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Hydrocarbons, Oils and Lipids: Diversity, Origin, Chemistry and Fate pp 1–17Cite as

Gas Hydrates as an Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resource

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Part of the book series: Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology ((HHLM))

Abstract

Methane hydrates are formed in high-pressure and low-temperature environments such as the ocean floor and high-latitude permafrost deposits. At the molecular level, these icelike solids consist of water cages that contain methane molecules which are usually produced by the microbial decay of organic matter. The abundance of methane hydrates in sediments is controlled by temperature and pressure conditions, the rate of in situ microbial methane production, and the upward migration of dissolved and gaseous methane. The global inventory of methane-carbon in gas hydrates may be about 1000 Gt and exceeds the amount of methane in conventional gas reservoirs by about one order of magnitude. Successful field trials using different production techniques such as thermal stimulation, depressurization, and chemical stimulation have shown that production of natural gas from methane hydrates is technically feasible. The results so far show that high gas production rates can be achieved when methane hydrates are dissociated in the subsurface by reduction of the reservoir pressure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GEOMAR – Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    Klaus Wallmann

  2. GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany

    Judith M. Schicks

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  1. Klaus Wallmann
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  2. Judith M. Schicks
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Correspondence to Judith M. Schicks .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. ICBM, Inst Chemistry, Biology Marine Env, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg ICBM, Inst Chemistry, Biology Marine Env, Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany

    Heinz Wilkes

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Wallmann, K., Schicks, J.M. (2018). Gas Hydrates as an Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resource. In: Wilkes, H. (eds) Hydrocarbons, Oils and Lipids: Diversity, Origin, Chemistry and Fate. Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54529-5_20-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54529-5_20-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-54529-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-54529-5

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