venting events in this region. The reconstruction of paleo-methane discharge is complicated by precipitation of secondary carbonate on foraminifera shells, driven by an increase in alkalinity during anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). The biogeochemical processes involved in methane cycling and processes that drive methane migration affect the depth where AOM occurs, with relevance to secondary carbonate formation. Our results show the value and complexity of separating primary vs. secondary signals in bioarchives with relevance to understanding fluid-burial history in methane seep provinces. Results from our core analyses are integrated with observations made during the CAGE15-2 cruise in May 2015, when we deployed a towed vehicle equipped with camera, multicore and water sampling capabilities. The instrument design was based on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) MISO TowCam sled equipped with a deep-sea digital camera and CTD real-time system. Sediment sampling was visually-guided using this system. In one of the pockmarks along the Vestnesa Ridge where high

Utilization of coalbed methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustavson, J.B. [Gustavson Associates Inc., Boulder, CO (United States)

1996-02-01

Substantial progress has been made in capturing coalbed methane (CBM gas), which constitutes a valuable source of clean burning energy. It is of importance to study the various potential uses of coalbed methane and to understand the various technologies required, as well as their economics and any institutional constraints. In industrialised countries, the uses of coalbed methane are almost solely dependent on microeconomics; coalbed methane must compete for a market against natural gas and other energy sources - and frequently, coalbed methane is not competitive against other energy sources. In developing countries, on the other hand, particularly where other sources of energy are in short supply, coalbed methane economics yield positive results. Here, constraints to development of CBM utilization are mainly lack of technology and investment capital. Sociological aspects such as attitude and cultural habits, may also have a strong negative influence. This paper outlines the economics of coalbed methane utilization, particularly its competition with natural gas, and touches upon the many different uses to which coalbed methane may be applied. 24 refs., 4 figs.

Doses from radioactive methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phipps, A.W.; Kendall, G.M.; Fell, T.P.; Harrison, J.D.

1990-01-01

A possible radiation hazard arises from exposure to methane labelled with either a 3 H or a 14 C nuclide. This radioactive methane could be released from a variety of sources, e.g. land burial sites containing radioactive waste. Standard assumptions adopted for vapours would not apply to an inert alkane like methane. This paper discusses mechanisms by which radioactive methane would irradiate tissues and provides estimates of doses. Data on skin thickness and metabolism of methane are discussed with reference to these mechanisms. It is found that doses are dominated by dose from the small fraction of methane which is inhaled and metabolised. This component of dose has been calculated under rather conservative assumptions. (author)

A study of the process of joint formation of methane gas-hydrate and authigenic carbonates in bottom sediments in the Sea of Okhotsk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esikov, A D [AN SSSR, Moscow (USSR). Water Problems Inst.; Pashkina, V I [AN SSSR, Moscow (USSR). Inst. Okeanologii

1990-01-01

The discovery of gas-hydrates in bottom sediments in the Sea of Okhotsk has allowed isotope fractionation of oxygen and hydrogen to be determined in the formation of the crystal lattice. It was established that the structure of gas-hydrate selectively included the heavier isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen, so that the gas-hydrate water had values of {delta}{sup 18}O = +1.9 per mille and {delta}D = +23 per mille, whereas the interstitial water was ''lighter'' in isotopes, with the values of {delta}{sup 18}O = -0.5 per mille and {delta}D = -5 per mille (relative to SMOW (standard mean ocean water)). The formation of gas-hydrates under the conditions of underwater discharge of methane alters the chemical composition of interstitial water, so that the carbonate equilibrium is shifted, and carbonates of authigenic origin are formed. The isotope composition of the carbonates is characterized by a low content of {sup 13}C({delta}{sup 13}C from -39.3 to -51.8 per mille PDB) and a high content of {sup 18}O({delta}{sup 18}O from + 2.7 to +6.3 per mille PDB) in comparison with carbonates of sea origin. These characteristics of the isotope composition suggest the participation of methane in the formation of authigenic carbonates, due to its anaerobic oxidation and the involvement of sulfate in the silt water. (author).

Martian methane plume models for defining Mars rover methane source search strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Nicol, Christopher; Ellery, Alex; Lynch, Brian; Cloutis, Ed

2018-07-01

The detection of atmospheric methane on Mars implies an active methane source. This introduces the possibility of a biotic source with the implied need to determine whether the methane is indeed biotic in nature or geologically generated. There is a clear need for robotic algorithms which are capable of manoeuvring a rover through a methane plume on Mars to locate its source. We explore aspects of Mars methane plume modelling to reveal complex dynamics characterized by advection and diffusion. A statistical analysis of the plume model has been performed and compared to analyses of terrestrial plume models. Finally, we consider a robotic search strategy to find a methane plume source. We find that gradient-based techniques are ineffective, but that more sophisticated model-based search strategies are unlikely to be available in near-term rover missions.

Methane Metabolizing Microbial Communities in the Cold Seep Areas in the Northern Continental Shelf of South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, F.; Liang, Q.

2016-12-01

Marine sediment contains large amount of methane, estimated approximately 500-2500 gigatonnes of dissolved and hydrated methane carbon stored therein, mainly in continental margins. In localized specific areas named cold seeps, hydrocarbon (mainly methane) containing fluids rise to the seafloor, and support oases of ecosystem composed of various microorganisms and faunal assemblages. South China Sea (SCS) is surrounded by passive continental margins in the west and north and convergent margins in the south and east. Thick organic-rich sediments have accumulated in the SCS since the late Mesozoic, which are continuing sources to form gas hydrates in the sediments of SCS. Here, Microbial ecosystems, particularly those involved in methane transformations were investigated in the cold seep areas (Qiongdongnan, Shenhu, and Dongsha) in the northern continental shelf of SCS. Multiple interdisciplinary analytic tools such as stable isotope probing, geochemical analysis, and molecular ecology, were applied for a comprehensive understanding of the microbe mediated methane transformation in this project. A variety of sediments cores have been collected, the geochemical profiles and the associated microbial distribution along the sediment cores were recorded. The major microbial groups involved in the methane transformation in these sediment cores were revealed, known methane producing and oxidizing archaea including Methanosarcinales, anaerobic methane oxidizing groups ANME-1, ANME-2 and their niche preference in the SCS sediments were found. In-depth comparative analysis revealed the presence of SCS-specific archaeal subtypes which probably reflected the evolution and adaptation of these methane metabolizing microbes to the SCS environmental conditions. Our work represents the first comprehensive analysis of the methane metabolizing microbial communities in the cold seep areas along the northern continental shelf of South China Sea, would provide new insight into the

Atmospheric methane removal by methane-oxidizing bacteria immobilized on porous building materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ganendra, G; De Muynck, W; Ho, A.; Hoefman, S.; De Vos, P.; Boeckx, P.; Boon, N.

2014-01-01

Biological treatment using methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) immobilized on six porous carrier materials have been used to mitigate methane emission. Experiments were performed with different MOB inoculated in building materials at high (similar to 20 % (v/v)) and low (similar to 100 ppmv) methane

Methane oxidation and methane fluxes in the ocean surface layer and deep anoxic waters

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, B. B.; Kilpatrick, K. A.; Novelli, P. C.; Scranton, M. I.

1987-01-01

Measured biological oxidation rates of methane in near-surface waters of the Cariaco Basin are compared with the diffusional fluxes computed from concentration gradients of methane in the surface layer. Methane fluxes and oxidation rates were investigated in surface waters, at the oxic/anoxic interface, and in deep anoxic waters. It is shown that the surface-waters oxidation of methane is a mechanism which modulates the flux of methane from marine waters to the atmosphere.

Calibration and validation of a numerical model against experimental data of methane hydrate formation and dissociation in a sandy porous medium

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Z.; Moridis, G. J.; Chong, Z. R.; Linga, P.

2017-12-01

Methane hydrates (MH) are known to trap enormous amounts of CH4 in oceanic and permafrost-associated deposits, and are being considered as a potential future energy source. Several powerful numerical simulators were developed to describe the behavior of natural hydrate-bearing sediments (HBS). The complexity and strong nonlinearities in HBS do not allow analytical solutions for code validation. The only reliable method to develop confidence in these models is through comparisons to laboratory and/or field experiments. The objective of this study is to reproduce numerically the results from earlier experiments of MH formation and depressurization (and the corresponding fluid production) in 1.0L reactor involving unconsolidated sand, thus validating and calibrating the TOUGH+Hydrate v1.5 simulator. We faithfully describe the reactor geometry and the experimental process that involves both hydrate formation and dissociation. We demonstrate that the laboratory experiments can only be captured by a kinetic hydration model. There is an excellent agreement between observations and predictions (a) of the cumulative gas depletion (during formation) and production (during dissociation) and (b) of pressure over time. The temperature agreement is less satisfactory, and the deviations are attributed to the fixed locations of the limited number of sensors that cannot fully capture the hydrate heterogeneity. We also predict the spatial distributions over time of the various phase (gas, aqueous and hydrate) saturations. Thus, hydrates form preferentially along the outer boundary of the sand core, and the hydrate front moves inward leaving a significant portion of the sand at the center hydrate-free. During depressurization, dissociation advances again inward from the reactor boundary to the center of the reactor. As expected, methane gas accumulates initially at the locations of most intense dissociation, and then gradually migrates to the upper section of the reactor because of

Coalbed Methane Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Coalbed Methane Outreach Program, voluntary program seeking to reduce methane emissions from coal mining activities. CMOP promotes profitable recovery/use of coal mine methane (CMM), addressing barriers to using CMM instead of emitting it to atmosphere.

Improved methane removal in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process using immobilized methane-oxidizing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Meng-Ting; Yang, Zhi-Man; Fu, Shan-Fei; Fan, Xiao-Lei; Guo, Rong-Bo

2018-05-01

Methane in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process, which is a greenhouse gas, could cause global warming. The biofilter with immobilized methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) is a promising approach for methane removal, and the selections of inoculated MOB culture and support material are vital for the biofilter. In this work, five MOB consortia were enriched at different methane concentrations. The MOB-20 consortium enriched at the methane concentration of 20.0% (v/v) was then immobilized on sponge and two particle sizes of volcanic rock in biofilters to remove methane in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process. Results showed that the immobilized MOB performed more admirable methane removal capacity than suspended cells. The immobilized MOB on sponge reached the highest methane removal efficiency (RE) of 35%. The rough surface, preferable hydroscopicity, appropriate pore size and particle size of support material might favor the MOB immobilization and accordingly methane removal. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring and Monitoring of Methane Hydrate Deposits

Science.gov (United States)

Sudac, D.; Obhođaš, J.; Nađ, K.; Valković, V.

2018-01-01

Relatively recently, in the last 20 years, it was discovered that methane hydrate (MH) deposits are globally distributed in the permafrost and oceans. Before 1965 when first deposits were discovered in nature, it was believed that MH can occur only in laboratory conditions or in vast parts of the Universe. Presently it is presumed that this solid crystalline compounds in which CH4 molecules occupies the water ice lattices (nominal chemical formula of MH is C4H62O23) can serve as an energy source favorably to the all of the world remaining conventional hydrocarbon sources. The worldwide estimates of MH deposits range from 2x1014 m3 to 3.053x1018 cubic meters. This uncertainty partly results from our limitations in geological understanding of the MH deposits, which is due to the relatively bad quality of data obtained by presently available seismic and electromagnetic techniques. Moreover, MH deposits can become vulnerable to climate changes, which were already occurring in geological past whit tremendous consequences for the global life on Earth. Thus, further development of advanced techniques is needed to enhance our abilities to better characterize, quantify and monitor the MH deposits. In the work presented 14 MeV neutrons and associated alpha particle imaging (API) where used to quantify the amount of MH in the sample. Samples were prepared from sea sediment, quartz sand and MH simulant. MH simulant with chemical formula C4H46O23 was made from sucrose (25 % by mass) and water. MH quantity was measured by measuring the carbon content in the sample [1-8].

Exploring and Monitoring of Methane Hydrate Deposits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudac D.

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Relatively recently, in the last 20 years, it was discovered that methane hydrate (MH deposits are globally distributed in the permafrost and oceans. Before 1965 when first deposits were discovered in nature, it was believed that MH can occur only in laboratory conditions or in vast parts of the Universe. Presently it is presumed that this solid crystalline compounds in which CH4 molecules occupies the water ice lattices (nominal chemical formula of MH is C4H62O23 can serve as an energy source favorably to the all of the world remaining conventional hydrocarbon sources. The worldwide estimates of MH deposits range from 2x1014 m3 to 3.053x1018 cubic meters. This uncertainty partly results from our limitations in geological understanding of the MH deposits, which is due to the relatively bad quality of data obtained by presently available seismic and electromagnetic techniques. Moreover, MH deposits can become vulnerable to climate changes, which were already occurring in geological past whit tremendous consequences for the global life on Earth. Thus, further development of advanced techniques is needed to enhance our abilities to better characterize, quantify and monitor the MH deposits. In the work presented 14 MeV neutrons and associated alpha particle imaging (API where used to quantify the amount of MH in the sample. Samples were prepared from sea sediment, quartz sand and MH simulant. MH simulant with chemical formula C4H46O23 was made from sucrose (25 % by mass and water. MH quantity was measured by measuring the carbon content in the sample [1-8].

Methane reacts with heteropolyacids chemisorbed on silica to produce acetic acid under soft conditions

KAUST Repository

Sun, Miao

2013-01-16

Selective functionalization of methane at moderate temperature is of crucial economic, environmental, and scientific importance. Here, we report that methane reacts with heteropolyacids (HPAs) chemisorbed on silica to produce acetic acid under soft conditions. Specially, when chemisorbed on silica, H 4SiW12O40, H3PW12O 40, H4SiMo12O40, and H 3PMo12O40 activate the primary C-H bond of methane at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. With these systems, acetic acid is produced directly from methane, in a single step, in the absence of Pd and without adding CO. Extensive surface characterization by solid-state NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests that C-H activation of methane is triggered by the protons in the HPA-silica interface with concerted reduction of the Keggin cage, leading to water formation and hydration of the interface. This is the simplest and mildest way reported to date to functionalize methane. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Project identification for methane reduction options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerr, T.

1996-12-31

This paper discusses efforts directed at reduction in emission of methane to the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which on a 20 year timeframe may present a similar problem to carbon dioxide. In addition, methane causes additional problems in the form of smog and its longer atmospheric lifetime. The author discusses strategies for reducing methane emission from several major sources. This includes landfill methane recovery, coalbed methane recovery, livestock methane reduction - in the form of ruminant methane reduction and manure methane recovery. The author presents examples of projects which have implemented these ideas, the economics of the projects, and additional gains which come from the projects.

A two-dimensional model of the passive coastal margin deep sedimentary carbon and methane cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. E. Archer

2012-08-01

Full Text Available We present a new geologic-time and basin-spatial scale model of the continental margin methane cycle. The model, SpongeBOB, is used to simulate evolution of the carbon cycle in a passive sedimentary continental margin in response to changing oceanographic and geologic forcing over a time scale of 200 million years. The geochemistry of the sediment column is altered by the addition of vertical high-permeability channels intended to mimic the effects of heterogeneity in the real sediment column due to faults, and produces results consistent with measured pore-water tracers SO₄²⁻ and ¹²⁹I. Pore water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC concentrations are consistent with chemical weathering (CaCO₃ formation from igneous rocks at depth within the sediment column. The carbon isotopic composition of the DIC is consistent with a methane production efficiency from particulate organic carbon (POC of 50%, which is somewhat lower than redox balance with the H / C of organic matter in the model. The hydrate inventory in the model is somewhat less sensitive to temperature than our previous results with a one-dimensional model, quite sensitive to reasonable changes in POC, and extremely sensitive to the ability of methane bubbles to rise within the sediment column, and how far gas-phase methane can get through the sediment column before it redissolves when it reaches undersaturated conditions. Hydrate formation is also sensitive to deep respiration of migrating petroleum. Other phenomena which we simulated had only a small impact on the hydrate inventory, including thermogenic methane production and production/decomposition of dissolved organic carbon.

Global Methane Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

The Global Methane Initiative promotes cost-effective, near-term methane recovery through partnerships between developed and developing countries, with participation from the private sector, development banks, and nongovernmental organizations.

Uncertainty assessment of the breath methane concentration method to determine methane production of dairy cows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wu, Liansun; Groot Koerkamp, Peter W.G.; Ogink, Nico

2018-01-01

The breath methane concentration method uses the methane concentrations in the cow's breath during feed bin visits as a proxy for the methane production rate. The objective of this study was to assess the uncertainty of a breath methane concentration method in a feeder and its capability to measure

Biocatalytic conversion of methane to methanol as a key step for development of methane-based biorefineries.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, In Yeub; Lee, Seung Hwan; Choi, Yoo Seong; Park, Si Jae; Na, Jeong Geol; Chang, In Seop; Kim, Choongik; Kim, Hyun Cheol; Kim, Yong Hwan; Lee, Jin Won; Lee, Eun Yeol

2014-12-28

Methane is considered as a next-generation carbon feedstock owing to the vast reserves of natural and shale gas. Methane can be converted to methanol by various methods, which in turn can be used as a starting chemical for the production of value-added chemicals using existing chemical conversion processes. Methane monooxygenase is the key enzyme that catalyzes the addition of oxygen to methane. Methanotrophic bacteria can transform methane to methanol by inhibiting methanol dehydrogenase. In this paper, we review the recent progress made on the biocatalytic conversion of methane to methanol as a key step for methane-based refinery systems and discuss future prospects for this technology.

Production of natural gas from methane hydrate by a constant downhole pressure well

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmadi, Goodarz; Ji, Chuang; Smith, Duane H.

2007-01-01

Natural gas production from the dissociation of methane hydrate in a confined reservoir by a depressurizing downhole well was studied. The case that the well pressure was kept constant was treated, and two different linearization schemes in an axisymmetric configuration were used in the analysis. For different fixed well pressures and reservoir temperatures, approximate self similar solutions were obtained. Distributions of temperature, pressure and gas velocity field across the reservoir were evaluated. The distance of the decomposition front from the well and the natural gas production rate as functions of time were also computed. Time evolutions of the resulting profiles were presented in graphical forms, and their differences with the constant well output results were studied. It was shown that the gas production rate was a sensitive function of well pressure and reservoir temperature. The sensitivity of the results to the linearization scheme used was also studied

Mechanics of coalbed methane production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Creel, J C; Rollins, J B [Crawley, Gillespie and Associates, Inc. (United Kingdom)

1994-12-31

Understanding the behaviour of coalbed methane reservoirs and the mechanics of production is crucial to successful management of coalbed methane resources and projects. This paper discusses the effects of coal properties and coalbed methane reservoir characteristics on gas production rates and recoveries with a review of completion techniques for coalbed methane wells. 4 refs., 17 figs.

Anaerobic methane oxidation rates at the sulfate-methane transition in marine sediments from Kattegat and Skagerrak (Denmark)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iversen, N.; Jorgensen, B.B.

1985-01-01

Concomitant radiotracer measurements were made of in situ rates of sulfate reduction and anaerobic methane oxidation in 2-3-m-long sediment cores. Methane accumulated to high concentrations (> 1 mM CH 4 ) only below the sulfate zone, at 1 m or deeper in the sediment. Sulfate reduction showed a broad maximum below the sediment surface and a smaller, narrow maximum at the sulfate-methane transition. Methane oxidation was low (0.002-0.1 nmol CH 4 cm -3 d -1 ) throughout the sulfate zone and showed a sharp maximum at the sulfate-methane transition, coinciding with the sulfate reduction maximum. Total anaerobic methane oxidation at two stations was 0.83 and 1.16 mmol CH 4 m -2 d -1 , of which 96% was confined to the sulfate-methane transition. All the methane that was calculated to diffuse up into the sulfate-methane transition was oxidized in this zone. The methane oxidation was equivalent to 10% of the electron donor requirement for the total measured sulfate reduction. A third station showed high sulfate concentrations at all depths sampled and the total methane oxidation was only 0.013 mmol m -2 d -1 . From direct measurements of rates, concentration gradients, and diffusion coefficients, simple calculations were made of sulfate and methane fluxes and of methane production rates

Methane-fueled vehicles: A promising market for coalbed methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deul, M.

1993-01-01

The most acceptable alternative fuel for motor vehicles is compressed natural gas (CNG). An important potential source of such gas is coalbed methane, much of which is now being wasted. Although there are no technological impediments to the use of CNG it has not been adequately promoted for a variety of reasons: structural, institutional and for coalbed gas, legal. The benefits of using CNG fuel are manifold: clean burning, low cost, abundant, and usable in any internal combustion engine. Even though more than 30,000 CNG vehicles are now in use in the U.S.A., they are not readily available, fueling stations are not easily accessible, and there is general apathy on the part of the public because of negligence by such agencies as the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. The economic benefits of using methane are significant: 100,000 cubic feet of methane is equivalent to 800 gallons of gasoline. Considering the many millions of cubic feet methane wasted from coal mines conservation and use of this resource is a worthy national goal

Is methane a new therapeutic gas?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Wenwu

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Methane is an attractive fuel. Biologically, methanogens in the colon can use carbon dioxide and hydrogen to produce methane as a by-product. It was previously considered that methane is not utilized by humans. However, in a recent study, results demonstrated that methane could exert anti-inflammatory effects in a dog small intestinal ischemia-reperfusion model. Point of view Actually, the bioactivity of methane has been investigated in gastrointestinal diseases, but the exact mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory effects is required to be further elucidated. Methane can cross the membrane and is easy to collect due to its abundance in natural gas. Although methane is flammable, saline rich in methane can be prepared for clinical use. These seem to be good news in application of methane as a therapeutic gas. Conclusion Several problems should be resolved before its wide application in clinical practice.

