Gas hydrate accumulation associated with fluid escape structure in the western margin of South China Sea

Taotao YANG; Lin LI; Yintao LU; Kaiqi YU; Zhili YANG; Xuefeng WANG; Wei LI

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Gas hydrate accumulation associated with fluid escape structure in the western margin of South China Sea

Geology | Updated：2024-10-12

- Gas hydrate accumulation associated with fluid escape structure in the western margin of South China Sea
- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology Vol. 41, Issue 3, Pages: 947-958(2023)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.PetroChina Hangzhou Research Institute of Geology, Hangzhou 310023, China
  2.CAS Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
- Author bio：
  
  yukq3@sustech.edu.cn
  wli@scsio.ac.cn
- Funds：
- DOI：
  CLC：
- Received：14 October 2021，
  
  Published：01 May 2023
- Accepted：
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YANG Taotao,LI Lin,LU Yintao,et al.Gas hydrate accumulation associated with fluid escape structure in the western margin of South China Sea[J].Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2023,41(03):947-958.
DOI：

YANG Taotao,LI Lin,LU Yintao,et al.Gas hydrate accumulation associated with fluid escape structure in the western margin of South China Sea[J].Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2023,41(03):947-958. DOI：

摘要

Abstract

Gas hydrates have been found in the western continental margin of South China Sea

which are revealed by widespread bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) imaged from a three-dimensional (3D) seismic volume near the Guangle carbonate platform in the western South China Sea. Fluid-escape structures (faults and gas chimneys) are originated below BSR were distinguished. A comprehensive model in three-level structure was proposed to depict the gas hydrate accumulation in the study area. In Level 1

regional major faults and gas chimneys provide the first pathways of upward migration of gas near basement. In Level 2

pervasive polygonal faults in carbonate layer promote the migration of gas. In Level 3

gases sourced from near-basement accumulate within shallow sediment layers and form gas hydrate above the unit with faults once appropriate temperature and pressure occur. The gas hydrates in the study area are mainly in microbial origin

and their accumulation occurs only when fluid-escape structures align in all the three levels. The proposed model of the gas hydrate accumulation in western SCS margin provides new insights for further studies in this poorly studied area.

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references

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