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Gas detection by seismic attributes in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea

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Abstract

Reflection characteristics of gas chimneys in seismic data in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea, indicate a large amount of gas, which migrates along the faults and fractures from deep to shallow layer, where strong attenuation of seismic waves under the seafloor occurs, leading to the decrease of Q factor. As it reaches to the seafloor, it also causes the decrease in density and P wave velocity of the seafloor, and then winds up in the seawater forming bubble plumes. In this paper, the recognition on gas and its migration, and therefore its distribution in the Qiongdongnan Basin, can be gained through multiple seismic attributes, such as Q-factor estimates at the shallow layer under the seafloor, elastic parameter inversion of the seafloor, and bubble plume imaging in the seawater near the seafloor, by using the quasi-3D seismic data in this area. It has great significance in study gas hydrate deposits in the Qiongdongnan Basin.

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Acknowledgments

Gratitude is expressed to Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey for providing the seismic data.

Funding

This research is funded by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2652017416) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41604108). Financial support was also provided by Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geophysics and Information Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Chuanhui Li & Xuewei Liu

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  1. Chuanhui Li
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  2. Xuewei Liu
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Correspondence to Chuanhui Li.

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Li, C., Liu, X. Gas detection by seismic attributes in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea. Arab J Geosci 11, 626 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3988-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3988-2

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