Methane Production from Gas Hydrate Deposits through Injection of Supercritical CO₂

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthias Haeckel

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The recovery of natural gas from CH₄-hydrate deposits in sub-marine and sub-permafrost environments through injection of CO₂ is considered a suitable strategy towards emission-neutral energy production. This study shows that the injection of hot, supercritical CO₂ is particularly promising. The addition of heat triggers the dissociation of CH₄-hydrate while the CO₂, once thermally equilibrated, reacts with the pore water and is retained in the reservoir as immobile CO₂-hydrate. Furthermore, optimal reservoir conditions of pressure and temperature are constrained. Experiments were conducted in a high-pressure flow-through reactor at different sediment temperatures (2 °C, 8 °C, 10 °C and hydrostatic pressures (8 MPa, 13 MPa. The efficiency of both, CH₄ production and CO₂ retention is best at 8 °C, 13 MPa. Here, both CO₂- and CH₄-hydrate as well as mixed hydrates can form. At 2 °C, the production process was less effective due to congestion of transport pathways through the sediment by rapidly forming CO₂-hydrate. In contrast, at 10 °C CH₄ production suffered from local increases in permeability and fast breakthrough of the injection fluid, thereby confining the accessibility to the CH₄ pool to only the most prominent fluid channels. Mass and volume balancing of the collected gas and fluid stream identified gas mobilization as equally important process parameter in addition to the rates of methane hydrate dissociation and hydrate conversion. Thus, the combination of heat supply and CO₂ injection in one supercritical phase helps to overcome the mass transfer limitations usually observed in experiments with cold liquid or gaseous CO₂.

Determination of soil-entrapped methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alberto, M.C.R.; Neue, H.U.; Lantin, R.S.; Aduna, J.B. [Soil and Water Sciences Division, Manila (Philippines)

1996-12-31

A sampling method was developed and modified to sample soil from paddy fields for entrapped methane determination. A 25-cm long plexiglass tube (4.4-cm i.d.) fitted with gas bag was used to sample soil and entrapped gases to a depth of 15-cm. The sampling tube was shaken vigorously to release entrapped gases. Headspace gas in sampling tube and gas bag was analyzed for methane. The procedure was verified by doing field sampling weekly at an irrigated ricefield in the IRRI Research Farm on a Maahas clay soil. The modified sampling method gave higher methane concentration because it eliminated gas losses during sampling. The method gave 98% {+-} 5 recovery of soil-entrapped methane. Results of field sampling showed that the early growth stage of the rice plant, entrapped methane increased irrespective of treatment. This suggests that entrapped methane increased irrespective of treatment. This suggests that entrapped methane was primarily derived from fermentation of soil organic matter at the early growth stage. At the latter stage, the rice plant seems to be the major carbon source for methane production. 7 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs.

Dissolved methane in the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean, 1992-2009; sources and atmospheric flux

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenson, Thomas D.; Greinert, Jens; Coffin, Richard B.

2016-01-01

Methane concentration and isotopic composition was measured in ice-covered and ice-free waters of the Arctic Ocean during eleven surveys spanning the years of 1992-1995 and 2009. During ice-free periods, methane flux from the Beaufort shelf varies from 0.14 to 0.43 mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Maximum fluxes from localized areas of high methane concentration are up to 1.52 mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Seasonal buildup of methane under ice can produce short-term fluxes of methane from the Beaufort shelf that varies from 0.28 to 1.01 to mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Scaled-up estimates of minimum methane flux from the Beaufort Sea and pan-Arctic shelf for both ice-free and ice-covered periods range from 0.02 Tg CH4 yr-1 and 0.30 Tg CH4 yr-1 respectively to maximum fluxes of 0.18 Tg CH4 yr-1 and 2.2 Tg CH4 yr-1 respectively. A methane flux of 0.36 Tg CH4 yr-1from the deep Arctic Ocean was estimated using data from 1993-94. The flux can be as much as 2.35 Tg CH4 yr-1 estimated from maximum methane concentrations and wind speeds of 12 m/s, representing only 0.42% of the annual atmospheric methane budget of ~560 Tg CH4 yr-1. There were no significant changes in methane fluxes during the time period of this study. Microbial methane sources predominate with minor influxes from thermogenic methane offshore Prudhoe Bay and the Mackenzie River delta and may include methane from gas hydrate. Methane oxidation is locally important on the shelf and is a methane sink in the deep Arctic Ocean.

Investigation of Methane Hydrate Formation in a Recirculating Flow Loop: Modeling of the Kinetics and Tests of Efficiency of Chemical Additives on Hydrate Inhibition Étude de la formation de l'hydrate de méthane dans une conduite de recirculation : modélisation de la cinétique et tests d'efficacité d'additifs chimiques inhibiteurs d'hydrates de gaz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peytavy J. L.

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Gas hydrates can be formed when light gases, such as the components of natural gas, come into contact with water under particular conditions of temperature and pressure. These solid compounds give rise to problems in natural gas and oil industry because they can plug pipelines and process equipment. To prevent hydrate formation methanol and glycols are commonly and extensively used as inhibitors. Today, the thermodynamic equilibria of hydrate formation are well known, but the kinetics of gas hydrate formation and growth has to be studied in order to find means of controlling these processes and to explore the mechanisms for hydrate formation that follows non equilibrium laws. The present work deals with the kinetics of methane hydrate formation studied in a laboratory loop where the liquid blend saturated with methane is circulated up to a pressure of 75 bar. Pressure is maintained at a constant value during experimental runs by means of methane gas make-up. First the effects of pressure (35-75 bar, liquid velocity (0. 5-3 m/s, liquid cooling temperature ramp (2-15°C/h, and liquid hydrocarbon amount (0-96%, on hydrate formation kinetics are investigated. Then a new method is proposed to predict firstly the thermodynamic conditions (pressure and temperature at the maximum values of the growth rate of methane hydrate and secondly the methane hydrate growth rate. A good agreement is found between calculated and experimental data. Finally the evaluation of the efficiency of some kinetic additives and some surfactants developed to avoid either nucleation or crystal growth and agglomeration of methane hydrates is tested based on the proposed experimental procedure. Les hydrates de gaz des composés légers du gaz naturel se forment lorsque ceux-ci entrent en contact avec l'eau dans certaines conditions de température et de pression. Ces composés solides sont nuisibles pour les industries gazière et pétrolière car des bouchons solides peuvent

Detection of Abiotic Methane in Terrestrial Continental Hydrothermal Systems: Implications for Methane on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Socki, Richard A.; Niles, Paul B.; Gibson, Everett K., Jr.; Romanek, Christopher S.; Zhang, Chuanlun L.; Bissada, Kadry K.

2008-01-01

The recent detection of methane in the Martian atmosphere and the possibility that its origin could be attributed to biological activity, have highlighted the importance of understanding the mechanisms of methane formation and its usefulness as a biomarker. Much debate has centered on the source of the methane in hydrothermal fluids, whether it is formed biologically by microorganisms, diagenetically through the decomposition of sedimentary organic matter, or inorganically via reduction of CO2 at high temperatures. Ongoing research has now shown that much of the methane present in sea-floor hydrothermal systems is probably formed through inorganic CO2 reduction processes at very high temperatures (greater than 400 C). Experimental results have indicated that methane might form inorganically at temperatures lower still, however these results remain controversial. Currently, methane in continental hydrothermal systems is thought to be formed mainly through the breakdown of sedimentary organic matter and carbon isotope equilibrium between CO2 and CH4 is thought to be rarely present if at all. Based on isotopic measurements of CO2 and CH4 in two continental hydrothermal systems, we suggest that carbon isotope equilibration exists at temperatures as low as 155 C. This would indicate that methane is forming through abiotic CO2 reduction at lower temperatures than previously thought and could bolster arguments for an abiotic origin of the methane detected in the martian atmosphere.

Phase equilibrium measurements and the tuning behavior of new sII clathrate hydrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Woongchul; Park, Seongmin; Ro, Hyeyoon; Koh, Dong-Yeun; Seol, Jiwoong [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 Program), KAIST, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Huen, E-mail: h_lee@kaist.ac.kr [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 Program), KAIST, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Graduate School of EEWS, KAIST, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-01-15

Graphical abstract: Pyrrolidine and piperidine act as sII clathrate hydrate formers under methane gas. Highlights: > New sII clathrate hydrate formers were proposed: pyrrolidine and piperidine. > Formation of gas hydrate with methane as help gas was confirmed. > NMR, Raman, and XRD patterns were analyzed to identify the hydrate structures. > We measured (L + H + V) phase equilibrium with proposed hydrate formers. > Tuning phenomena increase gas storage in (pyrrolidine + CH{sub 4}) clathrate hydrates. - Abstract: We suggest two types of new amine-type sII formers: pyrrolidine and piperidine. These guest compounds fail to form clathrate hydrate structures with host water, but instead have to combine with light gaseous guest molecules (methane) for enclathration. First, two binary clathrate hydrates of (pyrrolidine + methane) and (piperidine + methane) were synthesized at various amine concentrations. {sup 13}C NMR and Raman analysis were done to identify the clathrate hydrate structure and guest distribution over sII-S and sII-L cages. XRD was also used to find the exact structure and corresponding cell parameters. At a dilute pyrrolidine concentration of less than 5.56 mol%, the tuning phenomenon is observed such that methane molecules surprisingly occupy sII-L cages. At the critical guest concentration of about 0.1 mol%, the cage occupancy ratio reaches the maximum of approximately 0.5. At very dilute guest concentration below 0.1 mol%, the methane molecules fail to occupy large cages on account of their rarefied distribution in the network. Direct-release experiments were performed to determine the actual guest compositions in the clathrate hydrate phases. Finally, we measured the clathrate hydrate phase equilibria of (pyrrolidine + methane) and (piperidine + methane).

Phase equilibrium measurements and the tuning behavior of new sII clathrate hydrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Woongchul; Park, Seongmin; Ro, Hyeyoon; Koh, Dong-Yeun; Seol, Jiwoong; Lee, Huen

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Pyrrolidine and piperidine act as sII clathrate hydrate formers under methane gas. Highlights: → New sII clathrate hydrate formers were proposed: pyrrolidine and piperidine. → Formation of gas hydrate with methane as help gas was confirmed. → NMR, Raman, and XRD patterns were analyzed to identify the hydrate structures. → We measured (L + H + V) phase equilibrium with proposed hydrate formers. → Tuning phenomena increase gas storage in (pyrrolidine + CH 4 ) clathrate hydrates. - Abstract: We suggest two types of new amine-type sII formers: pyrrolidine and piperidine. These guest compounds fail to form clathrate hydrate structures with host water, but instead have to combine with light gaseous guest molecules (methane) for enclathration. First, two binary clathrate hydrates of (pyrrolidine + methane) and (piperidine + methane) were synthesized at various amine concentrations. 13 C NMR and Raman analysis were done to identify the clathrate hydrate structure and guest distribution over sII-S and sII-L cages. XRD was also used to find the exact structure and corresponding cell parameters. At a dilute pyrrolidine concentration of less than 5.56 mol%, the tuning phenomenon is observed such that methane molecules surprisingly occupy sII-L cages. At the critical guest concentration of about 0.1 mol%, the cage occupancy ratio reaches the maximum of approximately 0.5. At very dilute guest concentration below 0.1 mol%, the methane molecules fail to occupy large cages on account of their rarefied distribution in the network. Direct-release experiments were performed to determine the actual guest compositions in the clathrate hydrate phases. Finally, we measured the clathrate hydrate phase equilibria of (pyrrolidine + methane) and (piperidine + methane).

Reaction of methane with coal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, K.; Batts, B.D.; Wilson, M.A.; Gorbaty, M.L.; Maa, P.S.; Long, M.A.; He, S.J.X.; Attala, M.I. [Macquarie University, Macquarie, NSW (Australia). School of Chemistry

1997-10-01

A study of the reactivities of Australian coals and one American coal with methane or methane-hydrogen mixtures, in the range 350-400{degree}C and a range of pressures (6.0-8.3 MPa, cold) is reported. The effects of aluminophosphates (AIPO) or zeolite catalysts, with and without exchanged metals, on reactivity have also been examined. Yields of dichloromethane extractable material are increased by using a methane rather than a nitrogen atmosphere and different catalysts assist dissolution to various extends. It appears that surface exchanged catalysts are effective, but incorporating metals during AIPO lattice formation is detrimental. Aluminium phosphate catalysts are unstable to water produced during coal conversion, but are still able to increase extraction yields. For the American coal, under methane-hydrogen and a copper exchanged zeolite, 51.5% conversion was obtained, with a product selectivity close to that obtained under hydrogen alone, and with only 2% hydrogen consumption. The conversion under methane-hydrogen was also to that obtained under hydrogen alone, while a linear dependence of conversion on proportion of methane would predict a 43% conversion under methane-hydrogen. This illustrates a synergistic effect of the methane-hydrogen atmosphere for coal liquefaction using this catalyst systems. 31 refs., 5 figs., 7 tabs.

Photocatalytic conversion of methane to methanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, C.E.; Noceti, R.P.; D`Este, J.R. [Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, PA (United States)

1995-12-31

A long-term goal of our research group is the exploration of novel pathways for the direct oxidation of methane to liquid fuels, chemicals, and intermediates. The use of three relatively abundant and inexpensive reactants, light, water, and methane, to produce methanol is attractive. The products of reaction, methanol and hydrogen, are both commercially desirable, methanol being used as is or converted to a variety of other chemicals, and the hydrogen could be utilized in petroleum and/or chemical manufacturing. Methane is produced as a by-product of coal gasification. Depending upon reactor design and operating conditions, up to 18% of total gasifier product may be methane. In addition, there are vast proven reserves of geologic methane in the world. Unfortunately, a large fraction of these reserves are in regions where there is little local demand for methane and it is not economically feasible to transport it to a market. There is a global research effort under way in academia, industry, and government to find methods to convert methane to useful, more readily transportable and storable materials. Methanol, the initial product of methane oxidation, is a desirable product of conversion because it retains much of the original energy of the methane while satisfying transportation and storage requirements. Investigation of direct conversion of methane to transportation fuels has been an ongoing effort at PETC for over 10 years. One of the current areas of research is the conversion of methane to methanol, under mild conditions, using light, water, and a semiconductor photocatalyst. The use of three relatively abundant and inexpensive reactants, light, water, and methane, to produce methanol, is attractive. Research in the laboratory is directed toward applying the techniques developed for the photocatalytic splitting of the water and the photochemical conversion of methane.

Methane clathrates in the solar system.

Science.gov (United States)

Mousis, Olivier; Chassefière, Eric; Holm, Nils G; Bouquet, Alexis; Waite, Jack Hunter; Geppert, Wolf Dietrich; Picaud, Sylvain; Aikawa, Yuri; Ali-Dib, Mohamad; Charlou, Jean-Luc; Rousselot, Philippe

2015-04-01

We review the reservoirs of methane clathrates that may exist in the different bodies of the Solar System. Methane was formed in the interstellar medium prior to having been embedded in the protosolar nebula gas phase. This molecule was subsequently trapped in clathrates that formed from crystalline water ice during the cooling of the disk and incorporated in this form into the building blocks of comets, icy bodies, and giant planets. Methane clathrates may play an important role in the evolution of planetary atmospheres. On Earth, the production of methane in clathrates is essentially biological, and these compounds are mostly found in permafrost regions or in the sediments of continental shelves. On Mars, methane would more likely derive from hydrothermal reactions with olivine-rich material. If they do exist, martian methane clathrates would be stable only at depth in the cryosphere and sporadically release some methane into the atmosphere via mechanisms that remain to be determined. In the case of Titan, most of its methane probably originates from the protosolar nebula, where it would have been trapped in the clathrates agglomerated by the satellite's building blocks. Methane clathrates are still believed to play an important role in the present state of Titan. Their presence is invoked in the satellite's subsurface as a means of replenishing its atmosphere with methane via outgassing episodes. The internal oceans of Enceladus and Europa also provide appropriate thermodynamic conditions that allow formation of methane clathrates. In turn, these clathrates might influence the composition of these liquid reservoirs. Finally, comets and Kuiper Belt Objects might have formed from the agglomeration of clathrates and pure ices in the nebula. The methane observed in comets would then result from the destabilization of clathrate layers in the nuclei concurrent with their approach to perihelion. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations show that methane-rich clathrate

Genomic selection for methane emission

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Haas, Yvette; Pryce, Jennie E; Wall, Eileen

2016-01-01

Climate change is a growing area of international concern, and it is well established that the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) is a contributing factor. Of the various GHG produced by ruminants, enteric methane (CH4 ) is the most important contributor. One mitigation strategy is to reduce methane...... emission through genetic selection. Our first attempt used beef cattle and a GWAS to identify genes associated with several CH4 traits in Angus beef cattle. The Angus population consisted of 1020 animals with phenotypes on methane production (MeP), dry matter intake (DMI), and weight (WT). Additionally......, two new methane traits: residual genetic methane (RGM) and residual phenotypic methane (RPM) were calculated by adjusting CH4 for DMI and WT. Animals were genotyped using the 800k Illumina Bovine HD Array. Estimated heritabilities were 0.30, 0.19 and 0.15 for MeP, RGM and RPM respectively...

Situation of methanization installations in Haute-Normandie. Phase 2: Assessment of the regional sector. Phase 3: Development perspectives for the methanization sector in Haute-Normandie. To understand methanization. Haute-Normandie Commission of expertise on methanization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Convert, Mathilde

2012-10-01

A first report proposes an analysis of the situation of methanization installations in the Haute-Normandie region while recalling the national context. It briefly reports an analysis and assessment of waste flows, processed effluents, by-products and biomass displaying an energetic potential. It describes methanization installations by addressing the different steps of the methanization process, by presenting the different digestion indicators, by briefly evoking the issue of the return-to-soil of digestates, and by presenting various operational data. Financial aspects are then addressed (investments and subsidies, financial balance of farm-based and collective installations), and an overview of methanization projects in the region and development perspectives is proposed. The second report more precisely analyses development perspectives for the methanization sector in the region through a brief assessment of the methanizable organic substrate resource, a discussion of different associated challenges (energy, agronomic, environmental and societal), a discussion of development levers and brakes, and an analysis of competitions (related to the use of industrial by-products, between processing installations, and related to agricultural soils). Another document proposes an overview of various aspects of methanization: a tool for territorial development, regulatory framework, evolution of installations in the region, assets of methanization, and role of the regional commission of expertise on methanization

Methanization in Burgundy-Franche-Comte - Figures and benchmarks. Agricultural methanization in Franche-Comte - Reflection guide for projects. Methanization development in Burgundy - Assessment 2014. Biogas sector in Burgundy. Methanization development in Burgundy - How to develop a project in Burgundy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aucordonnier, Bertrand; SIBUE, Lionel; Granger, Sylvie; Pervenchon, Frank; Forgue, Isabelle; Lirzin, Frank; Aucordonnier, Bertand; Abrahamse, Philippe; Dondaine, Regis; Rousseau, Christophe; Fevre, Jean-Michel; Carbonnier, Arnaud; Gontier, Thomas; Lemaire, Sylvie; Gallois, Vincent; Lachaize, M.

2015-03-01

A first document proposes graphs, figures and maps which illustrate various aspects of the situation and development of methanization in France and in the Burgundy-Franche-Comte region (number and location of installations, production evolution, biomass origins, biogas valorisation). A second document presents methanization (basic principles, process types, valorisation), describes agricultural methanization (substrate origin, use of final energy, use of digestates) and proposes elements of thought for methanization development regarding waste origin, project definition, various concerns (energy, environment, agriculture), digestate use and quantities, methane use, and installation sizing. A publication then proposes a synthetic overview of methanization development in Burgundy: number of supported projects, installations (evolution of their number, used materials, production), and support activities. The next publication proposes an assessment and an overview of the biogas sector in Burgundy: presentation and recommendations, assessment in terms of jobs, activities and expertise, professional education and training. The last document recalls some elements related to the methanization technique, outlines some important issues (materials, valorisation type for biogas and for digestate) to be addressed for an agricultural methanization project, and evokes benefits of methanization and some economic aspects. It also briefly describes how to start a project in the region

Source Attribution of Methane Emissions in Northeastern Colorado Using Ammonia to Methane Emission Ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Eilerman, S. J.; Neuman, J. A.; Peischl, J.; Aikin, K. C.; Ryerson, T. B.; Perring, A. E.; Robinson, E. S.; Holloway, M.; Trainer, M.

2015-12-01

Due to recent advances in extraction technology, oil and natural gas extraction and processing in the Denver-Julesburg basin has increased substantially in the past decade. Northeastern Colorado is also home to over 250 concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), capable of hosting over 2 million head of ruminant livestock (cattle and sheep). Because of methane's high Global Warming Potential, quantification and attribution of methane emissions from oil and gas development and agricultural activity are important for guiding greenhouse gas emission policy. However, due to the co-location of these different sources, top-down measurements of methane are often unable to attribute emissions to a specific source or sector. In this work, we evaluate the ammonia:methane emission ratio directly downwind of CAFOs using a mobile laboratory. Several CAFOs were chosen for periodic study over a 12-month period to identify diurnal and seasonal variation in the emission ratio as well as differences due to livestock type. Using this knowledge of the agricultural ammonia:methane emission ratio, aircraft measurements of ammonia and methane over oil and gas basins in the western US during the Shale Oil and Natural Gas Nexus (SONGNEX) field campaign in March and April 2015 can be used for source attribution of methane emissions.

