DE-FE0010175

Goal
The primary goal of this research is to develop scientific, operational, and logistical plans for a future methane hydrate-focused offshore coring program, including a scope of work, technical specifications, and schedule and budget estimate needed to implement a marine expedition.

Performers
Fugro GeoConsulting, Inc., Houston TX

Collaborators
Aumann and Associates, Salt Lake City UT
GeoTek, United Kingdom
West Virginia University, Morgantown WV
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA

Background
Prior research efforts undertaken in numerous countries, including the United States, have made significant progress and have focused on offshore drilling campaigns whose goals have included direct sampling and testing of methane hydrates. Several such campaigns have been undertaken in the United States including, most recently, the DOE-supported and Chevron-led Gulf of Mexico Joint Industry Project (JIP) Leg I (2005) and Leg II (2009).

The JIP Leg II campaign was specifically conceived to investigate the nature of hydrate occurrences in sand-dominated systems, principally by means of logging-while-drilling (LWD) operations. The campaign confirmed the presence of gas hydrate reservoirs at boreholes in both Green Canyon Block 955 (GC955) and Walker Ridge 313 (WR313) in the Gulf of Mexico. The locations for the two wells were selected utilizing prospectivity analysis based primarily on 3-D exploration seismic data. The success of the two wells was a significant achievement and legitimized the conceptual approach taken to prospect for potential methane hydrate reservoirs in deepwater. Conclusions drawn from the 2009 JIP Leg II program included recommendations to perform additional research drilling programs to further delineate the potential hydrate resource through the use of pressure coring and pressure core analysis systems.

The overall focus of this project is to help enable, through detailed scientific and operational planning, the future collection of methane hydrate pressure cores, which will add to the body of scientific knowledge of the characteristics of in situ methane hydrate occurrences and contribute to scientific and engineering efforts to assess potential exploitation of methane hydrates as an energy resource.

The project will consist of a study resulting in the preparation of detailed plans and recommendations for all aspects of a future offshore hydrate-focused research campaign.

Impact
The project will help guide and enable future field-based collection of hydrate data through the completion of detailed logistical, scientific, technical and operational plans. These plans will facilitate the conduct of future marine hydrate research expeditions, which represent a critical path to the data necessary to help characterize the occurrence and behavior of oceanic hydrates and, ultimately, assess their feasibility as a potential future energy resource.

Accomplishments
The project was awarded on October 1, 2012.

Current Status (January 2013)
Initial project efforts involve developing a technical basis for planning a methane hydrate-focused marine pressure coring program through assessment of past hydrate-focused marine research expeditions and identification of critical needs for future expeditions to collect pressure cores. Once a baseline of research expedition needs is established, the performer will develop coring program concepts for consideration in conjunction with DOE. Full, detailed scientific and operational planning will be conducted once a final coring program concept is down selected.

Project Start: October 1, 2012
Project End: September 30, 2013

Project Cost Information:
Planned Total Funding: $578,850
DOE Contribution: $463,080
Cost Share Contribution: $115,770

Contact Information:
NETL ? Richard Baker (Richard.Baker@netl.doe.gov or 304-285-4714)
Fugro GeoConsulting Inc. ? Gary Humphrey (ghumphrey@fugro.com)