Abstract
The methane hydrate stability zone beneath the Canadian East Coast oceanic margin has developed to a depth of more than 600 meters beneath the deep water column in the area of the deep shelf and the slope. This zone is continuous spreading from the Labrador continental shelf in the north to the slope of the Nova Scotia shelf in the south. Gas hydrates within the methane hydrate stability zone are detected only in one situation, however, they are numerous in the deeper zone in which type II gas hydrates are present through the whole area at water depths as low as 100-200 m. Well-log indications of gas hydrate situated deeper than the base of the methane hydrate stability zone may be an indication of wetter, compositionally more complicated hydrates that probably are not of bacterial only origin. This could indicate a deep thermogenic source of gas in hydrates. The presence of hydrates in the upper 1000 m of sediments also can be considered as an indicator of deeper hydrocarbon sources.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Arthur, K. R., Cole, R. D., Henderson, G. G. L., and Kushnir, D. W., 1982, Geology of the Hibernia discovery, in Halbouty, M. T., ed., The Deliberate Search For the Subtle Trap: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Mem. 32, p. 1981–1996.
Collett, T. S., 2000, Natural gas hydrate as a potential energy source, in Max, M. D., ed., Natural Gas Hydrate in Oceanic and Permafrost Environments: Kluwer Academic, DordrechtBoston/London, p. 123–136.
Collett, T. S., and Dallimore, S. R., 2000, Permafrost-associated gas hydrate, in Max, M. D., ed., Natural Gas Hydrate in Oceanic and Permafrost Environments: Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht/Boston/London, p. 43–60.
Correia, A., Jones, F. W., and Fricker, A., 1990, Terrestrial heat flow density estimates for the Jeanne D'Arc Basin, offshore eastern Canada: Geophysics, v.55, no.12, 1625–1633.
Dallimore, S. R., Uchida, T., and Collett, T. S., eds., 1999, Scientific results from JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38 gas hydrate research well, Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada: Geol. Survey Canada Bull. 544, 403p.
Davidson, D. W., El-Defrawy, M. K., Fuglem, M. O., and Judge, A. S., 1978, Natural gas hydrates in northern Canada, in Proc. Third Intern. Conf. Permafrost: Natural Resources Council Canada, Ottawa, v.1, p. 973–943.
Grant, A. C., McAlpine, K. D., and Wade, J. A., 1986, The continental margin of Eastern Canada: geological framework and petroleum potential, in Halbouty, M. T., ed., Future Petroleum Provinces of the World, Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Mem. 40, p. 177–205.
Hyndman, R. D., and Spence, G. D., 1992, A seismic study of methane hydrate marine bottom simulating reflectors: Jour. Geophys. Res., v.97, no.135, p. 6683–6698.
Hyndman, R. D., Jessop, A. M., Judge, A. S., and Rankin, D. S., 1979, Heat flow in the Maritime provinces of Canada: Can. Jour. Earth Sciences, v.16, no.6, p. 1154–1165.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 1990, Climate change: the IPCC scientific assessment, Geneva, Switzerland: World Meteorological Organization and United Nations Environment Programme, online report, http://www.ipcc.ch/
Issler, D., 1982, Calculation of organic maturation levels from downhole temperature/burial history curves: Scotian Shelf: BSc Honours Thesis, Department of Earth Sciences, Univ. Waterloo (Ontario), 129p.
Issler, D., 1987, The thermal and subsidence history of the Labrador Margin: unpubl. doctoral dissertation, Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia), 180p.
Issler, D. R., and Beaumont, C. H., 1988, A finite element model of the subsidence and thermal evolution of extensional basins: application to the Labrador Continental Margin, in Naeser, N. D., and McCulloh, T. H., eds., Thermal History of Sedimentary Basin: Springer Verlag, New York, p. 239–268.
Judge, A. S., and Majorowicz, J. A., 1992, Geothermal conditions for gas hydrate stability in the Beaufort—Mackenzie area: the global hange aspect: Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology (Global and Planetary Change Section), v.98, nos. 2–4, p. 251–263.
Judge, A. S., Jones, I. G., and Lewis, C. F. M., 1990, Gas hydrates, in Keen, M. and Williams G., eds, Geology of the Continental Margin of Eastern Canada: Geol. Survey Canada, Geology of Canada, no. 2, p. 771–774.
Judge, A. S., Smith, S. L., and Majorowicz, J. A., 1994, The current distribution of thermal stability of natural gas hydrates in the Canadian polar regions, in Proc. Fourth Intern. Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference (Osaka, Japan): The International Soc. of Offshore Engineers, p. 307–314.
Keen, C. E., Boutiller, R., De Voogl, B., Mudford, B., and Enachescu, M. E., 1987, Crustal geometry and extensional models for the Grand Banks. Eastern Canada: constraints from models for the Grand Banks, Eastern Canada: constraints from deep seismic reflection data, in Beaumont, C., and Tankard, A. J., eds., Sedimentary Basins and Basin Forming Mechanisms, Can. Petr. Geol. Mem. 12, p. 101–115.
Kvenvolden, K. A., 1988, Methane hydrates and global climate: Global Biochemical Cycles, Am. Geophys. Union (Washington), v.2, no.3, p. 221–229.