Major factors influencing the generation of natural gas hydrate in porous media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.N. Khlebnikov

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Current researches related to natural gas hydrate mainly focus on its physical and chemical properties, as well as the approaches to the production (decomposition of hydrate. Physical modeling of the flow process in hydrate deposits is critical to the study on the exploitation or decomposition of hydrate. However, investigation of the dynamic hydrate process by virtue of porous media like sand-packed tubes which are widely used in petroleum production research is rarely reported in literature. In this paper, physical simulation of methane hydrate generation process was conducted using river sand-packed tubes in the core displacement apparatus. During the simulation, the influences of parameters such as reservoir temperature, methane pressure and reservoir model properties on the process of hydrate generation were investigated. The following results are revealed. First, the use of ice-melted water as the immobile water in the reservoir model can significantly enhance the rate of methane hydrate generation. Second, the process driving force in porous media (i.e., extents to which the experimental pressure or temperature deviating those corresponding to the hydrate phase equilibrium plays a key role in the generation of methane hydrate. Third, the induction period of methane hydrate generation almost does not change with temperature or pressure when the methane pressure is above 1.4 folds of the hydrate phase equilibrium pressure or the laboratory temperature is lower than the phase equilibrium temperature by 3 °C or more. Fourth, the parameters such as permeability, water saturation and wettability don't have much influence on the generation of methane hydrate.

Methane from shallow seep areas of the NW Svalbard Arctic margin does not reach the sea surface

Science.gov (United States)

Silyakova, Anna; Greinert, Jens; Jansson, Pär; Ferré, Bénédicte

2015-04-01

Methane, an important greenhouse gas, leaks from large areas of the Arctic Ocean floor. One overall question is how much methane passes from the seabed through the water column, potentially reaching the atmosphere. Transport of methane from the ocean floor into and through the water column depends on many factors such as distribution of gas seeps, microbial methane oxidation, and ambient oceanographic conditions, which may trigger a change in seep activity. From June-July 2014 we investigated dissolved methane in the water column emanating from the "Prins Karls Forland seeps" area offshore the NW Svalbard Arctic margin. Measurements of the spatial variability of dissolved methane in the water column included 65 CTD stations located in a grid covering an area of 30 by 15 km. We repeated an oceanographic transect twice in a week for time lapse studies, thus documenting significant temporal variability in dissolved methane above one shallow seep site (~100 m water depth). Analysis of both nutrient concentrations and dissolved methane in water samples from the same transect, reveal striking similarities in spatial patterns of both dissolved methane and nutrients indicating that microbial community is involved in methane cycling above the gas seepage. Our preliminary results suggest that although methane release can increase in a week's time, providing twice as much dissolved gas to the water column, no methane from a seep reaches the sea surface. Instead it spreads horizontally under the pycnocline. Yet microbial communities react rapidly to the methane supply above gas seepage areas and may also have an important role as an effective filter, hindering methane release from the ocean to the atmosphere during rapid methane ebullition. This study is funded by CAGE (Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate), Norwegian Research Council grant no. 223259.

Methane emissions from natural wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, J.L. [Georgia Univ., Athens, GA (United States); Burke, R.A. Jr. [Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA (United States). Environmental Research Lab.

1993-09-01

Analyses of air trapped in polar ice cores in conjunction with recent atmospheric measurements, indicate that the atmospheric methane concentration increased by about 250% during the past two or three hundred years (Rasmussen and Khalil, 1984). Because methane is a potent ``greenhouse`` gas, the increasing concentrations are expected to contribute to global warning (Dickinson and Cicerone, 1986). The timing of the methane increase suggests that it is related to the rapid growth of the human population and associated industrialization and agricultural development. The specific causes of the atmospheric methane concentration increase are not well known, but may relate to either increases in methane sources, decreases in the strengths of the sinks, or both.

Cryptic Methane Emissions from Upland Forest Ecosystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Megonigal, Patrick [Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (United States); Pitz, Scott [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States); Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (United States)

2016-04-19

This exploratory research on Cryptic Methane Emissions from Upland Forest Ecosystems was motivated by evidence that upland ecosystems emit 36% as much methane to the atmosphere as global wetlands, yet we knew almost nothing about this source. The long-term objective was to refine Earth system models by quantifying methane emissions from upland forests, and elucidate the biogeochemical processes that govern upland methane emissions. The immediate objectives of the grant were to: (i) test the emerging paradigm that upland trees unexpectedly transpire methane, (ii) test the basic biogeochemical assumptions of an existing global model of upland methane emissions, and (iii) develop the suite of biogeochemical approaches that will be needed to advance research on upland methane emissions. We instrumented a temperate forest system in order to explore the processes that govern upland methane emissions. We demonstrated that methane is emitted from the stems of dominant tree species in temperate upland forests. Tree emissions occurred throughout the growing season, while soils adjacent to the trees consumed methane simultaneously, challenging the concept that forests are uniform sinks of methane. High frequency measurements revealed diurnal cycling in the rate of methane emissions, pointing to soils as the methane source and transpiration as the most likely pathway for methane transport. We propose the forests are smaller methane sinks than previously estimated due to stem emissions. Stem emissions may be particularly important in upland tropical forests characterized by high rainfall and transpiration, resolving differences between models and measurements. The methods we used can be effectively implemented in order to determine if the phenomenon is widespread.

Insights into methane dynamics from analysis of authigenic carbonates and chemosynthetic mussels at newly-discovered Atlantic Margin seeps

Science.gov (United States)

Prouty, Nancy G.; Sahy, Diana; Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Roark, E. Brendan; Condon, Dan; Brooke, Sandra; Ross, Steve W.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.

2016-01-01

the Baltimore Canyon site probably has not been within the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) in the past 20 ka, meaning that in-situ release of methane from dissociating gas hydrate cannot be sustaining the seep. We cannot rule out updip migration of methane from dissociation of gas hydrate that occurs farther down the slope as a source of the venting at Baltimore Canyon, but consider that the history of rapid sediment accumulation and overpressure may play a more important role in methane emissions at this site.

Discrete element analysis of the mechanical properties of deep-sea methane hydrate-bearing soils considering interparticle bond thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Mingjing; He, Jie; Wang, Jianfeng; Zhou, Yaping; Zhu, Fangyuan

2017-12-01

Due to increasing global energy demands, research is being conducted on the mechanical properties of methane hydrate-bearing soils (MHBSs), from which methane hydrate (MH) will be explored. This paper presents a numerical approach to study the mechanical properties of MHBSs. The relationship between the level of MH saturation and the interparticle bond thickness is first obtained by analyzing the scanning electron microscope images of MHBS samples, in which is the bridge connecting the micromechanical behavior captured by the DEM with the macroscopic properties of MHBSs. A simplified thermal-hydromechanical (THM) bond model that considers the different bond thicknesses is then proposed to describe the contact behavior between the soil particles and those incorporated into the discrete element method (DEM). Finally, a series of biaxial compression tests are carried out with different MH saturations under different effective confining pressures to analyze the mechanical properties of deep-sea MHBSs. The results of the DEM numerical simulation are also compared with the findings from triaxial compression tests. The results show that the macromechanical properties of deep-sea MHBSs can be qualitatively captured by the proposed DEM. The shear strength, cohesion, and volumetric contraction of deep-sea MHBSs increase with increasing MH saturation, although its influence on the internal friction angle is obscure. The shear strength and volumetric contraction increase with increasing effective confining pressure. The peak shear strength and the dilation of MHBSs increase as the critical bond thickness increases, while the residual deviator stress largely remains the same at a larger axial strain. With increasing the axial strain, the percentage of broken bonds increases, along with the expansion of the shear band.

Challenges related to methanization - Bibliographical synthesis by France Nature Environnement. Opinion of FNE on methanization: Which challenges and which desirable development? Methascope: assessment support tool for a methanization project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desaunay, Thomas; Mathien, Adeline; Dorioz, Camille; Saint-Aubin, Thibaud; Banaszuk, Agnes; Badereau, Benedicte de; Capiez, Nathalie; Zoffoli, Maxime

2014-12-01

A first document proposes a bibliographical synthesis on the various challenges related to methanization. It addresses the following issues: biogas and public policies, methanization as a natural process of transformation of organic matter, different installations for different territories, matters which can be used in methanization, biogas as a renewable and local energy which can be transformed according to needs, properties and uses of digestate, choice between composting and methanization, energetic crops, methanization and nitrates, regulation, potential risks and pollutions, economic profitability of projects. The second document states the FNE's opinion on methanization, its challenges and the associated desirable development. The third document is a guide which aims at providing knowledge on methanization, at easing dialogue between actors of a territory, and at elaborating a position and an opinion with respect to a specific methanization project on a territory

Is the extent of glaciation limited by marine gas-hydrates?

Science.gov (United States)

Paull, Charles K.; Ussler, William; Dillon, William P.

1991-01-01

Methane may have been released to the atmosphere during the Quaternary from Arctic shelf gas-hydrates as a result of thermal decomposition caused by climatic warming and rising sea-level; this release of methane (a greenhouse gas) may represent a positive feedback on global warming [Revelle, 1983; Kvenvolden, 1988a; Nisbet, 1990]. We consider the response to sea-level changes by the immense amount of gas-hydrate that exists in continental rise sediments, and suggest that the reverse situation may apply—that release of methane trapped in the deep-sea sediments as gas-hydrates may provide a negative feedback to advancing glaciation. Methane is likely to be released from deep-sea gas-hydrates as sea-level falls because methane gas-hydrates decompose with pressure decrease. Methane would be released to sediment pore space at shallow sub-bottom depths (100's of meters beneath the seafloor, commonly at water depths of 500 to 4,000 m) producing zones of markedly decreased sediment strength, leading to slumping [Carpenter, 1981; Kayen, 1988] and abrupt release of the gas. Methane is likely to be released to the atmosphere in spikes that become larger and more frequent as glaciation progresses. Because addition of methane to the atmosphere warms the planet, this process provides a negative feedback to glaciation, and could trigger deglaciation.

Coalbed methane: new frontier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eaton, S.

2003-02-01

There are large numbers of stacked coal seams permeated with methane or natural gas in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, and approximately 20 coalbed methane pilot projects are operating in the area, and brief descriptions of some of them were provided. Coalbed methane reserves have a long life cycle. A definition of coalbed methane can be a permeability challenged reservoir. It is not uncommon for coalbed methane wells to flow water for periods varying from 2 to 6 months after completion before the production of natural gas. A made-in-Canada technological solution is being developed by CDX Canada Inc., along with its American parent company. The techniques used by CDX are a marriage between coal mining techniques and oil and gas techniques. A brief description of coalification was provided. Nexen is participating in the production of gas from an Upper Mannville coal at 1 000-metres depth in a nine-well pilot project. The Alberta Foothills are considered prime exploration area since older coal is carried close to the surface by thrusting. CDX Canada uses cavitation completion in vertical wells. Cavitation consists in setting the casing above the coal seam and drilling ahead under balanced. The design of wells for coalbed methane gas is based on rock and fluid mechanics. Hydraulic fracturing completions is also used, as are tiltmeters. An enhanced coalbed methane recovery pilot project is being conducted by the Alberta Research Council at Fenn-Big Valley, located in central Alberta. It injects carbon dioxide, which shows great potential for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 1 figs.

Nitrogen-fixing methane-utilizing bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bont, de J.A.M.

1976-01-01

Methane occurs abundantly in nature. In the presence of oxygen this gas may be metabolized by bacteria that are able to use it as carbon and energy source. Several types of bacteria involved in the oxidation of methane have been described in literature. Methane-utilizing bacteria have in

Characterization of specific membrane fatty acids as chemotaxonomic markers for sulfate-reducing bacteria involved in anaerobic oxidation of methane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elvert, M.; Boetius, A.; Knittel, K.

2003-01-01

Membrane fatty acids were extracted from a sediment core above marine gas hydrates at Hydrate Ridge, NE Pacific. Anaerobic sediments from this environment are characterized by high sulfate reduction rates driven by the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). The assimilation of methane carbon......-reducing bacteria (SRB) of the Desulfosarcina/Desulfococcus group, which are present in the aggregates of AOM consortia in extremely high numbers, these specific fatty acids appear to provide a phenotypic fingerprint indicative for SRB of this group. Correlating depth profiles of specific fatty acid content...

Implementation of methane cycling for deep time, global warming simulations with the DCESS Earth System Model (Version 1.2)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaffer, Gary; Villanueva, Esteban Fernández; Rondanelli, Roberto

2017-01-01

Geological records reveal a number of ancient, large and rapid negative excursions of carbon-13 isotope. Such excursions can only be explained by massive injections of depleted carbon to the Earth System over a short duration. These injections may have forced strong global warming events, sometimes....... With this improved DCESS model version and paleo-reconstructions, we are now better armed to gauge the amounts, types, time scales and locations of methane injections driving specific, observed deep time, global warming events......., or from warming-induced dissociation of methane hydrate, a solid compound of methane and water found in ocean sediments. As a consequence of the ubiquity and importance of methane in major Earth events, Earth System models should include a comprehensive treatment of methane cycling but such a treatment...

Global diffusive fluxes of methane in marine sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Egger, Matthias; Riedinger, Natascha; Mogollón, José M.; Jørgensen, Bo Barker

2018-06-01

Anaerobic oxidation of methane provides a globally important, yet poorly constrained barrier for the vast amounts of methane produced in the subseafloor. Here we provide a global map and budget of the methane flux and degradation in diffusion-controlled marine sediments in relation to the depth of the methane oxidation barrier. Our new budget suggests that 45-61 Tg of methane are oxidized with sulfate annually, with approximately 80% of this oxidation occurring in continental shelf sediments (methane in steady-state diffusive sediments, we calculate that 3-4% of the global organic carbon flux to the seafloor is converted to methane. We further report a global imbalance of diffusive methane and sulfate fluxes into the sulfate-methane transition with no clear trend with respect to the corresponding depth of the methane oxidation barrier. The observed global mean net flux ratio between sulfate and methane of 1.4:1 indicates that, on average, the methane flux to the sulfate-methane transition accounts for only 70% of the sulfate consumption in the sulfate-methane transition zone of marine sediments.

Methane monitoring from space

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, C.; Alpers, M.; Millet, B.; Ehret, G.; Flamant, P.

2017-11-01

Methane is one of the strongest anthropogenic greenhouse gases. It contributes by its radiative forcing significantly to the global warming. For a better understanding of climate changes, it is necessary to apply precise space-based measurement techniques in order to obtain a global view on the complex processes that control the methane concentration in the atmosphere. The MERLIN mission is a joint French-German cooperation, on a micro satellite mission for space-based measurement of spatial and temporal gradients of atmospheric methane columns on a global scale. MERLIN will be the first Integrated Path Differential Absorption LIDAR for greenhouse gas monitoring from space. In contrast to passive methane missions, the LIDAR instrument allows measurements at alllatitudes, all-seasons and during night.

A biomimetic methane-oxidising catalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalton, H [Warwick Univ., Coventry (United Kingdom). Dept. of Biological Sciences

1997-12-31

The diminishing resources of petroleum oil has meant that there has been considerable efforts in recent years to find a suitable substitute for gasoline as a transportation fuel. Methanol has been identified as a suitable substitute since it is a readily combustible fuel which can be manufactured from a number of different sources. Methane is commonly used as a starting material for the production of synthesis gas (CO + H{sub 2}) and hence methanol. It is well known that the cleavage of the C-H bond of methane is extremely difficult (bond energy is around 104 kcal/mol) and that fairly drastic conditions are required to convert methane into methanol. Temperatures around 1200 deg C and pressures of up to 100 atmospheres over metal catalysts in a series of reactions are required to effect this process. Efforts have been made to reduce the temperature and the number of steps by using lanthanide ruthenium oxide catalyst but such reactions are still thermodynamically endothermic. An energetically more efficient reaction would be the direct conversion of methane to methanol using oxygen as the oxidant: CH{sub 4} + 1/2O{sub 2} -> CH{sub 3}OH {Delta}H deg = - 30.7 kcal/mol. Such a direct oxidation route is manifest in the bacterially-mediated oxidation of methane by methanotrophic bacteria. These organisms effect the direct oxidation of methane to methanol by the enzyme methane monooxygenase (MMO) as part of the reaction sequences to oxidize methane to carbon dioxide. (14 refs.)

A biomimetic methane-oxidising catalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalton, H. [Warwick Univ., Coventry (United Kingdom). Dept. of Biological Sciences

1996-12-31

The diminishing resources of petroleum oil has meant that there has been considerable efforts in recent years to find a suitable substitute for gasoline as a transportation fuel. Methanol has been identified as a suitable substitute since it is a readily combustible fuel which can be manufactured from a number of different sources. Methane is commonly used as a starting material for the production of synthesis gas (CO + H{sub 2}) and hence methanol. It is well known that the cleavage of the C-H bond of methane is extremely difficult (bond energy is around 104 kcal/mol) and that fairly drastic conditions are required to convert methane into methanol. Temperatures around 1200 deg C and pressures of up to 100 atmospheres over metal catalysts in a series of reactions are required to effect this process. Efforts have been made to reduce the temperature and the number of steps by using lanthanide ruthenium oxide catalyst but such reactions are still thermodynamically endothermic. An energetically more efficient reaction would be the direct conversion of methane to methanol using oxygen as the oxidant: CH{sub 4} + 1/2O{sub 2} -> CH{sub 3}OH {Delta}H deg = - 30.7 kcal/mol. Such a direct oxidation route is manifest in the bacterially-mediated oxidation of methane by methanotrophic bacteria. These organisms effect the direct oxidation of methane to methanol by the enzyme methane monooxygenase (MMO) as part of the reaction sequences to oxidize methane to carbon dioxide. (14 refs.)

Methane in German hard coal mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martens, P.N.; Den Drijver, J.

1995-01-01

Worldwide, hard coal mining is being carried out at ever increasing depth, and has, therefore, to cope with correspondingly increasing methane emissions are caused by coal mining. Beside carbon dioxide, chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFCs) and nitrogen oxides, methane is one of the most significant 'greenhouse' gases. It is mainly through the release of such trace gases that the greenhouse effect is brought about. Reducing methane emissions is therefore an important problem to be solved by the coal mining industry. This paper begins by highlighting some of the fundamental principles of methane in hard coal mining. The methane problem in German hard coal mining and the industry's efforts to reduce methane emissions are presented. The future development in German hard coal mining is illustrated by an example which shows how large methane volumes can be managed, while still maintaining high outputs at increasing depth. (author). 7 tabs., 10 figs., 20 refs

Quantification of methane emissions from danish landfills

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheutz, Charlotte; Mønster, Jacob; Kjeldsen, Peter

2013-01-01

Whole-landfill methane emission was quantified using a tracer technique that combines controlled tracer gas release from the landfill with time-resolved concentration measurements downwind of the landfill using a mobile high-resolution analytical instrument. Methane emissions from 13 Danish...... landfills varied between 2.6 and 60.8 kg CH4 h–1. The highest methane emission was measured at the largest (in terms of disposed waste amounts) of the 13 landfills, whereas the lowest methane emissions (2.6-6.1 kgCH4 h–1) were measured at the older and smaller landfills. At two of the sites, which had gas...... collection, emission measurements showed that the gas collection systems only collected between 30-50% of the methane produced (assuming that the produced methane equalled the sum of the emitted methane and the collected methane). Significant methane emissions were observed from disposed shredder waste...

Methane anomalies in seawaters of the Ragay Gulf, Philippines: methane cycling and contributions to atmospheric greenhouse gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heggie, D.T.; Evans, D.; Bishop, J.H.

1999-01-01

The vertical distribution of methane has been measured in the water column of a semi-enclosed basin, the Ragay Gulf, in the Philippines archipelago. The methane distribution is characterised by unusual mid-water and bottom-water plumes, between 80 and 100 m thick. The plumes are confined to water depths between about 100 and 220 m. where the temperature-depth (a proxy for seawater density) gradient is steepest. Plumes of high methane are 'trapped' within the main thermocline; these are local features, persisting over kilometre-scale distances. Geochemical and geological evidence suggests that the elevated methane concentrations are thermogenic in origin (although an oxidised biogenic origin cannot be ruled out for some of the methane anomalies), and have migrated from the sea floor into the overlying water. The mid and bottom-water methane maxima support fluxes of methane from depth into surface waters and, subsequently, from the oceans to the atmosphere. The average supersaturation of methane in the top 5 m of the sea, at nine locations, was 206±16.5%; range 178-237%. The average estimated sea-air flux was 101 nmole.cm -2 .y -1 and probably represents a minimum flux, because of low wind speeds of <10 knots. These fluxes, we suggest, are supported by seepage from the sea floor and represent naturally occurring fluxes of mostly fossil methane (in contrast to anthropogenic fossil methane), from the sea to the atmosphere. The estimated minimum fluxes of naturally occurring fossil methane are comparable to those biogenic fluxes measured elsewhere in the surface oceans, but are less than those naturally occurring methane inputs from sediments of the Barents Sea. Ragay Gulf fluxes are also less than anthropogenic fluxes measured in areas of petroleum exploration and development, such as the Texas and Louisiana, USA shelf areas

Quantification of the methane concentration using anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to extracellular electron transfer

Science.gov (United States)

A biofilm anode acclimated with acetate, acetate+methane, and methane growth media for over three years produced a steady current density of 1.6-2.3 mA/m^2 in a microbial electrochemical cell (MxC) fed with methane as the sole electron donor. Geobacter was the dominant genus for...

