In 2000, Chevron began a project to learn how to characterize the natural gas hydrate deposits in the deepwater portions of the Gulf of Mexico. A Joint Industry Project (JIP) group was formed in 2001, and a project partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began in October 2001. The primary objective of this project is to develop technology and data to assist in the characterization of naturally occurring gas hydrates in the deep water Gulf of Mexico (GOM). These naturally occurring gas hydrates can cause problems relating to drilling and production of oil and gas, as well as building and operating pipelines. Other objectives of this project are to better understand how natural gas hydrates can affect seafloor stability, to gather data that can be used to study climate change, and to determine how the results of this project can be used to assess if and how gas hydrates act as a trapping mechanism for shallow oil or gas reservoirs. The JIP believes that the best method for quantifying the aerial and vertical extent of a gas hydrate deposit in deep water has to be from seismic data. The industry needs to quantify the volumetric size of the zones containing gas hydrates, the expected hydrate saturation, and the mechanical properties of these zones so that industry can operate safely in deep water where gas hydrates are known to exist. It is not possible to gain enough information from drilling alone to comprehensively understand any naturally occurring gas hydrate deposit in deep water. Thus, the JIP has always been focused on learning how to shoot, record, process and interpret seismic data so the industry can characterize natural gas hydrates in deep water. This report presents the results of the work by Schlumbergers WesternGeco as a subcontractor to the ChevronTexaco JIP.
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