Summary
The objectives of this research include the adaptation and implementation of a physical sediment model incorporating the effects of formation of gas hydrated within the pore volume of the sediment. Assessment of such a model results in increased understanding of the relationship between physical properties of the sediment essential to the prediction of geoacoustic properties of hydrates occurring in the seafloor. With the ability to accurately predict such geoacoustic properties, simulated seismic profiler response ma aid in the identification of hydrated with the seafloor by means of acoustic remote sensing.
The specific objectives of this research are:
- To modify input parameters for the Biot-Stoll formulation to include the effects of hydrate crystallization within a fluid saturated porous sediment, and to examine the sensitivity of the model to realistic variations in model input parameters.
- To obtain estimates of the modified input parameters from the published measurements of fluid saturated and hydrate saturated sediments, or from other models based on physical or empirical relationships between physical properties of the sediment and hydrate.
Related Publications: Anderson, A.L. “Remote Acoustic Characterization of the Seafloor Including Gassy and Hydrated Sediment Regions,” Proceedings of the Second International Offshore And Polar Engineering Conference, Vol. 1, 674-683, June 1992.
Anderson, A.L., Sloan E.D., and Brooks, J.M. “Gas Hydrate Recoveries in the Gulf of Mexico: What is the Shallow Water Depth Limit for Hydrate Occurrence?” Proceedings of the 24th Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, Vol. 1, 381-385, May 1992.
