Spatial distribution and inventory of natural gas hydrate in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea

Zhongxian ZHAO; Ning QIU; Zhen SUN; Wen YAN; Genyuan LONG; Pengchun LI; Haiteng ZHUO

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Spatial distribution and inventory of natural gas hydrate in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea

Sedimentary processes and resource potential in the South China Sea | Updated：2024-10-12

- Spatial distribution and inventory of natural gas hydrate in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea
- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology Vol. 41, Issue 2, Pages: 729-739(2023)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, China
  2.Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
  3.Hainan Key Laboratory of Marine Geological Resources and Environment, Haikou 570206, China
  4.Marine Geological Institute of Hainan Province, Haikou 570206, China
  5.School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
- Author bio：
  
  ningqiu@scsio.ac.cn
  genyuanl203@163.com
- Funds：
- DOI：
  CLC：
- Received：16 March 2022，
  
  Published：01 March 2023
- Accepted：
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ZHAO Zhongxian,QIU Ning,SUN Zhen,et al.Spatial distribution and inventory of natural gas hydrate in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea[J].Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2023,41(02):729-739.
DOI：

ZHAO Zhongxian,QIU Ning,SUN Zhen,et al.Spatial distribution and inventory of natural gas hydrate in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea[J].Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2023,41(02):729-739. DOI：

摘要

Abstract

Natural gas hydrate is a potential clean energy source and is related to submarine geohazard

climate change

and global carbon cycle. Multidisciplinary investigations have revealed the occurrence of hydrate in the Qiongdongnan Basin

northern South China Sea. However

the spatial distribution

controlling factors

and favorable areas are not well defined. Here we use the available high-resolution seismic lines

well logging

and heat flow data to explore the issues by calculating the thickness of gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) and estimating the inventory. Results show t

hat the GHSZ thickness ranges between mostly ~200 and 400 m at water depths

500 m. The gas hydrate inventory is ~6.5×10

-t carbon over an area of ~6×10

. Three areas including the lower uplift to the south of the Lingshui sub-basin

the Songnan and Baodao sub-basins

and the Changchang sub-basin have a thick GHSZ of ~250–310 m

250–330 m

and 350–400 m

respectively

where water depths are ~1 000–1 600 m

1 000–2 000 m

and 2 400–3 000 m

respectively. In these deep waters

bottom water temperatures vary slightly from ~4 to 2 °C. However

heat flow increases significantly with water depth and reaches the highest value of ~80–100 mW/m

in the deepest water area of Changchang sub-basin. High heat flow tends to reduce GHSZ thickness

but the thickest GHSZ still occurs in the Changchang sub-basin

highlighting the role of water depth in controlling GHSZ. The lower uplift to the south of the Lingshui sub-basin has high deposition rate (~270–830 m/Ma in 1.8–0 Ma); the thick Cenozoic sediment

rich biogenic and thermogenic gas supplies

and excellent transport systems (faults

diapirs

and gas chimneys) enables it a promising area of hydrate accumulation

from which hydrate-related bottom simulating reflectors

gas chimneys

and active cold seeps were widely revealed.

关键词

Keywords

references

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