Controls on Gas Hydrate Formation and Dissociation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miriam Kastner; Ian MacDonald

2006-03-03

The main objectives of the project were to monitor, characterize, and quantify in situ the rates of formation and dissociation of methane hydrates at and near the seafloor in the northern Gulf of Mexico, with a focus on the Bush Hill seafloor hydrate mound; to record the linkages between physical and chemical parameters of the deposits over the course of one year, by emphasizing the response of the hydrate mound to temperature and chemical perturbations; and to document the seafloor and water column environmental impacts of hydrate formation and dissociation. For these, monitoring the dynamics of gas hydrate formation and dissociation was required. The objectives were achieved by an integrated field and laboratory scientific study, particularly by monitoring in situ formation and dissociation of the outcropping gas hydrate mound and of the associated gas-rich sediments. In addition to monitoring with the MOSQUITOs, fluid flow rates and temperature, continuously sampling in situ pore fluids for the chemistry, and imaging the hydrate mound, pore fluids from cores, peepers and gas hydrate samples from the mound were as well sampled and analyzed for chemical and isotopic compositions. In order to determine the impact of gas hydrate dissociation and/or methane venting across the seafloor on the ocean and atmosphere, the overlying seawater was sampled and thoroughly analyzed chemically and for methane C isotope ratios. At Bush hill the pore fluid chemistry varies significantly over short distances as well as within some of the specific sites monitored for 440 days, and gas venting is primarily focused. The pore fluid chemistry in the tub-warm and mussel shell fields clearly documented active gas hydrate and authigenic carbonate formation during the monitoring period. The advecting fluid is depleted in sulfate, Ca Mg, and Sr and is rich in methane; at the main vent sites the fluid is methane supersaturated, thus bubble plumes form. The subsurface hydrology exhibits both

Methane-bomb natural gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

About 50% of the so-called 'greenhouse-effect' is not caused by CO 2 , but by more dangerous gases, among them is methane. Natural gas consists to about 98% of methane. In Austria result about 15% of the methane emissions from offtake, storage, transport (pipelines) and distribution from natural gas. A research study of the Research Centre Seibersdorf points out that between 2.5% and 3.6% of the employed natural gas in Austria emits. The impact of this emitted methane is about 29 times worse than the impact of CO 2 (caused for examples by petroleum burning). Nevertheless the Austrian CO 2 -commission states that an increasing use of natural gas would decrease the CO 2 -emissions - but this statement is suspected to be based on wrong assumptions. (blahsl)

Effect of conditioners upon the thermodynamics and kinetics of methane hydrate formation. A preliminary structure-properties relationship study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Di Profio, Pietro; Arca, Simone; Germani, Raimondo; Savelli, Gianfranco

2005-07-01

The synthesis and stability of gas hydrates was found to be heavily affected by the presence of small quantities of additives, or conditioners, particularly surfactants. In a recent work, we showed that the enhancement of hydrate formation, both from previously described and newly synthesized surfactants, is probably due to surfactant monomers, rather than micelles, and that the features of hydrate induction time should not be used as a measure of critical micelle concentration. In the present paper, we discuss the results of a structure-properties relationship study in which a preliminary attempt to relate the structural features of several amphiphilic additives to some kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of methane hydrate formation - e.g., induction times, rate of formation, occupancy, etc. - is conducted. According to the present study, it is found that, for a particular conditioner, a reduction of induction time does not correlate to an increase of the formation rate and occupancy, and vice versa. This may be related to the nature of chemical moieties forming a particular amphiphile (e.g., the hydrophobic tail, head group, counterion, etc.). The understanding of the mechanisms by which those moieties play their differential role may be the key tool to the design and synthesis of tailored conditioners. (Author)

Simulations of atmospheric methane for Cape Grim, Tasmania, to constrain southeastern Australian methane emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. M. Loh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study uses two climate models and six scenarios of prescribed methane emissions to compare modelled and observed atmospheric methane between 1994 and 2007, for Cape Grim, Australia (40.7° S, 144.7° E. The model simulations follow the TransCom-CH4 protocol and use the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS and the CSIRO Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM. Radon is also simulated and used to reduce the impact of transport differences between the models and observations. Comparisons are made for air samples that have traversed the Australian continent. All six emission scenarios give modelled concentrations that are broadly consistent with those observed. There are three notable mismatches, however. Firstly, scenarios that incorporate interannually varying biomass burning emissions produce anomalously high methane concentrations at Cape Grim at times of large fire events in southeastern Australia, most likely due to the fire methane emissions being unrealistically input into the lowest model level. Secondly, scenarios with wetland methane emissions in the austral winter overestimate methane concentrations at Cape Grim during wintertime while scenarios without winter wetland emissions perform better. Finally, all scenarios fail to represent a~methane source in austral spring implied by the observations. It is possible that the timing of wetland emissions in the scenarios is incorrect with recent satellite measurements suggesting an austral spring (September–October–November, rather than winter, maximum for wetland emissions.

Anaerobic Oxidization of Methane in a Minerotrophic Peatland: Enrichment of Nitrite-Dependent Methane-Oxidizing Bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Baoli; van Dijk, Gijs; Fritz, Christian; Smolders, Alfons J. P.; Pol, Arjan; Jetten, Mike S. M.

2012-01-01

The importance of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) as a methane sink in freshwater systems is largely unexplored, particularly in peat ecosystems. Nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-damo) was recently discovered and reported to be catalyzed by the bacterium “Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera,” which is affiliated with the NC10 phylum. So far, several “Ca. Methylomirabilis oxyfera” enrichment cultures have been obtained using a limited number of freshwater sediments or wastewater treatment sludge as the inoculum. In this study, using stable isotope measurements and porewater profiles, we investigated the potential of n-damo in a minerotrophic peatland in the south of the Netherlands that is infiltrated by nitrate-rich ground water. Methane and nitrate profiles suggested that all methane produced was oxidized before reaching the oxic layer, and NC10 bacteria could be active in the transition zone where countergradients of methane and nitrate occur. Quantitative PCR showed high NC10 bacterial cell numbers at this methane-nitrate transition zone. This soil section was used to enrich the prevalent NC10 bacteria in a continuous culture supplied with methane and nitrite at an in situ pH of 6.2. An enrichment of nitrite-reducing methanotrophic NC10 bacteria was successfully obtained. Phylogenetic analysis of retrieved 16S rRNA and pmoA genes showed that the enriched bacteria were very similar to the ones found in situ and constituted a new branch of NC10 bacteria with an identity of less than 96 and 90% to the 16S rRNA and pmoA genes of “Ca. Methylomirabilis oxyfera,” respectively. The results of this study expand our knowledge of the diversity and distribution of NC10 bacteria in the environment and highlight their potential contribution to nitrogen and methane cycles. PMID:23042166

Methanization of industrial liquid effluents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frederic, S.; Lugardon, A.

2007-01-01

In a first part, this work deals with the theoretical aspects of the methanization of the industrial effluents; the associated reactional processes are detailed. The second part presents the technological criteria for choosing the methanization process in terms of the characteristics of the effluent to be treated. Some of the methanization processes are presented with their respective advantages and disadvantages. At last, is described the implementation of an industrial methanization unit. The size and the main choices are detailed: the anaerobic reactor, the control, the valorization aspects of the biogas produced. Some examples of industrial developments illustrate the different used options. (O.M.)

Elimination of methane in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process by immobilized methane-oxidizing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ya-Min; Yang, Jing; Fan, Xiao-Lei; Fu, Shan-Fei; Sun, Meng-Ting; Guo, Rong-Bo

2017-05-01

Biogas upgrading is essential for the comprehensive utilization of biogas as substitute of natural gas. However, the methane in the biogas can be fully recovered during the upgrading process of biogas, and the exhaust gas produced during biogas upgrading may contain a very low concentration of methane. If the exhaust gas with low concentration methane releases to atmosphere, it will be harmful to environment. In addition, the utilization of large amounts of digestate produced from biogas plant is another important issue for the development of biogas industry. In this study, solid digestate was used to produce active carbon, which was subsequently used as immobilized material for methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in biofilter. Biofilter with MOB immobilized on active carbon was used to eliminate the methane in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process. Results showed porous active carbon was successfully made from solid digestate. The final methane elimination capacity of immobilized MOB reached about 13molh -1 m -3 , which was more 4 times higher than that of MOB without immobilization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity Analysis of Methane Hydrate Reservoirs: Effects of Reservoir Parameters on Gas Productivity and Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, B. J.; Gaddipati, M.; Nyayapathi, L.

2008-12-01

This paper presents a parametric study on production rates of natural gas from gas hydrates by the method of depressurization, using CMG STARS. Seven factors/parameters were considered as perturbations from a base-case hydrate reservoir description based on Problem 7 of the International Methane Hydrate Reservoir Simulator Code Comparison Study led by the Department of Energy and the USGS. This reservoir is modeled after the inferred properties of the hydrate deposit at the Prudhoe Bay L-106 site. The included sensitivity variables were hydrate saturation, pressure (depth), temperature, bottom-hole pressure of the production well, free water saturation, intrinsic rock permeability, and porosity. A two-level (L=2) Plackett-Burman experimental design was used to study the relative effects of these factors. The measured variable was the discounted cumulative gas production. The discount rate chosen was 15%, resulting in the gas contribution to the net present value of a reservoir. Eight different designs were developed for conducting sensitivity analysis and the effects of the parameters on the real and discounted production rates will be discussed. The breakeven price in various cases and the dependence of the breakeven price on the production parameters is given in the paper. As expected, initial reservoir temperature has the strongest positive effect on the productivity of a hydrate deposit and the bottom-hole pressure in the production well has the strongest negative dependence. Also resulting in a positive correlation is the intrinsic permeability and the initial free water of the formation. Negative effects were found for initial hydrate saturation (at saturations greater than 50% of the pore space) and the reservoir porosity. These negative effects are related to the available sensible heat of the reservoir, with decreasing productivity due to decreasing available sensible heat. Finally, we conclude that for the base case reservoir, the break-even price (BEP

Gas hydrate dissociation off Svalbard induced by isostatic rebound rather than global warming.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallmann, Klaus; Riedel, M; Hong, W L; Patton, H; Hubbard, A; Pape, T; Hsu, C W; Schmidt, C; Johnson, J E; Torres, M E; Andreassen, K; Berndt, C; Bohrmann, G

2018-01-08

Methane seepage from the upper continental slopes of Western Svalbard has previously been attributed to gas hydrate dissociation induced by anthropogenic warming of ambient bottom waters. Here we show that sediment cores drilled off Prins Karls Foreland contain freshwater from dissociating hydrates. However, our modeling indicates that the observed pore water freshening began around 8 ka BP when the rate of isostatic uplift outpaced eustatic sea-level rise. The resultant local shallowing and lowering of hydrostatic pressure forced gas hydrate dissociation and dissolved chloride depletions consistent with our geochemical analysis. Hence, we propose that hydrate dissociation was triggered by postglacial isostatic rebound rather than anthropogenic warming. Furthermore, we show that methane fluxes from dissociating hydrates were considerably smaller than present methane seepage rates implying that gas hydrates were not a major source of methane to the oceans, but rather acted as a dynamic seal, regulating methane release from deep geological reservoirs.

Remote Sensing and Sea-Truth Measurements of Methane Flux to the Atmosphere (HYFLUX project)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ian MacDonald

2011-05-31

A multi-disciplinary investigation of distribution and magnitude of methane fluxes from seafloor gas hydrate deposits in the Gulf of Mexico was conducted based on results obtained from satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing and from sampling conducted during a research expedition to three sites where gas hydrate occurs (MC118, GC600, and GC185). Samples of sediments, water, and air were collected from the ship and from an ROV submersible using sediments cores, niskin bottles attached to the ROV and to a rosette, and an automated sea-air interface collector. The SAR images were used to quantify the magnitude and distribution of natural oil and gas seeps that produced perennial oil slicks on the ocean surface. A total of 176 SAR images were processed using a texture classifying neural network algorithm, which segmented the ocean surface into oil-free and oil-covered water. Geostatistical analysis indicates that there are a total of 1081 seep formations distributed over the entire Gulf of Mexico basin. Oil-covered water comprised an average of 780.0 sq. km (sd 86.03) distributed with an area of 147,370 sq. km. Persistent oil and gas seeps were also detected with SAR sampling on other ocean margins located in the Black Sea, western coast of Africa, and offshore Pakistan. Analysis of sediment cores from all three sites show profiles of sulfate, sulfide, calcium and alkalinity that indicated anaerobic oxidation of methane with precipitation of authigenic carbonates. Difference among the three sampling sites may reflect the relative magnitude of methane flux. Methane concentrations in water column samples collected by ROV and rosette deployments from MC118 ranged from {approx}33,000 nM at the seafloor to {approx}12 nM in the mixed layer with isolated peaks up to {approx}13,670 nM coincident with the top of the gas hydrate stability field. Average plume methane, ethane, and propane concentrations in the mixed layer are 7, 630, and 9,540 times saturation

Evaluation of methane emissions from Taiwanese paddies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.-W.; Wu, C.-Y.

2004-01-01

The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Methane is the most important because the warming effect of methane is 21 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. Methane emitted from rice paddy fields is a major source of atmospheric methane. In this work, a methane emission model (MEM), which integrates climate change, plant growth and degradation of soil organic matter, was applied to estimate the emission of methane from rice paddy fields in Taiwan. The estimated results indicate that much methane is emitted during the effective tillering and booting stages in the first crop season and during the transplanting stage in the second crop season in a year. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the temperature is the most important parameter that governs the methane emission rate. The order of the strengths of the effects of the other parameters is soil pH, soil water depth (SWD) and soil organic matter content. The masses of methane emitted from rice paddy fields of Taiwan in the first and second crop seasons are 28,507 and 350,231 tons, respectively. The amount of methane emitted during the second crop season is 12.5 times higher than that emitted in the first crop season. With a 12% reduction in planted area during the second crop season, methane emission could be reduced by 21%. In addition, removal of rice straw left from the first crop season and increasing the depth of flooding to 25 cm are also strategies that could help reduce annual emission by up to 18%

Reducing methane emissions from ruminant animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathison, G.W.; Okine, E.K.; McAllister, T.A.; Dong, Y.; Galbraith, J.; Dmytruk, O.I.N. [University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Science

1998-09-01

In 1992 it was estimated that 30 x 10{sup 12}g more methane was emitted into the atmosphere than was removed, with animals being considered the largest single anthropogenic source. Ruminants produce 97% of the methane generated in enteric fermentation by animals. Estimates for methane emissions from animal wastes vary between 6 and 31% of that produced directly by the animal, with the most likely value being between 5 and 10% globally. Methane inhibitors can reduce methane emissions to zero in the short term but due to microbial adaptation the effects of these compounds are quickly neutralized and feed intake is often depressed. Methane emissions per unit of feed consumed from sheep and cattle fed hay diets appear to be quite similar but differences between other ruminants have been measured. The most practical way of influencing methane emissions per unit product is to increase productivity level since the proportion of feed energy required to just maintain the animal will be reduced, methane production falls with increased intake level, and the animal may go to market sooner. The most promising avenues for future research for reducing methanogenesis are the development of new products for reducing protozoal numbers in the rumen and the use of bacterocins or other compounds which specifically target methanogenic bacteria.

Wave-induced release of methane : littoral zones as a source of methane in lakes

OpenAIRE

Hofmann, Hilmar; Federwisch, Luisa; Peeters, Frank

2010-01-01

This study investigates the role of surface waves and the associated disturbance of littoral sediments for the release and later distribution of dissolved methane in lakes. Surface wave field, wave-induced currents, acoustic backscatter strength, and the concentration and distribution of dissolved methane were measured simultaneously in Lake Constance, Germany. The data indicate that surface waves enhance the release of dissolved methane in the shallow littoral zone via burst-like releases of...

Direct Activation Of Methane

KAUST Repository

Basset, Jean-Marie; Sun, Miao; Caps, Valerie; Pelletier, Jeremie; Abou-Hamad, Edy

2013-01-01

Heteropolyacids (HPAs) can activate methane at ambient temperature (e.g., 20.degree. C.) and atmospheric pressure, and transform methane to acetic acid, in the absence of any noble metal such as Pd). The HPAs can be, for example, those with Keggin

The Geologic Signature of Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Ussler, W.; Paull, C. K.

2010-12-01

Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is an enormous sink in anoxic marine sediments for methane produced in situ or ascending through the sediment column towards the seafloor. Existing estimates indicate that between 75 and 382 Tg of sedimentary methane are oxidized each year before reaching the sediment-water interface making AOM a diagenetic process of global significance. This methane is derived from a variety of sources including microbial production, thermocatalytic cracking of complex organic matter, decomposing gas hydrates, and possibly abiogenic processes. Stables isotopes of membrane lipid biomarkers and authigenic carbonates associated with zones of AOM, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and anaerobic methane incubations have substantiated the role Archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria have in driving AOM. The products of AOM are dissolved inorganic carbon (predominantly HCO3-) and bisulfide (HS-). Stable isotope measurements of authigenic carbonates associated with zones of AOM are consistent with the diagenetic carbon being primarily methane derived. These methane-derived carbonates occur in a variety of forms including sedimentary nodules and thin lenses within and below zones of contemporary AOM; outcrops of slabs, ledges, and jagged authigenic carbonates exhumed on the seafloor; and authigenic carbonate mounds associated with near-subsurface methane gas accumulations. Examples of exhumed authigenic carbonates include rugged outcrops along the Guaymas Transform in the Gulf of California, extensive slabs and ledges in the Eel River Basin, and mounds in various stages of development near Bullseye Vent, off Vancouver Island and in the Santa Monica Basin. It is clear from basic microbial biogeochemistry and the occurrences of massive authigenic carbonate which span a large range in size that DIC produced by AOM is preserved as authigenic carbonate within the seafloor and not on the seafloor. These exhumed authigenic carbonate provide a glimpse of how

Methane emissions from coal mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, C.M.; Kelafant, J.R.; Kuuskraa, V.A.; Manger, K.C.; Kruger, D.

1990-09-01

The report estimates global methane emissions from coal mining on a country specific basis, evaluates the technologies available to degasify coal seams and assesses the economics of recovering methane liberated during mining. 33 to 64 million tonnes were liberated in 1987 from coal mining, 75 per cent of which came from China, the USSR, Poland and the USA. Methane emissions from coal mining are likely to increase. Emission levels vary between surface and underground mines. The methane currently removed from underground mines for safety reasons could be used in a number of ways, which may be economically attractive. 55 refs., 19 figs., 24 tabs

Snowball Earth termination by destabilization of equatorial permafrost methane clathrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Martin; Mrofka, David; von der Borch, Chris

2008-05-29

The start of the Ediacaran period is defined by one of the most severe climate change events recorded in Earth history--the recovery from the Marinoan 'snowball' ice age, approximately 635 Myr ago (ref. 1). Marinoan glacial-marine deposits occur at equatorial palaeolatitudes, and are sharply overlain by a thin interval of carbonate that preserves marine carbon and sulphur isotopic excursions of about -5 and +15 parts per thousand, respectively; these deposits are thought to record widespread oceanic carbonate precipitation during postglacial sea level rise. This abrupt transition records a climate system in profound disequilibrium and contrasts sharply with the cyclical stratigraphic signal imparted by the balanced feedbacks modulating Phanerozoic deglaciation. Hypotheses accounting for the abruptness of deglaciation include ice albedo feedback, deep-ocean out-gassing during post-glacial oceanic overturn or methane hydrate destabilization. Here we report the broadest range of oxygen isotope values yet measured in marine sediments (-25 per thousand to +12 per thousand) in methane seeps in Marinoan deglacial sediments underlying the cap carbonate. This range of values is likely to be the result of mixing between ice-sheet-derived meteoric waters and clathrate-derived fluids during the flushing and destabilization of a clathrate field by glacial meltwater. The equatorial palaeolatitude implies a highly volatile shelf permafrost pool that is an order of magnitude larger than that of the present day. A pool of this size could have provided a massive biogeochemical feedback capable of triggering deglaciation and accounting for the global postglacial marine carbon and sulphur isotopic excursions, abrupt unidirectional warming, cap carbonate deposition, and a marine oxygen crisis. Our findings suggest that methane released from low-latitude permafrost clathrates therefore acted as a trigger and/or strong positive feedback for deglaciation and warming. Methane hydrate

Gas-liquid equilibrium in mixtures of methane + m-xylene, and methane + m-cresol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simnick, J J; Sebastian, H M; Lin, H M; Chao, K C

1979-01-01

Compositions of saturated equilibrium liquid and vapor phases as determined in a flow apparatus for methane + m-xylene mixtures at 370/sup 0/, 450/sup 0/, 520/sup 0/, and 600/sup 0/F (190/sup 0/, 230/sup 0/, 270/sup 0/, and 310/sup 0/C) and up to 200 atm, and for methane + m-cresol at 370/sup 0/, 520/sup 0/, 660/sup 0/, and 730/sup 0/F (190/sup 0/, 270/sup 0/, 350/sup 0/, and 390/sup 0/C) and up to 250 atm. Compared with published data on its solubility in benzene, methane appears to be more soluble in m-xylene at similar conditions but substantially less soluble in m-cresol. This difference indicates that the functional groups CH/sub 3/ and OH play different roles in determining the solubility of methane.