Kvenvolden, K. A., and Barnard, L. A., 1983, Gas hydrates of the Blake Outer Ridge; Site 533, DSDP Leg 76, in Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, 76: U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D. C. p. 353–368.
Lachenbruch, A. H., 1994, Permafrost, the active layer, and changing climate: U.S. Geol. Survey Open-File Rept. 94–694, 43p.
Lewin and Associates, Inc., 1983, Handbook of gas hydrate properties and occurrence: Report for U.S. Department of Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center, Morgantown, West Virginia, Contract No. DE-AC21–82MC19239, 234p.
Maekawa, T., Itoh, S., Sakata, S., Igari, S., and Imai, N., 1995, Pressure and temperature conditions for methane hydrate dissociation in sodium chloride solution: Geochemical Jour., v.29, no.5, p. 143–163.
Majorowicz, J. A., and Hannigan, P. K., 2000a, Stability zone of natural gas hydrates in a permafrost-bearing region of the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin: study of a feasible energy source: Natural Resources Research, v.9, no.1, p. 3–25.
Majorowicz, J. A., and Hannigan, P. K., 2000b, Natural gas hydrates in the offshore Beaufort-Mackenzie basin-Study of a feasible energy source II: Natural Resources Research, v.9, no.3, p. 201–214.
Majorowicz, J. A, and Osadetz, K., 2001, Gas hydrate distribution and volume in Canada, Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v.85, no.7, p. 1211–1230.
Majorowicz, J., Hannigan, P., and Osadetz, K., 2002, Study of the natural gas hydrate ‘trap zone’ and methane hydrate potential in the Sverdrup basin, Canada, Natural Resources Research, v.11, no.2, p. 79–96.
Makogon, Y. F., 1982, Perspectives for the development of gas hydrate deposits, in Gas hydrates and, permafrost: Proc. 4th Canadian Permafrost Conference (Calgary), p. 299–304.
Makogon, Y. F., Trebin, F. A., Trofimuk, A. A., Tsarev, V. P., and Cherskiy, N. V., 1972, Detection of pool of natural gas in a solid (hydrate gas) state: Doklady Akad. Sci. (U.S.S.R.), Earth Sci. Sect. No. 196, p. 197–200.
Milkov, A. V., and Sassen, R., 2001, Estimate of gas resources, northwestern Gulf of Mexico continental slope: Marine Geology, v.179, no.1–2, p. 71–83.
Moir, P. N., Bell, J. S., Cridland, R., Hunter, D., Petyhrycz, B., Sullivan, G., Kyle, P., Balkwill, H. R., Lavine, G., and Avery, M. P., 1989, Geochemistry Labrador Sea, geothermal gradients and depth to gas generation, in East Coast Basin Atlas Series, Labrador Sea. Atlantic Geoscience Centre, Geol. Survey Canada, p. 86–87.
Neave, K. G., 1990, Shallow seismic velocities on the eastern Grand banks and Flemish Pass: Report prepared for Alan Judge of the the Terrain Sciences Division, Geol. Survey Canada, 19p.
Nisbet, E. G., 1989, Some northern sources of atmospheric methane: Production, history and future implications: Can. Jour. Earth Sci., v.26, no.10, p. 1603–1611.
Piper, D. J. W., and Normark, W. R., 1989, Late Cenozoic sea-level changes and the onset of glaciation: impact on continental slope progradation off Eastern Canada: Marine and Petroleum Geol., v.6, no.4, p. 336–347, 1989.
Reiter, M., and Jessop, A. M., 1985, Estimates of terrestrial heat flow in offshore eastern Canada: Can. Jour. Earth Sci., v.22, no.10, p. 1503–1517.
Royden L., and Keen, C. E., 1980, Rifting process and thermal evolution of the continental margin of eastern Canada determined from subsidence curves: Earth and Planet. Sci. Lett., v.51, no.2, p. 343–361.
Sloan, E. D., 1998, Clathrate hydrates of natural gases: Marcel-Dekker, New York, 705p.
Smith S. L., 2001, Natural gas hydrates: Geol. Survey Canada Bull. 548, p. 265–280.
Smith, S. L., and Judge, A. S., 1993, Gas hydrate database for Canadian Arctic and selected East Coast wells: Geol. Survey Canada Open-File Rept. 2746, 120p.
Spence, G. D, 2001, EOS, Trans. Am. Geophys. Union newsletter v.82, no.50, p. 2001.
Taylor, A., Weitmiller, R., and Judge, A., 1979, Two risks to drilling and production off the east coast of Canada-earthquakes and gas hydrates, in Denver, W., ed., Proc. Vol. Symp. Research on the Labrador Coastal and Offshore Region: Memorial Univ. Newfoundland, p. 91–105.
Thurber Consultants Ltd., 1985, Study of well logs from East Coast offshore wells to delineate gas hydrate occurrence: prepared for Supply and Services Canada on behalf of Earth Physics Branch, Energy Mines Resources, Ottawa, DSS File: 15SQ.23235–5–0507, 30p.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Majorowicz, J.A., Osadetz, K.G. Natural Gas Hydrate Stability in the East Coast Offshore-Canada. Natural Resources Research 12, 93–104 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024243327548
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024243327548