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Geothermal modeling of the gas hydrate stability zone along the Krishna Godavari Basin

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Abstract

A wide-spread bottom simulating reflector (BSR), interpreted to mark the thermally controlled base of the gas hydrate stability zone, is observed over a close grid of multichannel seismic profiles in the Krishna Godavari Basin of the eastern continental margin of India. The seismic data reveal that gas hydrate occurs in the Krishna Godavari Basin at places where water depths exceed 850 m. The thickness of the gas hydrate stability zone inferred from the BSR ranges up to 250 m. A conductive model was used to determine geothermal gradients and heat flow. Ground truth for the assessment and constraints on the model were provided by downhole measurements obtained during the National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 01 of India at various sites in the Krishna Godavari Basin. Measured downhole temperature gradients and seafloor-temperatures, sediment thermal conductivities, and seismic velocity are utilized to generate regression functions for these parameters as function of overall water depth. In the first approach the base of gas hydrate stability is predicted from seafloor bathymetry using these regression functions and heat flow and geothermal gradient are calculated. In a second approach the observed BSR depth from the seismic profiles (measured in two-way travel time) is converted into heat flow and geothermal gradient using the same ground-truth data. The geothermal gradient estimated from the BSR varies from 27 to 67°C/km. Corresponding heat flow values range from 24 to 60 mW/m2. The geothermal modeling shows a close match of the predicted base of the gas hydrate stability zone with the observed BSR depths.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank DGH and ONGC for their fruitful collaboration, especially by making the 2D and 3D seismic data set available for extended studies on gas hydrate in the KG Basin. We further would like to acknowledge the entire onboard team of scientists and crew-members of the India NGHP-Expedition 01, who acquired the log and core data used in this analyses. We also would like to thank Dr. M. V. Ramana and T. Ramprasad for the bathymetry data. We wish to acknowledge to Dr. Roy Hyndman for their instructive discussions on various aspects at the time of manuscript preparation. In addition, U Shankar is grateful to the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi for the BOYSCAST Fellowship, 2008–2009. This is ESS Contribution number: 20090399.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Geophysical Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi), Hyderabad, 500 606, India

    Uma Shankar

  2. Natural Resources Canada, Pacific Geoscience Center, Geological Survey of Canada, 9860 W. Saanich Rd., Sidney, BC, V8L 4B2, Canada

    Michael Riedel

  3. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd., KDM Inst. Of Petroleum Exploration, 9 Kaulagarh Road, Dehradun, 248195, India

    A. V. Sathe

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  1. Uma Shankar
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Correspondence to Uma Shankar.

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Shankar, U., Riedel, M. & Sathe, A.V. Geothermal modeling of the gas hydrate stability zone along the Krishna Godavari Basin. Mar Geophys Res 31, 17–28 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-010-9089-6

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