Electrocatalytic oxidation of methane: investigations of new catalysts to be used in a solid polymer electrolyte methane fuel-cell; Oxydation electrocatalytique du methane: recherche de catalyseurs en vue d'une application a une pile au methane a electrolyte polymere solide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berthelot, S

1998-07-01

This thesis evaluated the performances of many catalysts facing the methane oxidation which is a critical step in methane fuel cells development. In a first part the study of the methane electro-oxidation has been realized by classical electrochemical technics on many electrodes to determine the most active ones. In a second part the in situ reflection infra-red spectroscopy allowed to identify, during the methane oxidation, the adsorbed species on the electrode and the reaction products. These results also help the understanding of the part of the concerned materials mechanisms in the methane oxidation and then to optimize them for a whole oxidation of the methane in carbon dioxide. The final objective is the use of the methane in a PEMFC fuel cell type. A comparison with the methanol and C2 hydrocarbons behaviour, such as the ethane the ethylene and the acetylene, has been done to evaluate the performances. (A.L.B.)

Ebullitive methane emissions from oxygenated wetland streams

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, John T.; Stanley, Emily H.; Spawn, Seth A.; Finlay, Jacques C.; Striegl, Robert G.

2014-01-01

Stream and river carbon dioxide emissions are an important component of the global carbon cycle. Methane emissions from streams could also contribute to regional or global greenhouse gas cycling, but there are relatively few data regarding stream and river methane emissions. Furthermore, the available data do not typically include the ebullitive (bubble-mediated) pathway, instead focusing on emission of dissolved methane by diffusion or convection. Here, we show the importance of ebullitive methane emissions from small streams in the regional greenhouse gas balance of a lake and wetland-dominated landscape in temperate North America and identify the origin of the methane emitted from these well-oxygenated streams. Stream methane flux densities from this landscape tended to exceed those of nearby wetland diffusive fluxes as well as average global wetland ebullitive fluxes. Total stream ebullitive methane flux at the regional scale (103 Mg C yr−1; over 6400 km2) was of the same magnitude as diffusive methane flux previously documented at the same scale. Organic-rich stream sediments had the highest rates of bubble release and higher enrichment of methane in bubbles, but glacial sand sediments also exhibited high bubble emissions relative to other studied environments. Our results from a database of groundwater chemistry support the hypothesis that methane in bubbles is produced in anoxic near-stream sediment porewaters, and not in deeper, oxygenated groundwaters. Methane interacts with other key elemental cycles such as nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, which has implications for ecosystem changes such as drought and increased nutrient loading. Our results support the contention that streams, particularly those draining wetland landscapes of the northern hemisphere, are an important component of the global methane cycle.

Methane generated from graphite--tritium interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coffin, D.O.; Walthers, C.R.

1979-01-01

When hydrogen isotopes are separated by cryogenic distillation, as little as 1 ppM of methane will eventually plug the still as frost accumulates on the column packings. Elemental carbon exposed to tritium generates methane spontaneously, and yet some dry transfer pumps, otherwise compatible with tritium, convey the gas with graphite rotors. This study was to determine the methane production rate for graphite in tritium. A pump manufacturer supplied graphite samples that we exposed to tritium gas at 0.8 atm. After 137 days we measured a methane synthesis rate of 6 ng/h per cm 2 of graphite exposed. At this rate methane might grow to a concentration of 0.01 ppM when pure tritium is transferred once through a typical graphite--rotor transfer pump. Such a low methane level will not cause column blockage, even if the cryogenic still is operated continuously for many years

Methane emissions from MBT landfills

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heyer, K.-U., E-mail: heyer@ifas-hamburg.de; Hupe, K.; Stegmann, R.

2013-09-15

Highlights: • Compilation of methane generation potential of mechanical biological treated (MBT) municipal solid waste. • Impacts and kinetics of landfill gas production of MBT landfills, approach with differentiated half-lives. • Methane oxidation in the waste itself and in soil covers. • Estimation of methane emissions from MBT landfills in Germany. - Abstract: Within the scope of an investigation for the German Federal Environment Agency (“Umweltbundesamt”), the basics for the estimation of the methane emissions from the landfilling of mechanically and biologically treated waste (MBT) were developed. For this purpose, topical research including monitoring results regarding the gas balance at MBT landfills was evaluated. For waste treated to the required German standards, a methane formation potential of approximately 18–24 m{sup 3} CH{sub 4}/t of total dry solids may be expected. Monitoring results from MBT landfills show that a three-phase model with differentiated half-lives describes the degradation kinetics in the best way. This is due to the fact that during the first years of disposal, the anaerobic degradation processes still proceed relatively intensively. In addition in the long term (decades), a residual gas production at a low level is still to be expected. Most of the soils used in recultivation layer systems at German landfills show a relatively high methane oxidation capacity up to 5 l CH{sub 4}/(m{sup 2} h). However, measurements at MBT disposal sites indicate that the majority of the landfill gas (in particular at non-covered areas), leaves the landfill body via preferred gas emission zones (hot spots) without significant methane oxidation. Therefore, rather low methane oxidation factors are recommended for open and temporarily covered MBT landfills. Higher methane oxidation rates can be achieved when the soil/recultivation layer is adequately designed and operated. Based on the elaborated default values, the First Order Decay (FOD

Enhanced CO2 uptake at a shallow Arctic Ocean seep field overwhelms the positive warming potential of emitted methane.

Science.gov (United States)

Pohlman, John W; Greinert, Jens; Ruppel, Carolyn; Silyakova, Anna; Vielstädte, Lisa; Casso, Michael; Mienert, Jürgen; Bünz, Stefan

2017-05-23

Continued warming of the Arctic Ocean in coming decades is projected to trigger the release of teragrams (1 Tg = 10 6 tons) of methane from thawing subsea permafrost on shallow continental shelves and dissociation of methane hydrate on upper continental slopes. On the shallow shelves (shallow ebullitive methane seep field on the Svalbard margin reveal atmospheric CO 2 uptake rates (-33,300 ± 7,900 μmol m -2 ⋅d -1 ) twice that of surrounding waters and ∼1,900 times greater than the diffusive sea-air methane efflux (17.3 ± 4.8 μmol m -2 ⋅d -1 ). The negative radiative forcing expected from this CO 2 uptake is up to 231 times greater than the positive radiative forcing from the methane emissions. Surface water characteristics (e.g., high dissolved oxygen, high pH, and enrichment of 13 C in CO 2 ) indicate that upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water from near the seafloor accompanies methane emissions and stimulates CO 2 consumption by photosynthesizing phytoplankton. These findings challenge the widely held perception that areas characterized by shallow-water methane seeps and/or strongly elevated sea-air methane flux always increase the global atmospheric greenhouse gas burden.

Evidence for methane in Martian meteorites.

Science.gov (United States)

Blamey, Nigel J F; Parnell, John; McMahon, Sean; Mark, Darren F; Tomkinson, Tim; Lee, Martin; Shivak, Jared; Izawa, Matthew R M; Banerjee, Neil R; Flemming, Roberta L

2015-06-16

The putative occurrence of methane in the Martian atmosphere has had a major influence on the exploration of Mars, especially by the implication of active biology. The occurrence has not been borne out by measurements of atmosphere by the MSL rover Curiosity but, as on Earth, methane on Mars is most likely in the subsurface of the crust. Serpentinization of olivine-bearing rocks, to yield hydrogen that may further react with carbon-bearing species, has been widely invoked as a source of methane on Mars, but this possibility has not hitherto been tested. Here we show that some Martian meteorites, representing basic igneous rocks, liberate a methane-rich volatile component on crushing. The occurrence of methane in Martian rock samples adds strong weight to models whereby any life on Mars is/was likely to be resident in a subsurface habitat, where methane could be a source of energy and carbon for microbial activity.

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification is the dominant methane sink in a deep lake

Science.gov (United States)

Deutzmann, Joerg S.; Stief, Peter; Brandes, Josephin; Schink, Bernhard

2014-01-01

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification, also known as “nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation” (n-damo), was discovered in 2006. Since then, only a few studies have identified this process and the associated microorganisms in natural environments. In aquatic sediments, the close proximity of oxygen- and nitrate-consumption zones can mask n-damo as aerobic methane oxidation. We therefore investigated the vertical distribution and the abundance of denitrifying methanotrophs related to Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera with cultivation-independent molecular techniques in the sediments of Lake Constance. Additionally, the vertical distribution of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption zones was inferred from high-resolution microsensor profiles in undisturbed sediment cores. M. oxyfera-like bacteria were virtually absent at shallow-water sites (littoral sediment) and were very abundant at deep-water sites (profundal sediment). In profundal sediment, the vertical distribution of M. oxyfera-like bacteria showed a distinct peak in anoxic layers that coincided with the zone of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption, a strong indication for n-damo carried out by M. oxyfera-like bacteria. Both potential n-damo rates calculated from cell densities (660–4,890 µmol CH4⋅m−2⋅d−1) and actual rates calculated from microsensor profiles (31–437 µmol CH4⋅m−2⋅d−1) were sufficiently high to prevent methane release from profundal sediment solely by this process. Additionally, when nitrate was added to sediment cores exposed to anoxic conditions, the n-damo zone reestablished well below the sediment surface, completely preventing methane release from the sediment. We conclude that the previously overlooked n-damo process can be the major methane sink in stable freshwater environments if nitrate is available in anoxic zones. PMID:25472842

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification is the dominant methane sink in a deep lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Deutzmann, Joerg S; Stief, Peter; Brandes, Josephin; Schink, Bernhard

2014-12-23

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification, also known as "nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation" (n-damo), was discovered in 2006. Since then, only a few studies have identified this process and the associated microorganisms in natural environments. In aquatic sediments, the close proximity of oxygen- and nitrate-consumption zones can mask n-damo as aerobic methane oxidation. We therefore investigated the vertical distribution and the abundance of denitrifying methanotrophs related to Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera with cultivation-independent molecular techniques in the sediments of Lake Constance. Additionally, the vertical distribution of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption zones was inferred from high-resolution microsensor profiles in undisturbed sediment cores. M. oxyfera-like bacteria were virtually absent at shallow-water sites (littoral sediment) and were very abundant at deep-water sites (profundal sediment). In profundal sediment, the vertical distribution of M. oxyfera-like bacteria showed a distinct peak in anoxic layers that coincided with the zone of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption, a strong indication for n-damo carried out by M. oxyfera-like bacteria. Both potential n-damo rates calculated from cell densities (660-4,890 µmol CH4⋅m(-2)⋅d(-1)) and actual rates calculated from microsensor profiles (31-437 µmol CH4⋅m(-2)⋅d(-1)) were sufficiently high to prevent methane release from profundal sediment solely by this process. Additionally, when nitrate was added to sediment cores exposed to anoxic conditions, the n-damo zone reestablished well below the sediment surface, completely preventing methane release from the sediment. We conclude that the previously overlooked n-damo process can be the major methane sink in stable freshwater environments if nitrate is available in anoxic zones.

46 CFR 154.703 - Methane (LNG).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Methane (LNG). 154.703 Section 154.703 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SAFETY STANDARDS FOR... and Temperature Control § 154.703 Methane (LNG). Unless a cargo tank carrying methane (LNG) can...

National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 01 offshore India; gas hydrate systems as revealed by hydrocarbon gas geochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenson, Thomas; Collett, Timothy S.

2018-01-01

The National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 01 (NGHP-01) targeted gas hydrate accumulations offshore of the Indian Peninsula and along the Andaman convergent margin. The primary objectives of coring were to understand the geologic and geochemical controls on the accumulation of methane hydrate and their linkages to underlying petroleum systems. Four areas were investigated: 1) the Kerala-Konkan Basin in the eastern Arabian Sea, 2) the Mahanadi and 3) Krishna-Godavari Basins in the western Bay of Bengal, and 4) the Andaman forearc Basin in the Andaman Sea.Upward flux of methane at three of the four of the sites cored during NGHP-01 is apparent from the presence of seafloor mounds, seismic evidence for upward gas migration, shallow sub-seafloor geochemical evidence of methane oxidation, and near-seafloor gas composition that resembles gas from depth.The Kerala-Konkan Basin well contained only CO2 with no detectable hydrocarbons suggesting there is no gas hydrate system here. Gas and gas hydrate from the Krishna-Godavari Basin is mainly microbial methane with δ13C values ranging from −58.9 to −78.9‰, with small contributions from microbial ethane (−52.1‰) and CO2. Gas from the Mahanadi Basin was mainly methane with lower concentrations of C2-C5 hydrocarbons (C1/C2 ratios typically >1000) and CO2. Carbon isotopic compositions that ranged from −70.7 to −86.6‰ for methane and −62.9 to −63.7‰ for ethane are consistent with a microbial gas source; however deeper cores contained higher molecular weight hydrocarbon gases suggesting a small contribution from a thermogenic gas source. Gas composition in the Andaman Basin was mainly methane with lower concentrations of ethane to isopentane and CO2, C1/C2 ratios were mainly >1000 although deeper samples were compositions range from −65.2 to −80.7‰ for methane, −53.1 to −55.2‰ for ethane is consistent with mainly microbial gas sources, although one value recorded of −35.4‰ for propane

Fugitive Methane Emission Identification and Source Attribution: Ethane-to-Methane Analysis Using a Portable Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy Analyzer

Science.gov (United States)

Kim-Hak, D.; Fleck, D.

2017-12-01

Natural gas analysis and methane specifically have become increasingly important by virtue of methane's 28-36x greenhouse warming potential compared to CO2 and accounting for 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the US alone. Additionally, large uncontrolled leaks, such as the recent one from Aliso Canyon in Southern California, originating from uncapped wells, storage facilities and coal mines have increased the total global contribution of methane missions even further. Determining the specific fingerprint of methane sources by quantifying the ethane to methane (C2:C1) ratios provides us with means to understand processes yielding methane and allows for sources of methane to be mapped and classified through these processes; i.e. biogenic or thermogenic, oil vs. gas vs. coal gas-related. Here we present data obtained using a portable cavity ring-down spectrometry analyzer weighing less than 25 lbs and consuming less than 35W that simultaneously measures methane and ethane in real-time with a raw 1-σ precision of plane gas propagation.

Mechanistic insights into heterogeneous methane activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latimer, Allegra A.; Aljama, Hassan; Kakekhani, Arvin; Yoo, Jong Suk; Kulkarni, Ambarish

2017-01-01

While natural gas is an abundant chemical fuel, its low volumetric energy density has prompted a search for catalysts able to transform methane into more useful chemicals. This search has often been aided through the use of transition state (TS) scaling relationships, which estimate methane activation TS energies as a linear function of a more easily calculated descriptor, such as final state energy, thus avoiding tedious TS energy calculations. It has been shown that methane can be activated via a radical or surface-stabilized pathway, both of which possess a unique TS scaling relationship. Herein, we present a simple model to aid in the prediction of methane activation barriers on heterogeneous catalysts. Analogous to the universal radical TS scaling relationship introduced in a previous publication, we show that a universal TS scaling relationship that transcends catalysts classes also seems to exist for surface-stabilized methane activation if the relevant final state energy is used. We demonstrate that this scaling relationship holds for several reducible and irreducible oxides, promoted metals, and sulfides. By combining the universal scaling relationships for both radical and surface-stabilized methane activation pathways, we show that catalyst reactivity must be considered in addition to catalyst geometry to obtain an accurate estimation for the TS energy. Here, this model can yield fast and accurate predictions of methane activation barriers on a wide range of catalysts, thus accelerating the discovery of more active catalysts for methane conversion.

Supported Catalysts for CO2 Methanation: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrizia Frontera

2017-02-01

Full Text Available CO2 methanation is a well-known reaction that is of interest as a capture and storage (CCS process and as a renewable energy storage system based on a power-to-gas conversion process by substitute or synthetic natural gas (SNG production. Integrating water electrolysis and CO2 methanation is a highly effective way to store energy produced by renewables sources. The conversion of electricity into methane takes place via two steps: hydrogen is produced by electrolysis and converted to methane by CO2 methanation. The effectiveness and efficiency of power-to-gas plants strongly depend on the CO2 methanation process. For this reason, research on CO2 methanation has intensified over the last 10 years. The rise of active, selective, and stable catalysts is the core of the CO2 methanation process. Novel, heterogeneous catalysts have been tested and tuned such that the CO2 methanation process increases their productivity. The present work aims to give a critical overview of CO2 methanation catalyst production and research carried out in the last 50 years. The fundamentals of reaction mechanism, catalyst deactivation, and catalyst promoters, as well as a discussion of current and future developments in CO2 methanation, are also included.

Methane flux from boreal peatlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crill, P.; Bartlett, K.; Roulet, N.

1992-01-01

The peatlands in the boreal zone (roughly 45 deg - 60 degN) store a significant reservoir of carbon, much of which is potentially available for exchange with the atmosphere. The anaerobic conditions that cause these soils to accumulate carbon also makes wet, boreal peatlands significant sources of methane to the global troposphere. It is estimated that boreal wetlands contribute approximately 19.5 Tg methane per year. The data available on the magnitude of boreal methane emissions have rapidly accumulated in the past twenty years. This paper offers a short review of the flux measured (with range roughly 1 - 2000 mg methane/m2d), considers environmental controls of the flux and briefly discusses how climate change might affect future fluxes

Methane Migration and Its Influence on Sulfate Reduction in the Good Weather Ridge Region, South China Sea Continental Margin Sediments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saulwood Lin

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Bacteria sulfate reduction is a major pathway for organic carbon oxidation in marine sediments. Upward diffusion of methane from gas hydrate deep in the sedimentary strata might be another important source of carbon for sulfate reducing bacteria and subsequently induce higher rates of sulfate reduction in sediments. Since abundant gas may migrate upward to the surface as a result of tectonic activity occurring in the accretionary wedge, this study investigates the effect of methane migration on the sulfate reduction process in continental margin sediments offshore southwestern Taiwan. Piston and gravity core samples were taken in order to evaluate vertical and spatial variations of sulfate and methane. Pore water sulfate, sulfide, methane, sediment pyrite, and organic carbon were extracted and analyzed.

Biochemically enhanced methane production from coal

Science.gov (United States)

Opara, Aleksandra

For many years, biogas was connected mostly with the organic matter decomposition in shallow sediments (e.g., wetlands, landfill gas, etc.). Recently, it has been realized that biogenic methane production is ongoing in many hydrocarbon reservoirs. This research examined microbial methane and carbon dioxide generation from coal. As original contributions methane production from various coal materials was examined in classical and electro-biochemical bench-scale reactors using unique, developed facultative microbial consortia that generate methane under anaerobic conditions. Facultative methanogenic populations are important as all known methanogens are strict anaerobes and their application outside laboratory would be problematic. Additional testing examined the influence of environmental conditions, such as pH, salinity, and nutrient amendments on methane and carbon dioxide generation. In 44-day ex-situ bench-scale batch bioreactor tests, up to 300,000 and 250,000 ppm methane was generated from bituminous coal and bituminous coal waste respectively, a significant improvement over 20-40 ppm methane generated from control samples. Chemical degradation of complex hydrocarbons using environmentally benign reagents, prior to microbial biodegradation and methanogenesis, resulted in dissolution of up to 5% bituminous coal and bituminous coal waste and up to 25% lignite in samples tested. Research results confirm that coal waste may be a significant underutilized resource that could be converted to useful fuel. Rapid acidification of lignite samples resulted in low pH (below 4.0), regardless of chemical pretreatment applied, and did not generate significant methane amounts. These results confirmed the importance of monitoring and adjusting in situ and ex situ environmental conditions during methane production. A patented Electro-Biochemical Reactor technology was used to supply electrons and electron acceptor environments, but appeared to influence methane generation in a

Methane and Climate Change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reay, D.; Smith, P.; Amstel, van A.R.

2010-01-01

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and is estimated to be responsible for approximately one-fifth of man-made global warming. Per kilogram, it is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 100-year time horizon -- and global warming is likely to enhance methane release from a number of

Methane-induced Activation Mechanism of Fused Ferric Oxide-Alumina Catalysts during Methane Decomposition

KAUST Repository

Reddy Enakonda, Linga; Zhou, Lu; Saih, Youssef; Ould-Chikh, Samy; Lopatin, Sergei; Gary, Daniel; Del-Gallo, Pascal; Basset, Jean-Marie

2016-01-01

Activation of Fe2O3-Al2O3 with CH4 (instead of H2) is a meaningful method to achieve catalytic methane decomposition (CMD). This reaction of CMD is more economic and simple against commercial methane steam reforming (MSR) as it produces COx-free H2

Constraining the relationships between anaerobic oxidation of methane and sulfate reduction under in situ methane concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, G.; Wegener, G.; Joye, S. B.

