Modeling on gas hydrate formation conditions in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau permafrost

Type Article
Date 2009
Language English
Author(s) Lu Zhen Quan1, Sultan NabilORCID2, Jin Chun Shuang3, Rao Zhu1, Luo Xu Rong1, Wu Bi Hao1, Zhu You Hai1
Affiliation(s) 1 : CAGS, Inst Mineral Resources, Beijing 100037, Peoples R China.
2 : IFREMER, Ctr Brest, Dept Marine Geosci, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
3 : Minist Land & Resources, Strategy Res Ctr Oil & Gas Resources, Beijing 100034, Peoples R China.
4 : Natl Ctr Geol Expt & Test, Beijing 100037, Peoples R China.
Source Chinese Journal of Geophysics (0001-5733) (AGU), 2009 , Vol. 52 , N. 1 , P. 157-168
WOS© Times Cited 20
Keyword(s) Qinghai Tibet plateau, Modeling, Formation conditions, Gas hydrate, Permafrost
Abstract Based on field investigated gas geochemistry and predecessors' data such as the permafrost ground temperature, thermal gradients within/below the frozen layer, the modeling on gas hydrate formation conditions is conducted in the Qinghai Tibet plateau permafrost. The modeled results show that the permafrost characteristics generally meet gas hydrate formation conditions in the study area. Gas composition, temperature-related permafrost parameters (e. g. permafrost thickness or its ground temperature and thermal gradients within / below the frozen layer) are the most important factors affecting gas hydrate occurrences, whose variance may cause the heterogeneity of gas hydrate occurrences in the study area. The most probable gas hydrate is the kind of hybrid of methane and weight hydrocarbon gases (ethane and propane). In the predicted gas hydrate locations, the upper gas hydrate occurrence depth may be around several ten to more than one hundred meters and the lower depth may range from several hundred meters to about one thousand meters and the thickness may reach several hundred meters. Compared with Canadian Mallik permafrost, the Qinghai-Tibet plateau permafrost has similar thermal gradients within / below the frozen layer and gas composition, except for relatively thinner permafrost, still suggesting great gas hydrate potentials.
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Lu Zhen Quan, Sultan Nabil, Jin Chun Shuang, Rao Zhu, Luo Xu Rong, Wu Bi Hao, Zhu You Hai (2009). Modeling on gas hydrate formation conditions in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau permafrost. Chinese Journal of Geophysics, 52(1), 157-168. Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/6230/