2017-12-01

The anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is an important microbial metabolism in the global carbon cycle. In marine methane seeps sediment, this process is mediated by syntrophic consortium that includes anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Stoichiometrically in AOM methane oxidation should be coupled to sulfate reduction (SR) in a 1:1 ratio. However, weak coupling of AOM and SR in seep sediments was frequently observed from the ex situ rate measurements, and the metabolic dynamics of AOM and SR under in situ conditions remain poorly understood. Here we investigated the metabolic activity of AOM and SR with radiotracers by restoring in situ methane concentrations under pressure to constrain the in situ relationships between AOM and SR in the cold seep sediments of Gulf of Mexico as well as the sediment-free AOM enrichments cultivated from cold seep of Italian Island Elba or hydrothermal vent of Guaymas Basin5. Surprisingly, we found that AOM rates strongly exceeded those of SR when high pressures and methane concentrations were applied at seep sites of GC600 and GC767 in Gulf of Mexico. With the addition of molybdate, SR was inhibited but AOM was not affected, suggesting the potential coupling of AOM with other terminal processes. Amendments of nitrate, iron, manganese and AQDS to the SR-inhibited slurries did not stimulate or inhibit the AOM activity, indicating either those electron acceptors were not limiting for AOM in the sediments or AOM was coupled to other process (e.g., organic matter). In the ANME enrichments, higher AOM rates were also observed with the addition of high concentrations of methane (10mM and 50 mM). The tracer transfer of CO2 to methane, i.e., the back reaction of AOM, increased with increasing methane concentrations and accounted for 1%-5% of the AOM rates. AOM rates at 10 mM and 50 mM methane concentration were much higher than the SR rates, suggesting those two processes were not tightly coupled

Two-Dimensional Layered Double Hydroxides for Reactions of Methanation and Methane Reforming in C1 Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Panpan; Yu, Feng; Altaf, Naveed; Zhu, Mingyuan; Li, Jiangbing; Dai, Bin; Wang, Qiang

2018-01-31

CH₄ as the paramount ingredient of natural gas plays an eminent role in C1 chemistry. CH₄ catalytically converted to syngas is a significant route to transmute methane into high value-added chemicals. Moreover, the CO/CO₂ methanation reaction is one of the potent technologies for CO₂ valorization and the coal-derived natural gas production process. Due to the high thermal stability and high extent of dispersion of metallic particles, two-dimensional mixed metal oxides through calcined layered double hydroxides (LDHs) precursors are considered as the suitable supports or catalysts for both the reaction of methanation and methane reforming. The LDHs displayed compositional flexibility, small crystal sizes, high surface area and excellent basic properties. In this paper, we review previous works of LDHs applied in the reaction of both methanation and methane reforming, focus on the LDH-derived catalysts, which exhibit better catalytic performance and thermal stability than conventional catalysts prepared by impregnation method and also discuss the anti-coke ability and anti-sintering ability of LDH-derived catalysts. We believe that LDH-derived catalysts are promising materials in the heterogeneous catalytic field and provide new insight for the design of advance LDH-derived catalysts worthy of future research.

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification is the dominant methane sink in a deep lake

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deutzmann, Joerg S.; Stief, Peter; Brandes, Josephin

2014-01-01

Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification, also known as “nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation” (n-damo), was discovered in 2006. Since then, only a few studies have identified this process and the associated microorganisms in natural environments. In aquatic sediments......, the close proximity of oxygen- and nitrate-consumption zones can mask n-damo as aerobic methane oxidation. We therefore investigated the vertical distribution and the abundance of denitrifying methanotrophs related to Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera with cultivation-independent molecular techniques...... in the sediments of Lake Constance. Additionally, the vertical distribution of methane oxidation and nitrate consumption zones was inferred from high-resolution microsensor profiles in undisturbed sediment cores. M. oxyfera-like bacteria were virtually absent at shallow-water sites (littoral sediment) and were...

Methane Feedbacks to the Global Climate System in a Warmer World

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Joshua F.; Middelburg, Jack J.; Röckmann, Thomas; Aerts, Rien; Blauw, Luke G.; Egger, Matthias; Jetten, Mike S. M.; de Jong, Anniek E. E.; Meisel, Ove H.; Rasigraf, Olivia; Slomp, Caroline P.; in't Zandt, Michiel H.; Dolman, A. J.

2018-03-01

Methane (CH4) is produced in many natural systems that are vulnerable to change under a warming climate, yet current CH4 budgets, as well as future shifts in CH4 emissions, have high uncertainties. Climate change has the potential to increase CH4 emissions from critical systems such as wetlands, marine and freshwater systems, permafrost, and methane hydrates, through shifts in temperature, hydrology, vegetation, landscape disturbance, and sea level rise. Increased CH4 emissions from these systems would in turn induce further climate change, resulting in a positive climate feedback. Here we synthesize biological, geochemical, and physically focused CH4 climate feedback literature, bringing together the key findings of these disciplines. We discuss environment-specific feedback processes, including the microbial, physical, and geochemical interlinkages and the timescales on which they operate, and present the current state of knowledge of CH4 climate feedbacks in the immediate and distant future. The important linkages between microbial activity and climate warming are discussed with the aim to better constrain the sensitivity of the CH4 cycle to future climate predictions. We determine that wetlands will form the majority of the CH4 climate feedback up to 2100. Beyond this timescale, CH4 emissions from marine and freshwater systems and permafrost environments could become more important. Significant CH4 emissions to the atmosphere from the dissociation of methane hydrates are not expected in the near future. Our key findings highlight the importance of quantifying whether CH4 consumption can counterbalance CH4 production under future climate scenarios.

Enteric Methane Emission from Pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Henry; Theil, Peter Kappel; Knudsen, Knud Erik Bach

2011-01-01

per kg meat produced is increased (Fernández et al. 1983; Lekule et al. 1990). The present chapter will summarise our current knowledge concerning dietary and enteric fermentation that may influence the methane (CH4) emission in pigs. Enteric fermentation is the digestive process by which.......3 % of the worlds pig population. The main number of pigs is in Asia (59.6 %) where the main pig population stay in China (47.8 % of the worlds pig population). The objective of the chapter is therefore: To obtain a general overview of the pigs’ contribution to methane emission. Where is the pigs’ enteric gas...... produced and how is it measured. The variation in methane emission and factors affecting the emission. Possibility for reducing the enteric methane emission and the consequences....

Catalytic aromatization of methane.

Science.gov (United States)

Spivey, James J; Hutchings, Graham

2014-02-07

Recent developments in natural gas production technology have led to lower prices for methane and renewed interest in converting methane to higher value products. Processes such as those based on syngas from methane reforming are being investigated. Another option is methane aromatization, which produces benzene and hydrogen: 6CH4(g) → C6H6(g) + 9H2(g) ΔG°(r) = +433 kJ mol(-1) ΔH°(r) = +531 kJ mol(-1). Thermodynamic calculations for this reaction show that benzene formation is insignificant below ∼600 °C, and that the formation of solid carbon [C(s)] is thermodynamically favored at temperatures above ∼300 °C. Benzene formation is insignificant at all temperatures up to 1000 °C when C(s) is included in the calculation of equilibrium composition. Interestingly, the thermodynamic limitation on benzene formation can be minimized by the addition of alkanes/alkenes to the methane feed. By far the most widely studied catalysts for this reaction are Mo/HZSM-5 and Mo/MCM-22. Benzene selectivities are generally between 60 and 80% at methane conversions of ∼10%, corresponding to net benzene yields of less than 10%. Major byproducts include lower molecular weight hydrocarbons and higher molecular weight substituted aromatics. However, carbon formation is inevitable, but the experimental findings show this can be kinetically limited by the use of H2 or oxidants in the feed, including CO2 or steam. A number of reactor configurations involving regeneration of the carbon-containing catalyst have been developed with the goal of minimizing the cost of regeneration of the catalyst once deactivated by carbon deposition. In this tutorial review we discuss the thermodynamics of this process, the catalysts used and the potential reactor configurations that can be applied.

Direct Aromaization of Methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

George Marcelin

1997-01-15

The thermal decomposition of methane offers significant potential as a means of producing higher unsaturated and aromatic hydrocarbons when the extent of reaction is limited. Work in the literature previous to this project had shown that cooling the product and reacting gases as the reaction proceeds would significantly reduce or eliminate the formation of solid carbon or heavier (Clo+) materials. This project studied the effect and optimization of the quenching process as a means of increasing the amount of value added products during the pyrolysis of methane. A reactor was designed to rapidly quench the free-radical combustion reaction so as to maximize the yield of aromatics. The use of free-radical generators and catalysts were studied as a means of lowering the reaction temperature. A lower reaction temperature would have the benefits of more rapid quenching as well as a more feasible commercial process due to savings realized in energy and material of construction costs. It was the goal of the project to identify promising routes from methane to higher hydrocarbons based on the pyrolysis of methane.

Agricultural methanization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

After having briefly outlined the interest of the development of methanization of agricultural by-products in the context of struggle against climate change, and noticed that France is only now developing this sector as some other countries already did, this publication describes the methanization process also called anaerobic digestion, which produces a digestate and biogas. Advantages for the agriculture sector are outlined, as well as drawbacks and recommendations (required specific technical abilities, an attention to the use of energetic crops, an improved economic balance which still depends on public subsidies, competition in the field of waste processing). Actions undertaken by the ADEME are briefly evoked

Low-Altitude Aerial Methane Concentration Mapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bara J. Emran

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Detection of leaks of fugitive greenhouse gases (GHGs from landfills and natural gas infrastructure is critical for not only their safe operation but also for protecting the environment. Current inspection practices involve moving a methane detector within the target area by a person or vehicle. This procedure is dangerous, time consuming, labor intensive and above all unavailable when access to the desired area is limited. Remote sensing by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV equipped with a methane detector is a cost-effective and fast method for methane detection and monitoring, especially for vast and remote areas. This paper describes the integration of an off-the-shelf laser-based methane detector into a multi-rotor UAV and demonstrates its efficacy in generating an aerial methane concentration map of a landfill. The UAV flies a preset flight path measuring methane concentrations in a vertical air column between the UAV and the ground surface. Measurements were taken at 10 Hz giving a typical distance between measurements of 0.2 m when flying at 2 m/s. The UAV was set to fly at 25 to 30 m above the ground. We conclude that besides its utility in landfill monitoring, the proposed method is ready for other environmental applications as well as the inspection of natural gas infrastructure that can release methane with much higher concentrations.

The Extent of CH4 Emission and Oxidation in Thermogenic and Biogenic Gas Hydrate Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Kastner, M.; Solem, C.; Bartlett, D.; MacDonald, I.; Valentine, D.

2003-12-01

The role of methane hydrate in the global methane budget is poorly understood, because relatively little is known about the transport of gaseous and dissolved methane through the seafloor into the ocean, from the water column into the atmosphere, and the extent of water-column methanotrophy that occurs en route. We characterize the transport and consumption of methane in three distinct gas hydrate environments, spanning the spectrum of thermogenic and biogenic methane occurrences: Bush Hill in the Gulf of Mexico, Eel River off the coast of Northern California, and the Noth and South Hydrate Ridges on the Cascadia Oregon margin. At all the sites studied a significant enrichment in δ 13CH4 with distance along isopycnals away from the methane source is observed, indicative of extensive aerobic bacterial methane oxidation in the water column. The effects of this process are principally pronounced in the mostly biogenic methane setting, with δ 13C-CH4 measured as high as -12 permil (PDB) between North and South Hydrate Ridge. The δ 13C-CH4 values ranged from -12 to -67 permil at Hydrate Ridge, -34 to -52 permil at Eel River, and -41 to -49 permil at Bush Hill. The large variation in methane carbon isotope ranges between the sites suggest that major differences exist in both the rates of aerobic methane oxidation and system openness at the studied locations. A mean kinetic isotope fractionation factor is being determined using a closed-system Rayleigh distillation model. An approximate regional methane flux from the ocean into the atmosphere is being estimated for the Gulf of Mexico, by extrapolation of the flux value from the Bush Hill methane plume over 390 plume locations having persistent oil slicks on the ocean surface, mapped by time series satellite data.

Recent advances in methane activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huuska, M; Kataja, K [VTT Chemical Technology, Espoo (Finland)

1997-12-31

Considerable work has been done in the research and development of methane conversion technologies. Although some promising conversion processes have been demonstrated, further advances in engineering and also in the chemistry are needed before these technologies become commercial. High-temperature processes, e.g. the oxidative coupling of methane, studied thoroughly during the last 15 years, suffer from severe theoretical yield limits and poor economics. In the long term, the most promising approaches seem to be the organometallic and, especially, the biomimetic activation of methane. (author) (22 refs.)

Recent advances in methane activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huuska, M.; Kataja, K. [VTT Chemical Technology, Espoo (Finland)

1996-12-31

Considerable work has been done in the research and development of methane conversion technologies. Although some promising conversion processes have been demonstrated, further advances in engineering and also in the chemistry are needed before these technologies become commercial. High-temperature processes, e.g. the oxidative coupling of methane, studied thoroughly during the last 15 years, suffer from severe theoretical yield limits and poor economics. In the long term, the most promising approaches seem to be the organometallic and, especially, the biomimetic activation of methane. (author) (22 refs.)

Methane hydroxylation: a biomimetic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shilov, Aleksandr E; Shteinman, Al'bert A

2012-01-01

The review addresses direct methane oxidation — an important fundamental problem, which has attracted much attention of researchers in recent years. Analysis of the available results on biomimetic and bio-inspired methane oxygenation has demonstrated that assimilating of the experience of Nature on oxidation of methane and other alkanes significantly enriches the arsenal of chemistry and can radically change the character of the entire chemical production, as well as enables the solution of many material, energetic and environmental problems. The bibliography includes 310 references.

Top-down constraints on methane and non-methane hydrocarbon emissions in the US Four Corners

Science.gov (United States)

Petron, G.; Miller, B. R.; Vaughn, B. H.; Kofler, J.; Mielke-Maday, I.; Sherwood, O.; Schwietzke, S.; Conley, S.; Sweeney, C.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; White, A. B.; Tans, P. P.; Schnell, R. C.

2017-12-01

A NASA and NOAA supported field campaign took place in the US Four Corners in April 2015 to further investigate a regional "methane hotspot" detected from space. The Four Corners region is home to the fossil fuel rich San Juan Basin, which extends between SE Colorado and NE New Mexico. The area has been extracting coal, oil and natural gas for decades. Degassing from the Fruitland coal outcrop on the Colorado side has also been reported. Instrumented aircraft, vans and ground based wind profilers were deployed for the campaign with the goal to quantify and attribute methane and non-methane hydrocarbon emissions in the region. A new comprehensive analysis of the campaign data sets will be presented and top-down emission estimates for methane and ozone precursors will be compared with available bottom-up estimates.

Methane production from cheese whey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, J Q; Liao, P H; Lo, K V

1988-01-01

Cheese whey was treated in a 17.5-litre laboratory-scale up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor operated over a range of hydraulic retention times and organic loading rates. The reactor performance was determined in terms of methane production, volatile fatty acids conversion and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction. At a constant influent strength, the methane production rate decreased with decreasing hydraulic retention time. At constant hydraulic retention time the methane production rate increased as the influent strength was increased up to a concentration of 28.8 g COD litre/sup -1/. The methane production rate was similar for two influent concentrations studied at hydraulic retention times longer than 10 days. The effect of short hydraulic retention times on methane production rate was more pronounced for the higher influent concentration than for the lower influent concentration. The highest methane production rate of 9.57 litres CH/sub 4/ litre/sup -1/ feed day/sup -1/ was obtained at a loading rate of 5.96 g/sup -1/ COD litre/sup -1/ and an influent concentration of 28.8 g COD litre/sup -1/. A high treatment efficiency in terms of chemical oxygen demand reduction was obtained. In general, over 98% removal of chemical oxygen demand was achieved. The results indicated that anaerobic digestion of cheese whey using an upflow sludge blanket reactor could reduce pollution strength and produce energy for a cheese plant.

The California Baseline Methane Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Duren, R. M.; Thorpe, A. K.; Hopkins, F. M.; Rafiq, T.; Bue, B. D.; Prasad, K.; Mccubbin, I.; Miller, C. E.

2017-12-01

The California Baseline Methane Survey is the first systematic, statewide assessment of methane point source emissions. The objectives are to reduce uncertainty in the state's methane budget and to identify emission mitigation priorities for state and local agencies, utilities and facility owners. The project combines remote sensing of large areas with airborne imaging spectroscopy and spatially resolved bottom-up data sets to detect, quantify and attribute emissions from diverse sectors including agriculture, waste management, oil and gas production and the natural gas supply chain. Phase 1 of the project surveyed nearly 180,000 individual facilities and infrastructure components across California in 2016 - achieving completeness rates ranging from 20% to 100% per emission sector at < 5 meters spatial resolution. Additionally, intensive studies of key areas and sectors were performed to assess source persistence and variability at times scales ranging from minutes to months. Phase 2 of the project continues with additional data collection in Spring and Fall 2017. We describe the survey design and measurement, modeling and analysis methods. We present initial findings regarding the spatial, temporal and sectoral distribution of methane point source emissions in California and their estimated contribution to the state's total methane budget. We provide case-studies and lessons learned about key sectors including examples where super-emitters were identified and mitigated. We summarize challenges and recommendations for future methane research, inventories and mitigation guidance within and beyond California.

Crenothrix are major methane consumers in stratified lakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Oswald, Kirsten; Graf, Jon S; Littmann, Sten; Tienken, Daniela; Brand, Andreas; Wehrli, Bernhard; Albertsen, Mads; Daims, Holger; Wagner, Michael; Kuypers, Marcel Mm; Schubert, Carsten J; Milucka, Jana

2017-09-01

Methane-oxidizing bacteria represent a major biological sink for methane and are thus Earth's natural protection against this potent greenhouse gas. Here we show that in two stratified freshwater lakes a substantial part of upward-diffusing methane was oxidized by filamentous gamma-proteobacteria related to Crenothrix polyspora. These filamentous bacteria have been known as contaminants of drinking water supplies since 1870, but their role in the environmental methane removal has remained unclear. While oxidizing methane, these organisms were assigned an 'unusual' methane monooxygenase (MMO), which was only distantly related to 'classical' MMO of gamma-proteobacterial methanotrophs. We now correct this assignment and show that Crenothrix encode a typical gamma-proteobacterial PmoA. Stable isotope labeling in combination swith single-cell imaging mass spectrometry revealed methane-dependent growth of the lacustrine Crenothrix with oxygen as well as under oxygen-deficient conditions. Crenothrix genomes encoded pathways for the respiration of oxygen as well as for the reduction of nitrate to N 2 O. The observed abundance and planktonic growth of Crenothrix suggest that these methanotrophs can act as a relevant biological sink for methane in stratified lakes and should be considered in the context of environmental removal of methane.

Impact of Peat Mining and Restoration on Methane Turnover Potential and Methane-Cycling Microorganisms in a Northern Bog.

Science.gov (United States)

Reumer, Max; Harnisz, Monika; Lee, Hyo Jung; Reim, Andreas; Grunert, Oliver; Putkinen, Anuliina; Fritze, Hannu; Bodelier, Paul L E; Ho, Adrian

2018-02-01

Ombrotrophic peatlands are a recognized global carbon reservoir. Without restoration and peat regrowth, harvested peatlands are dramatically altered, impairing their carbon sink function, with consequences for methane turnover. Previous studies determined the impact of commercial mining on the physicochemical properties of peat and the effects on methane turnover. However, the response of the underlying microbial communities catalyzing methane production and oxidation have so far received little attention. We hypothesize that with the return of Sphagnum spp. postharvest, methane turnover potential and the corresponding microbial communities will converge in a natural and restored peatland. To address our hypothesis, we determined the potential methane production and oxidation rates in natural (as a reference), actively mined, abandoned, and restored peatlands over two consecutive years. In all sites, the methanogenic and methanotrophic population sizes were enumerated using quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays targeting the mcrA and pmoA genes, respectively. Shifts in the community composition were determined using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the mcrA gene and a pmoA -based terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (t-RFLP) analysis, complemented by cloning and sequence analysis of the mmoX gene. Peat mining adversely affected methane turnover potential, but the rates recovered in the restored site. The recovery in potential activity was reflected in the methanogenic and methanotrophic abundances. However, the microbial community composition was altered, being more pronounced for the methanotrophs. Overall, we observed a lag between the recovery of the methanogenic/methanotrophic activity and the return of the corresponding microbial communities, suggesting that a longer duration (>15 years) is needed to reverse mining-induced effects on the methane-cycling microbial communities. IMPORTANCE Ombrotrophic peatlands are a crucial carbon sink, but this environment

National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 01 offshore India; gas hydrate systems as revealed by hydrocarbon gas geochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenson, Thomas; Collett, Timothy S.

2018-01-01

The National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 01 (NGHP-01) targeted gas hydrate accumulations offshore of the Indian Peninsula and along the Andaman convergent margin. The primary objectives of coring were to understand the geologic and geochemical controls on the accumulation of methane hydrate and their linkages to underlying petroleum systems. Four areas were investigated: 1) the Kerala-Konkan Basin in the eastern Arabian Sea, 2) the Mahanadi and 3) Krishna-Godavari Basins in the western Bay of Bengal, and 4) the Andaman forearc Basin in the Andaman Sea.Upward flux of methane at three of the four of the sites cored during NGHP-01 is apparent from the presence of seafloor mounds, seismic evidence for upward gas migration, shallow sub-seafloor geochemical evidence of methane oxidation, and near-seafloor gas composition that resembles gas from depth.The Kerala-Konkan Basin well contained only CO2 with no detectable hydrocarbons suggesting there is no gas hydrate system here. Gas and gas hydrate from the Krishna-Godavari Basin is mainly microbial methane with δ13C values ranging from −58.9 to −78.9‰, with small contributions from microbial ethane (−52.1‰) and CO2. Gas from the Mahanadi Basin was mainly methane with lower concentrations of C2-C5 hydrocarbons (C1/C2 ratios typically >1000) and CO2. Carbon isotopic compositions that ranged from −70.7 to −86.6‰ for methane and −62.9 to −63.7‰ for ethane are consistent with a microbial gas source; however deeper cores contained higher molecular weight hydrocarbon gases suggesting a small contribution from a thermogenic gas source. Gas composition in the Andaman Basin was mainly methane with lower concentrations of ethane to isopentane and CO2, C1/C2 ratios were mainly >1000 although deeper samples were exploration and occurs in a forearc basin. Each of these hydrate-bearing systems overlies and is likely supported by the presence and possible migration of gas from deeper gas-prone petroleum

Numerical Simulations for Enhanced Methane Recovery from Gas Hydrate Accumulations by Utilizing CO2 Sequestration

Science.gov (United States)

Sridhara, Prathyusha

transport properties with change in pressure and temperature due to the presence of the simple CO2-hydrate and mixed hydrates (mainly CH4-CO2 hydrate and CH4 -CO2-N2 hydrate) in the porous geologic media. These simulations on CO2/ CH4-CO2 hydrate reservoirs provided a basic insight to formulate and interpret a novel technological approach. This approach aims at prediction of enhanced gas production profiles from Class 2 hydrate accumulations by utilizing CO2 sequestration. The approach also offers a possibility to permanently store CO 2 in the geologic formation to a greater extent compared to a direct injection of CO2 into gas hydrate sediments. The production technique implies a three-stage approach using one vertical well design. In Stage I, the CO2 is injected into the underlying aquifer. In Stage II, the well is shut in and injected CO2 is allowed to be converted into immobile CO2 hydrate. Finally, during Stage III, decomposition of CH4 hydrate is induced by the depressurization method. The gas production potential is estimated over 15 years. The results reveal that methane production is increased together with simultaneous reduction of concomitant water production rate comparing to a conventional Class 2 reservoir production.

Differentiation of pre-existing trapped methane from thermogenic methane in an igneous-intruded coal by hydrous pyrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Robert F.; Lewan, Michael D.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Kotarba, Maciej J.

2014-01-01

So as to better understand how the gas generation potential of coal changes with increasing rank, same-seam samples of bituminous coal from the Illinois Basin that were naturally matured to varying degrees by the intrusion of an igneous dike were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis (HP) conditions of 360 °C for 72 h. The accumulated methane in the reactor headspace was analyzed for δ13C and δ2H, and mol percent composition. Maximum methane production (9.7 mg/g TOC) occurred in the most immature samples (0.5 %Ro), waning to minimal methane values at 2.44 %Ro (0.67 mg/g TOC), and rebounding to 3.6 mg/g TOC methane in the most mature sample (6.76 %Ro). Methane from coal with the highest initial thermal maturity (6.76 %Ro) shows no isotopic dependence on the reactor water and has a microbial δ13C value of −61‰. However, methane from coal of minimal initial thermal maturity (0.5 %Ro) shows hydrogen isotopic dependence on the reaction water and has a δ13C value of −37‰. The gas released from coals under hydrous pyrolysis conditions represents a quantifiable mixture of ancient (270 Ma) methane (likely microbial) that was generated in situ and trapped within the rock during the rapid heating by the dike, and modern (laboratory) thermogenic methane that was generated from the indigenous organic matter due to thermal maturation induced by hydrous pyrolysis conditions. These findings provide an analytical framework for better assessment of natural gas sources and for differentiating generated gas from pre-existing trapped gas in coals of various ranks.

Status and potential of bio-methane fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

This document first indicates and describes the various bio-methane production processes which can be implemented on a short term (use of organic wastes or effluents), on a medium term (from energetic crops) and on a longer term (gasification). It discusses and assesses the potential production of bio-methane fuel from different sources and processes. It describes the steps of the production of bio-methane fuel from biogas, with notably biogas refinement to produce bio-methane through three processes (de-carbonation, desulfurization, dehydration). Cost productions are assessed. Expected technology advances are evoked. Finally, the authors outline the contribution of bio-methane in the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector

SAES St 909 pilot scale methane cracking tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, J. E.; Sessions, H. T.

2008-01-01

Pilot scale (0.5 kg) SAES St 909 methane cracking tests were conducted for potential tritium process applications. Up to 1400 hours tests were done at 700 deg.C, 202.7 kPa (1520 torr) with a 0.03 sLPM feed of methane plus impurities, in a 20 vol% hydrogen, balance helium, stream. Carbon dioxide gettered by St 909 can be equated to an equivalent amount of methane gettered, but equating nitrogen to an equivalent amount of methane was nitrogen feed composition dependent. A decreased hydrogen feed increased methane getter rates while a 30 deg.C drop in one furnace zone increased methane emissions by over a factor of 30. The impact of gettered nitrogen can be somewhat minimized if nitrogen feed to the bed has been stopped and sufficient time given to recover the methane cracking rate. (authors)

Methane emission reduction: an application of FUND

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tol, R.S.J.; Heintz, R.J.; Lammers, P.E.M.

2003-01-01

Methane is, after carbon dioxide, the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas. Governments plan to abate methane emissions. A crude set of estimates of reduction costs is included in FUND, an integrated assessment model of climate change. In a cost-benefit analysis, methane emission reduction is

Bio-methane via fast pyrolysis of biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Görling, Martin; Larsson, Mårten; Alvfors, Per

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Pyrolysis gases can efficiently be upgraded to bio-methane. ► The integration can increase energy efficiency and provide a renewable vehicle fuel. ► The biomass to bio-methane conversion efficiency is 83% (HHV). ► The efficiency is higher compared to bio-methane produced via gasification. ► Competitive alternative to other alternatives of bio-oil upgrading. - Abstract: Bio-methane, a renewable vehicle fuel, is today produced by anaerobic digestion and a 2nd generation production route via gasification is under development. This paper proposes a poly-generation plant that produces bio-methane, bio-char and heat via fast pyrolysis of biomass. The energy and material flows for the fuel synthesis are calculated by process simulation in Aspen Plus®. The production of bio-methane and bio-char amounts to 15.5 MW and 3.7 MW, when the total inputs are 23 MW raw biomass and 1.39 MW electricity respectively (HHV basis). The results indicate an overall efficiency of 84% including high-temperature heat and the biomass to bio-methane yield amounts to 83% after allocation of the biomass input to the final products (HHV basis). The overall energy efficiency is higher for the suggested plant than for the gasification production route and is therefore a competitive route for bio-methane production

Paradox reconsidered: Methane oversaturation in well-oxygenated lake waters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tang, Kam W.; McGinnis, Daniel F.; Frindte, Katharina

2014-01-01

The widely reported paradox of methane oversaturation in oxygenated water challenges the prevailing paradigm that microbial methanogenesis only occurs under anoxic conditions. Using a combination of field sampling, incubation experiments, and modeling, we show that the recurring mid-water methane...... peak in Lake Stechlin, northeast Germany, was not dependent on methane input from the littoral zone or bottom sediment or on the presence of known micro-anoxic zones. The methane peak repeatedly overlapped with oxygen oversaturation in the seasonal thermocline. Incubation experiments and isotope...... analysis indicated active methane production, which was likely linked to photosynthesis and/or nitrogen fixation within the oxygenated water, whereas lessening of methane oxidation by light allowed accumulation of methane in the oxygen-rich upper layer. Estimated methane efflux from the surface water...

The determination of methane resources from liquidated coal mines

Science.gov (United States)

Trenczek, Stanisław

2017-11-01

The article refers to methane presented in hard coal seams, which may pose a serious risk to workers, as evidenced by examples of incidents, and may also be a high energy source. That second issue concerns the possibility of obtaining methane from liquidated coal mines. There is discussed the current methodology for determination of methane resources from hard coal deposits. Methods of assessing methane emissions from hard coal deposits are given, including the degree of rock mass fracture, which is affected and not affected by mining. Additional criteria for methane recovery from the methane deposit are discussed by one example (of many types) of methane power generation equipment in the context of the estimation of potential viable resources. Finally, the concept of “methane resource exploitation from coal mine” refers to the potential for exploitation of the resource and the acquisition of methane for business purposes.

30 CFR 75.323 - Actions for excessive methane.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Actions for excessive methane. 75.323 Section... excessive methane. (a) Location of tests. Tests for methane concentrations under this section shall be made.... (1) When 1.0 percent or more methane is present in a working place or an intake air course, including...

Experimental hydrate formation and gas production scenarios based on CO{sub 2} sequestration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stevens, J.C.; Howard, J.J. [ConocoPhillips, Bartlesville, OK (United States). Reservoir Laboratories; Baldwin, B.A. [Green Country Petrophysics LLC, Dewey, OK (United States); Ersland, G.; Husebo, J.; Graue, A. [Bergen Univ., Bergen (Norway). Dept. of Physics and Technology

2008-07-01

Gas hydrate production strategies have focused on depressurization or thermal stimulation of the reservoir, which in turn leads to hydrate dissociation. In order to evaluate potential production scenarios, the recovery efficiency of the natural gas from hydrate must be known along with the corresponding amounts of produced water. This study focused on the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) with the natural gas hydrate and the subsequent release of free methane (CH{sub 4}). Laboratory experiments that investigated the rates and mechanisms of hydrate formation in coarse-grained porous media have shown the significance of initial water saturation and salinity on forming methane hydrates. Many of the experiments were performed in a sample holder fitted with an MRI instrument for monitoring hydrate formation. Hydrate-saturated samples were subjected to different procedures to release methane. The rates and efficiency of the exchange process were reproducible over a series of initial conditions. The exchange process was rapid and efficient in that no free water was observed in the core with MRI measurements. Injection of CO{sub 2} into the whole-core hydrate-saturated pore system resulted in methane production at the outlet end. Permeability measurements on these hydrate saturated cores during hydrate formation decreased to low values, but enough for gas transport. The lower permeability values remained constant during the methane-carbon dioxide exchange process in the hydrate structure. 12 refs., 9 figs.

Direct observation of characteristic dissociation behaviors of hydrate-bearing cores by rapid-scanning X-ray CT imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ebinuma, T.; Oyama, H.; Utiumi, T.; Nagao, J.; Narita, H. [National Inst. of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Toyohiraku, Sapporo (Japan)

2008-07-01

Methane hydrate has significant potential as a new source of energy. Major considerations in developing production methods of methane from hydrates are the fundamental properties of hydrate-bearing sediments, and the dissociation behavior of methane hydrate and the gas and water flow generated by its dissociation in sediments. Marine methane hydrates occur several hundred meters below the sea floor, in a variety of forms. The pore-space filling-type is considered to be the most suited to exploitation, as it is contained within the pore spaces of sandy sediments, and has relatively larger gas permeability compared to other forms. However, shallow sandy sediments are not usually consolidated, and methane hydrate is unstable at normal pressure and temperature. Therefore, common methods are not suitable, and new experimental methods have been developed to study the properties of hydrate-bearing sediment and its dissociation process. This paper presented the results of an experimental study involving the dissociation of artificial methane-hydrate-bearing sediments. The experiment was performed using X-ray computed tomography in order to directly observe dissociation behavior in the sediments and the gas and water flows generated by dissociation. The paper described the depressurization process and presented a schematic diagram of rapid scanning X-ray computed tomography scanner and core holder with tri-axial structure. The experimental apparatus for dissociation of methane hydrate was also illustrated. The thermal stimulation process and hot water injection process were explained. It was concluded that dissociation by depressurization demonstrated that the temperature reduction induced by depressurization depended on the phase equilibrium state of methane hydrate, and that dissociation preferentially occurred at the periphery of the core. This behavior was due to the heat flux from the outside of the core, where the heat flux controlled the dissociation rate. 10 refs

methanization of organic matters. Guide for project developers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-02-01

This document aims at informing potential project developers (farmers, local communities, industrials) all along the creation of a methanization unit. It precisely indicates administrative procedures required to complete a project. It first presents some generalities about methanization (matters and their performance, methanization cycle, biogas), describes methanization processes (dry and humid), and valorisation processes (co-generation, hot water production, gas injection into the public network), presents digestate characteristics, and discusses benefits and drawbacks of methanization. The different steps of a project management are then analysed. Additional procedures are indicated, and risks and traps of methanization projects are highlighted. The document comes along with a large number of appendices which can be documents released by professional or public bodies

International Methane Partnership Fighting Climate Change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

Due to the growth of international attention on the problem of climate change combined with the attractiveness of methane mitigation technologies, the capture and use of methane in agriculture, coal mines, landfills, and the oil and gas sector has increasingly become popular over the past few years. Highlighting this, several countries hosted the international 'Methane to Market' Partnership Conference and Exposition in October 2007 in Beijing, China.

Methane production from acid hydrolysates of Agave tequilana bagasse: evaluation of hydrolysis conditions and methane yield.

Science.gov (United States)

Arreola-Vargas, Jorge; Ojeda-Castillo, Valeria; Snell-Castro, Raúl; Corona-González, Rosa Isela; Alatriste-Mondragón, Felipe; Méndez-Acosta, Hugo O

2015-04-01

Evaluation of diluted acid hydrolysis for sugar extraction from cooked and uncooked Agave tequilana bagasse and feasibility of using the hydrolysates as substrate for methane production, with and without nutrient addition, in anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (AnSBR) were studied. Results showed that the hydrolysis over the cooked bagasse was more effective for sugar extraction at the studied conditions. Total sugars concentration in the cooked and uncooked bagasse hydrolysates were 27.9 g/L and 18.7 g/L, respectively. However, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was detected in the cooked bagasse hydrolysate, and therefore, the uncooked bagasse hydrolysate was selected as substrate for methane production. Interestingly, results showed that the AnSBR operated without nutrient addition obtained a constant methane production (0.26 L CH4/g COD), whereas the AnSBR operated with nutrient addition presented a gradual methane suppression. Molecular analyses suggested that methane suppression in the experiment with nutrient addition was due to a negative effect over the archaeal/bacterial ratio. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Methane yield enhancement via electroporation of organic waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Safavi, Seyedeh Masoumeh; Unnthorsson, Runar

2017-08-01

An experimental study with pulsed electric field (PEF) pre-treatment was conducted to investigate its effect on methane production. PEF pre-treatment converts organic solids into soluble and colloidal forms, increasing bioavailability for anaerobic microorganisms participating in methane generation process. The substrates tested were landfill leachate and fruit/vegetable. Three treatment intensities of 15, 30, and 50kWh/m 3 were applied to investigate the influence of pre-treatment on methane production via biochemical methane potential test. Threshold treatment intensity was found to be around 30kWh/m 3 for landfill leachate beyond which the methane production enhanced linearly with increase in intensity. Methane production of the landfill leachate significantly increased up to 44% with the highest intensity. The result of pulsed electric field pre-treatment on fruit/vegetable showed that 15kWh/m 3 was the intensity by which the highest amount of methane (up to 7%) was achieved. Beyond this intensity, the methane production decreased. Chemical oxygen demand removals were increased up to 100% for landfill leachate and 17% for fruit/vegetable, compared to the untreated slurries. Results indicate that the treatment intensity has a significant effect on the methane production and biosolid removal. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drilling and Production Testing the Methane Hydrate Resource Potential Associated with the Barrow Gas Fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steve McRae; Thomas Walsh; Michael Dunn; Michael Cook

2010-02-22

In November of 2008, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the North Slope Borough (NSB) committed funding to develop a drilling plan to test the presence of hydrates in the producing formation of at least one of the Barrow Gas Fields, and to develop a production surveillance plan to monitor the behavior of hydrates as dissociation occurs. This drilling and surveillance plan was supported by earlier studies in Phase 1 of the project, including hydrate stability zone modeling, material balance modeling, and full-field history-matched reservoir simulation, all of which support the presence of methane hydrate in association with the Barrow Gas Fields. This Phase 2 of the project, conducted over the past twelve months focused on selecting an optimal location for a hydrate test well; design of a logistics, drilling, completion and testing plan; and estimating costs for the activities. As originally proposed, the project was anticipated to benefit from industry activity in northwest Alaska, with opportunities to share equipment, personnel, services and mobilization and demobilization costs with one of the then-active exploration operators. The activity level dropped off, and this benefit evaporated, although plans for drilling of development wells in the BGF's matured, offering significant synergies and cost savings over a remote stand-alone drilling project. An optimal well location was chosen at the East Barrow No.18 well pad, and a vertical pilot/monitoring well and horizontal production test/surveillance well were engineered for drilling from this location. Both wells were designed with Distributed Temperature Survey (DTS) apparatus for monitoring of the hydrate-free gas interface. Once project scope was developed, a procurement process was implemented to engage the necessary service and equipment providers, and finalize project cost estimates. Based on cost proposals from vendors, total project estimated cost is $17.88 million dollars, inclusive of design work

Investigations of Methane Production in Hypersaline Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Bebout, Brad M.

2015-01-01

The recent reports of methane in the atmosphere of Mars, as well as the findings of hypersaline paleo-environments on that planet, have underscored the need to evaluate the importance of biological (as opposed to geological) trace gas production and consumption. Methane in the atmosphere of Mars may be an indication of life but might also be a consequence of geologic activity and/or the thermal alteration of ancient organic matter. Hypersaline environments have now been reported to be extremely likely in several locations in our solar system, including: Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Modern hypersaline microbial mat communities, (thought to be analogous to those present on the early Earth at a period of time when Mars was experiencing very similar environmental conditions), have been shown to produce methane. However, very little is known about the physical and/or biological controls imposed upon the rates at which methane, and other important trace gases, are produced and consumed in these environments. We describe here the results of our investigations of methane production in hypersaline environments, including field sites in Chile, Baja California Mexico, California, USA and the United Arab Emirates. We have measured high concentrations of methane in bubbles of gas produced both in the sediments underlying microbial mats, as well as in areas not colonized by microbial mats in the Guerrero Negro hypersaline ecosystem, Baja California Mexico, in Chile, and in salt ponds on the San Francisco Bay. The carbon isotopic (d13C) composition of the methane in the bubbles exhibited an extremely wide range of values, (ca. -75 per mille ca. -25 per mille). The hydrogen isotopic composition of the methane (d2H) ranged from -60 to -30per mille and -450 to -350per mille. These isotopic values are outside of the range of values normally considered to be biogenic, however incubations of the sediments in contact with these gas bubbles reveals that the methane is indeed being

Methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkhardt, Marko; Busch, Günter

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The biologic methanation of exclusively gases like hydrogen and carbon dioxide is feasible. • Electrical energy can be stored in the established gas grid by conversion to methane. • The quality of produced biogas is very high (c CH4 = 98 vol%). • The conversion rate is depending on H 2 -flow rate. - Abstract: A new method for the methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide is presented. In a novel anaerobic trickle-bed reactor, biochemical catalyzed methanation at mesophilic temperatures and ambient pressure can be realized. The conversion of gaseous substrates by immobilized hydrogenotrophic methanogens is a unique feature of this reactor type. The already patented reactor produces biogas which has a very high quality (c CH4 = 97.9 vol%). Therefore, the storage of biogas in the existing natural gas grid is possible without extensive purification. The specific methane production was measured with P = 1.17 Nm CH4 3 /(m R 3 d). It is conceivable to realize the process at sites that generate solar or wind energy and sites subject to the conditions for hydrogen electrolysis (or other methods of hydrogen production). The combination with conventional biogas plants under hydrogen addition to methane enrichment is possible as well. The process enables the coupling of various renewable energy sources

Methane as a climate gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karlsdottir, S.

1996-03-01

This paper was read at the workshop ``The Norwegian Climate and Ozone Research Programme`` held on 11-12 March 1996. Methane is a key component in the atmosphere where its concentration has increased rapidly since pre-industrial time. About 2/3 of it is caused by human activities. Changes in methane will affect the concentrations of other gases, and a model is a very important tool to study sensitivity due to changes in concentration of gases. The author used a three-dimensional global chemistry transport model to study the effect of changes in methane concentration on other trace gases. The model includes natural and anthropogenic emissions of NOx, CO, CH{sub 4} and non-methane hydrocarbons. Wet and dry deposition are also included. The chemical scheme in the model includes 49 compounds, 101 reactions, and 16 photolytic reactions. The trace gas concentrations are calculated every 30 min, using a quasi steady state approximation. Model calculations of three cases are reported and compared. Enhanced methane concentration will have strongest effect in remote regions. In polluted areas local chemistry will have remarked effect. The feedback was always positive. Average atmospheric lifetime calculated in the model was 7.6 years, which agrees with recent estimates based on observations. 8 refs.

Methane emissions from different coastal wetlands in New England, US

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, F.; Tang, J.; Kroeger, K. D.; Gonneea, M. E.

2017-12-01

According to the IPCC, methane have 25 times warming effect than CO2, and natural wetlands contribute 20-39 % to the global emission of methane. Although most of these methane was from inland wetlands, there was still large uncertain in the methane emissions in coastal wetlands. In the past three years, we have investigated methane emissions in coastal wetlands in MA, USA. Contrary to previous assumptions, we have observed relative larger methane flux in some salt marshes than freshwater wetlands. We further detect the methane source, and found that plant activities played an important role in methane flux, for example, the growth of S. aterniflora, the dominate plants in salt marsh, could enhance methane emission, while in an fresh water wetland that was dominated by cattail, plant activity oxided methane and reduced total flux. Phragmite, an invasive plant at brackish marsh, have the highest methane flux among all coastal wetland investigated. This study indicated that coastal wetland could still emit relatively high amount of methane even under high water salinity condiations, and plant activity played an important role in methane flux, and this role was highly species-specific.

Planning and Execution of a Marine Methane Hydrate Pressure Coring Program for the Walker Ridge and Green Canyon Areas of the Gulf of Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Humphrey, Gary [Fugro Geoconsulting Inc., Houston, TX (United States)

2015-09-14

The objective of this project (and report) is to produce a guide to developing scientific, operational, and logistical plans for a future methane hydrate-focused offshore pressure coring program. This report focuses primarily on a potential coring program in the Walker Ridge 313 and Green Canyon 955 blocks where previous investigations were undertaken as part of the 2009 Department of Energy JIP Leg II expedition, however, the approach to designing a pressure coring program that was utilized for this project may also serve as a useful model for planning pressure coring programs for hydrates in other areas. The initial portion of the report provides a brief overview of prior investigations related to gas hydrates in general and at the Walker Ridge 313 and Green Canyon 955 blocks in particular. The main content of the report provides guidance for various criteria that will come into play when designing a pressure coring program.

Atmospheric methane from organic carbon mobilization in sedimentary basins — The sleeping giant?

Science.gov (United States)

Kroeger, K. F.; di Primio, R.; Horsfield, B.

2011-08-01

The mass of organic carbon in sedimentary basins amounts to a staggering 10 16 t, dwarfing the mass contained in coal, oil, gas and all living systems by ten thousand-fold. The evolution of this giant mass during subsidence and uplift, via chemical, physical and biological processes, not only controls fossil energy resource occurrence worldwide, but also has the capacity for driving global climate: only a tiny change in the degree of leakage, particularly if focused through the hydrate cycle, can result in globally significant greenhouse gas emissions. To date, neither climate models nor atmospheric CO 2 budget estimates have quantitatively included methane from thermal or microbial cracking of sedimentary organic matter deep in sedimentary basins. Recent estimates of average low latitude Eocene surface temperatures beyond 30 °C require extreme levels of atmospheric CO 2. Methane degassing from sedimentary basins may be a mechanism to explain increases of atmospheric CO 2 to values as much as 20 times higher than pre-industrial values. Increased natural gas emission could have been set in motion either by global tectonic processes such as pulses of activity in the global alpine fold belt, leading to increased basin subsidence and maturation rates in the prolific Jurassic and Cretaceous organic-rich sediments, or by increased magmatic activity such as observed in the northern Atlantic around the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Increased natural gas emission would have led to global warming that was accentuated by long lasting positive feedback effects through temperature transfer from the surface into sedimentary basins. Massive gas hydrate dissociation may have been an additional positive feedback factor during hyperthermals superimposed on long term warming, such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). As geologic sources may have contributed over one third of global atmospheric methane in pre-industrial time, variability in methane flux from sedimentary

Australian methane fluxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, D.J.

1990-01-01

Estimates are provided for the amount of methane emitted annually into the atmosphere in Australia for a variety of sources. The sources considered are coal mining, landfill, motor vehicles, natural gas suply system, rice paddies, bushfires, termites, wetland and animals. This assessment indicates that the major sources of methane are natural or agricultural in nature and therefore offer little scope for reduction. Nevertheless the remainder are not trival and reduction of these fluxes could play a significant part in any Australian action on the greenhouse problem. 19 refs., 7 tabs., 1 fig

Experimental Determination of Refractive Index of Gas Hydrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bylov, Martin; Rasmussen, Peter

1997-01-01

. For methane hydrate (structure I) the refractive index was found to be 1.346 and for natural gas hydrate (structure II) it was found to be 1.350. The measurements further suggest that the gas hydrate growth rate increases if the water has formed hydrates before. The induction time, on the other hand, seems......The refractive indexes of methane hydrate and natural gas hydrate have been experimentally determined. The refractive indexes were determined in an indirect manner making use of the fact that two non-absorbing materials will have the same refractive index if they cannot be distinguished visually...

THE CURRENT DYNAMICS OF THE SUBMARINE PERMAFROST AND METHANE EMISSION ON THE SHELF OF THE EASTERN ARCTIC SEAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. A. Anisimov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We study the methane emission over the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS under the changing sub-aquatic permafrost conditions from the time of inundation 9–6 thousand years BP to present and further until the end of the millennium. The study is based on the full-physics model of hydrothermal regime of soil. Our results indicate that the current elevated methane emission from ESAS is responsible for 0.01 ºС global air temperature rise. Even under the hypothetic climate scenario that overestimates the range of near-bottom water temperature rise, projected by the end of the millennium thawing of the bottom sediments is likely to be about90 mand will thus not reach the upper limit of the methane hydrate stability zone that is located 100–140 munderneath the sea bottom. The results of the study do not support the so called «methane bomb» hypothesis that is widely discussed in the scientific literature and in the media.

Abiotic production of methane in terrestrial planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzmán-Marmolejo, Andrés; Segura, Antígona; Escobar-Briones, Elva

2013-06-01

On Earth, methane is produced mainly by life, and it has been proposed that, under certain conditions, methane detected in an exoplanetary spectrum may be considered a biosignature. Here, we estimate how much methane may be produced in hydrothermal vent systems by serpentinization, its main geological source, using the kinetic properties of the main reactions involved in methane production by serpentinization. Hydrogen production by serpentinization was calculated as a function of the available FeO in the crust, given the current spreading rates. Carbon dioxide is the limiting reactant for methane formation because it is highly depleted in aqueous form in hydrothermal vent systems. We estimated maximum CH4 surface fluxes of 6.8×10(8) and 1.3×10(9) molecules cm(-2) s(-1) for rocky planets with 1 and 5 M⊕, respectively. Using a 1-D photochemical model, we simulated atmospheres with volume mixing ratios of 0.03 and 0.1 CO2 to calculate atmospheric methane concentrations for the maximum production of this compound by serpentinization. The resulting abundances were 2.5 and 2.1 ppmv for 1 M⊕ planets and 4.1 and 3.7 ppmv for 5 M⊕ planets. Therefore, low atmospheric concentrations of methane may be produced by serpentinization. For habitable planets around Sun-like stars with N2-CO2 atmospheres, methane concentrations larger than 10 ppmv may indicate the presence of life.

Methane of the coal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasquez, H.

1997-01-01

In the transformation process of the vegetable material to the coal (Carbonization), the products that are generated include CH 4, CO2, N2 and H2. The methane is generated by two mechanisms: below 50 centigrade degree, as product of microbial decomposition, the methanogenic is generated; and above 50 centigrade degree, due to the effects of the buried and increase of the range of the coal, the thermogenic methane is detachment, as a result of the catagenic. The generated methane is stored in the internal surfaces of the coal, macro and micro pores and in the natural fractures. The presence of accumulations of gas of the coal has been known in the entire world by many years, but only as something undesirable for its danger in the mining exploitation of the coal

Demonstration of an ethane spectrometer for methane source identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Yacovitch, Tara I; Herndon, Scott C; Roscioli, Joseph R; Floerchinger, Cody; McGovern, Ryan M; Agnese, Michael; Pétron, Gabrielle; Kofler, Jonathan; Sweeney, Colm; Karion, Anna; Conley, Stephen A; Kort, Eric A; Nähle, Lars; Fischer, Marc; Hildebrandt, Lars; Koeth, Johannes; McManus, J Barry; Nelson, David D; Zahniser, Mark S; Kolb, Charles E

2014-07-15

Methane is an important greenhouse gas and tropospheric ozone precursor. Simultaneous observation of ethane with methane can help identify specific methane source types. Aerodyne Ethane-Mini spectrometers, employing recently available mid-infrared distributed feedback tunable diode lasers (DFB-TDL), provide 1 s ethane measurements with sub-ppb precision. In this work, an Ethane-Mini spectrometer has been integrated into two mobile sampling platforms, a ground vehicle and a small airplane, and used to measure ethane/methane enhancement ratios downwind of methane sources. Methane emissions with precisely known sources are shown to have ethane/methane enhancement ratios that differ greatly depending on the source type. Large differences between biogenic and thermogenic sources are observed. Variation within thermogenic sources are detected and tabulated. Methane emitters are classified by their expected ethane content. Categories include the following: biogenic (6%), pipeline grade natural gas (30%). Regional scale observations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas show two distinct ethane/methane enhancement ratios bridged by a transitional region. These results demonstrate the usefulness of continuous and fast ethane measurements in experimental studies of methane emissions, particularly in the oil and natural gas sector.

Methane emission by bubbling from Gatun Lake, Panama

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Michael; Stallard, Robert F.

1994-01-01

We studied methane emission by bubbling from Gatun Lake, Panama, at water depths of less than 1 m to about 10 m. Gas bubbles were collected in floating traps deployed during 12- to 60-hour observation periods. Comparison of floating traps and floating chambers showed that about 98% of methane emission occurred by bubbling and only 2% occurred by diffusion. Average methane concentration of bubbles at our sites varied from 67% to 77%. Methane emission by bubbling occurred episodically, with greatest rates primarily between the hours of 0800 and 1400 LT. Events appear to be triggered by wind. The flux of methane associated with bubbling was strongly anticorrelated with water depth. Seasonal changes in water depth caused seasonal variation of methane emission. Bubble methane fluxes through the lake surface into the atmosphere measured during 24-hour intervals were least (10-200 mg/m2/d) at deeper sites (greater than 7 m) and greatest (300-2000 mg/m2/d) at shallow sites (less than 2 m).

Implementation of methane cycling for deep-time global warming simulations with the DCESS Earth system model (version 1.2)

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Gary; Fernández Villanueva, Esteban; Rondanelli, Roberto; Olaf Pepke Pedersen, Jens; Malskær Olsen, Steffen; Huber, Matthew

2017-11-01

Geological records reveal a number of ancient, large and rapid negative excursions of the carbon-13 isotope. Such excursions can only be explained by massive injections of depleted carbon to the Earth system over a short duration. These injections may have forced strong global warming events, sometimes accompanied by mass extinctions such as the Triassic-Jurassic and end-Permian extinctions 201 and 252 million years ago, respectively. In many cases, evidence points to methane as the dominant form of injected carbon, whether as thermogenic methane formed by magma intrusions through overlying carbon-rich sediment or from warming-induced dissociation of methane hydrate, a solid compound of methane and water found in ocean sediments. As a consequence of the ubiquity and importance of methane in major Earth events, Earth system models for addressing such events should include a comprehensive treatment of methane cycling but such a treatment has often been lacking. Here we implement methane cycling in the Danish Center for Earth System Science (DCESS) model, a simplified but well-tested Earth system model of intermediate complexity. We use a generic methane input function that allows variation in input type, size, timescale and ocean-atmosphere partition. To be able to treat such massive inputs more correctly, we extend the model to deal with ocean suboxic/anoxic conditions and with radiative forcing and methane lifetimes appropriate for high atmospheric methane concentrations. With this new model version, we carried out an extensive set of simulations for methane inputs of various sizes, timescales and ocean-atmosphere partitions to probe model behavior. We find that larger methane inputs over shorter timescales with more methane dissolving in the ocean lead to ever-increasing ocean anoxia with consequences for ocean life and global carbon cycling. Greater methane input directly to the atmosphere leads to more warming and, for example, greater carbon dioxide release

Implementation of methane cycling for deep-time global warming simulations with the DCESS Earth system model (version 1.2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Shaffer

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Geological records reveal a number of ancient, large and rapid negative excursions of the carbon-13 isotope. Such excursions can only be explained by massive injections of depleted carbon to the Earth system over a short duration. These injections may have forced strong global warming events, sometimes accompanied by mass extinctions such as the Triassic-Jurassic and end-Permian extinctions 201 and 252 million years ago, respectively. In many cases, evidence points to methane as the dominant form of injected carbon, whether as thermogenic methane formed by magma intrusions through overlying carbon-rich sediment or from warming-induced dissociation of methane hydrate, a solid compound of methane and water found in ocean sediments. As a consequence of the ubiquity and importance of methane in major Earth events, Earth system models for addressing such events should include a comprehensive treatment of methane cycling but such a treatment has often been lacking. Here we implement methane cycling in the Danish Center for Earth System Science (DCESS model, a simplified but well-tested Earth system model of intermediate complexity. We use a generic methane input function that allows variation in input type, size, timescale and ocean–atmosphere partition. To be able to treat such massive inputs more correctly, we extend the model to deal with ocean suboxic/anoxic conditions and with radiative forcing and methane lifetimes appropriate for high atmospheric methane concentrations. With this new model version, we carried out an extensive set of simulations for methane inputs of various sizes, timescales and ocean–atmosphere partitions to probe model behavior. We find that larger methane inputs over shorter timescales with more methane dissolving in the ocean lead to ever-increasing ocean anoxia with consequences for ocean life and global carbon cycling. Greater methane input directly to the atmosphere leads to more warming and, for example

Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics of Hydrate Growth on a Gas-Liquid Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Xiaojing; Cueto-Felgueroso, Luis; Juanes, Ruben

2018-04-01

We develop a continuum-scale phase-field model to study gas-liquid-hydrate systems far from thermodynamic equilibrium. We design a Gibbs free energy functional for methane-water mixtures that recovers the isobaric temperature-composition phase diagram under thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. The proposed free energy is incorporated into a phase-field model to study the dynamics of hydrate formation on a gas-liquid interface. We elucidate the role of initial aqueous concentration in determining the direction of hydrate growth at the interface, in agreement with experimental observations. Our model also reveals two stages of hydrate growth at an interface—controlled by a crossover in how methane is supplied from the gas and liquid phases—which could explain the persistence of gas conduits in hydrate-bearing sediments and other nonequilibrium phenomena commonly observed in natural methane hydrate systems.

Composite hydrogen-solid methane moderators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picton, D.; Bennington, S.; Ansell, S.; Fernandez-Garcia, J.; Broome, T.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the results of Monte-Carlo calculations for a coupled moderator on a low-power pulsed neutron spallation source and is part of the design study for a second target station for the ISIS spallation source. Various options were compared including hydrogen, solid methane, grooving the solid methane and compound moderators made of hydrogen in front of solid methane. To maximise the neutron current at low energies two strategies appear to emerge from the calculations. For instruments that view a large area of moderator surface a layer of hydrogen in front of a thin solid-methane moderator is optimum, giving a gain of about a factor 10 relative to the current liquid hydrogen moderator on the existing ISIS tantalum target. For instruments that only view a restricted area higher flux, corresponding to a gain of 13.5, can be achieved with the use of a single groove or re-entrant hole in the moderator. (orig.)

Coprecipitated nickel-alumina methanation catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruissink, E.C.

1981-01-01

In the last few years there has been a renewed interest in the methanation reaction CO+3H 2 =CH 4 +H 2 O. The investigations described in this thesis were performed in relation to the application of this reaction, within the framework of the so-called 'NFE' project, also called 'ADAM' and 'EVA' project. This project, which has been under investigation in West Germany for some years, aims at the investigation of the feasibility of transporting heat from a nuclear high temperature reactor by means of a chemical cycle. A promising possibility to realize such a cycle exists in applying the combination of the endothermic steam reforming of methane and the exothermic methanation reaction. This thesis describes the investigations into a certain type of methanation catalyst, viz. a coprecipitated nickel-alumina catalyst, with the aim to give more insight into the interrelationship between the preparation conditions on the one hand and catalyst properties such as activity and stability on the other hand. (Auth.)

Methane distribution and methane oxidation in the water column of the Elbe estuary, Germany

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Matoušů, Anna; Osudar, R.; Šimek, Karel; Bussmann, I.

2017-01-01

Roč. 79, č. 3 (2017), s. 443-458 ISSN 1015-1621 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA13-00243S Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : estuary * methane * methane budget * ethane oxidation * River Elbe Subject RIV: DA - Hydrology ; Limnology OBOR OECD: Marine biology, freshwater biology, limnology Impact factor: 2.821, year: 2016

Termites facilitate methane oxidation and shape the methanotrophic community

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ho, A.; Erens, H.; Mujinya, B.B.; Boeckx, P.; Baert, G.; Schneider, B.; Frenzel, P.; Boon, N.; Van Ranst, E.

2013-01-01

Termite-derived methane contributes 3-4% to the total methane budget globally. Termites are not known to harbor methane-oxidizing microorganisms (methanotrophs). However, a considerable fraction of methane produced can be consumed by methanotrophs that inhabit the mound material. Yet, methanotroph

Bio-methane. Challenges and technical solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blaisonneau, Laurent; Carlu, Elieta; Feuillette, Vincent

2012-06-01

Among the new energy sectors in development, biogas has many benefits: several valorization possibilities (bio-methane, electricity and heat), continuous production, easy storage. In Europe, and particularly in France, the bio-methane market will be in the next years a driver for the improvement of the economic, environmental and social performance of the actors of the value chain of biogas. ENEA releases a report on the current state of the bio-methane market in Europe. This publication mainly describes: An outlook of the market evolution and the corresponding stakes for the actors of this sector, the technical and economic characteristics, maturity level and specificities of each biogas upgrading process, An analysis of the French regulatory framework for bio-methane injection into the grid

Exploiting coalbed methane and protecting the global environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuheng, Gao

1996-12-31

The global climate change caused by greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission has received wide attention from all countries in the world. Global environmental protection as a common problem has confronted the human being. As a main component of coalbed methane, methane is an important factor influencing the production safety of coal mine and threatens the lives of miners. The recent research on environment science shows that methane is a very harmful GHG. Although methane gas has very little proportion in the GHGs emission and its stayed period is also very short, it has very obvious impact on the climate change. From the estimation, methane emission in the coal-mining process is only 10% of the total emission from human`s activities. As a clean energy, Methane has mature recovery technique before, during and after the process of mining. Thus, coalbed methane is the sole GHG generated in the human`s activities and being possible to be reclaimed and utilized. Compared with the global greenhouse effect of other GHGs emission abatement, coalbed methane emission abatement can be done in very low cost with many other benefits: (1) to protect global environment; (2) to improve obviously the safety of coal mine; and (3) to obtain a new kind of clean energy. Coal is the main energy in China, and coalbed contains very rich methane. According to the exploration result in recent years, about 30000{approximately}35000 billion m{sup 2} methane is contained in the coalbed below 2000 m in depth. China has formed a good development base in the field of reclamation and utilization of coalbed methane. The author hopes that wider international technical exchange and cooperation in the field will be carried out.

Terrestrial plant methane production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Teis Nørgaard; Bruhn, Dan; Møller, Ian M.

We evaluate all experimental work published on the phenomenon of aerobic methane (CH4) generation in terrestrial plants. We conclude that the phenomenon is true. Four stimulating factors have been observed to induce aerobic plant CH4 production, i.e. cutting injuries, increasing temperature...... the aerobic methane emission in plants. Future work is needed for establishing the relative contribution of several proven potential CH4 precursors in plant material....

Methane adsorption on activated carbon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perl, Andras; Koopman, Folkert; Jansen, Peter; de Rooij, Marietta; van Gemert, Wim

2014-01-01

Methane storage in adsorbed form is a promising way to effectively and safely store fuel for vehicular transportation or for any other potential application. In a solid adsorbent, nanometer wide pores can trap methane by van der Waals forces as high density fluid at low pressure and room

Exhaled methane concentration profiles during exercise on an ergometer

Science.gov (United States)

Szabó, A; Ruzsanyi, V; Unterkofler, K; Mohácsi, Á; Tuboly, E; Boros, M; Szabó, G; Hinterhuber, H; Amann, A

2016-01-01

Exhaled methane concentration measurements are extensively used in medical investigation of certain gastrointestinal conditions. However, the dynamics of endogenous methane release is largely unknown. Breath methane profiles during ergometer tests were measured by means of a photoacoustic spectroscopy based sensor. Five methane-producing volunteers (with exhaled methane level being at least 1 ppm higher than room air) were measured. The experimental protocol consisted of 5 min rest—15 min pedalling (at a workload of 75 W)—5 min rest. In addition, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters were determined and compared to the estimated alveolar methane concentration. The alveolar breath methane level decreased considerably, by a factor of 3–4 within 1.5 min, while the estimated ventilation-perfusion ratio increased by a factor of 2–3. Mean pre-exercise and exercise methane concentrations were 11.4 ppm (SD:7.3) and 2.8 ppm (SD:1.9), respectively. The changes can be described by the high sensitivity of exhaled methane to ventilationperfusion ratio and are in line with the Farhi equation. PMID:25749807

Methane: a new stake for negotiations on climate?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

After having outlined that the issue of methane emissions could be, after the reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, an additional matter of discussion for the struggle against climate change, this article comments some data concerning methane emissions in six African countries. Generally, the main source of methane is agriculture (often more than 90 per cent) except in Gambia where wastes represent 77.8 per cent of methane emissions. This high level of methane emissions by agriculture could be a problem for these countries, whereas perspectives of waste valuation already exist