Abstract
Shallow gas accumulations and gas seepage may indicate deeper hydrocarbon reservoirs. Sonar and high resolution seismic recordings were carried out to obtain gas migration and accumulation below seabed in Northeast Persian Gulf. Results revealed some structures and reflectivity effects, for example few pockmarks, gas seepage, and other surface structures in sonar and seismic data. Most of the features observed on seismic data were located at depths between 5 and 10 m (sub-sea bed) that include acoustic blanking and turbidity, gas packets, gas chimneys, and enhanced reflection. Most of the gas is accumulated on young and thin parallel layers, but the presence of acoustic effect in Aghajari Formation indicates that the origin of the gas accumulation in shallow strata may be located in a deeper reservoir.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agard, P., J. Omrani, L. Jolivet, H. Whitechurch, B. Vrielynck, W. Spakman, P. Monié, B. Meyer, and R. Wortel (2011), Zagros orogeny: a subduction dominated process, Geol. Mag. 148,5/6, 692–725, DOI: 10.1017/S001675681100046X.
Alavi, M. (2004), Regional stratigraphy of the Zagros fold-thrust belt of Iran and its proforeland evolution, Am. J. Sci. 304,1, 1–20, DOI: 10.2475/ajs.304.1.1.
Alavi, M. (2007), Structures of the Zagros fold-thrust belt in Iran, Am. J. Sci. 307,9, 1064–1095, DOI: 10.2475/09.2007.02.
Anderson, A.L., and L.D. Hampton (1980), Acoustics of gas-bearing sediments. II. Measurements and models, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 67,6, 1890–1903, DOI: 10.1121/1.384454.
Bahk, J.J., I.K. Um, and M. Holland (2011), Core lithologies and their constraints on gas-hydrate occurrence in the East Sea, offshore Korea: Results from the site UBGH1-9, Mar. Petrol. Geol. 28,10, 1943–1952, DOI: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.12.003.
Burberry, C.M., C.A.L. Jackson, and J.W. Cosgrove (2011), Late Cretaceous to recent deformation related to inherited structures and subsequent compression within the Persian Gulf: a 2D seismic case study, J. Geol. Soc. 168,2, 485–498, DOI: 10.1144/0016-76492010-022.
Fannin, N.G.T. (1980), The use of regional geological surveys in the North Sea and adjacent areas in the recognition of offshore hazards. In: D.A. Ardus (ed.), Offshore Site Investigation: Proceedings of a Conference Held in March 1979, in London, Graham & Trotman, London, 291 pp.
Farzadi, P. (2006), The development of Middle Cretaceous carbonate platforms, Persian Gulf, Iran: constraints from seismic stratigraphy, well and biostratigraphy, Petrol. Geosci. 12,1, 59–68, DOI: 10.1144/1354-079305-654.
Haghipour, A., and A. Aghanabati (2005), Geological map of the Qeshm Area (scale 1:100000), Qeshm Trade Free Zone, Iran.
Haghipour, A., and M. Fontugne (1993), Quaternary uplift of Qeshm Island (Iran), C. R. Acad. Sci. II 317,3, 419–424.
Heggland, R., P. Meldahl, P. de Groot, and F. Aminzadeh (2000), Chimney cube unravels subsurface, The American Oil and Gas Reporter, February, 78–83.
Hosseinyar, G., R. Behbahani, S. Chaychizadeh, R. Lak, and M. Chakeri (2013), High-resolution seismic stratigraphy and current-induced Bed Forms in the Khoran Strait, South of Iran, J. Coastal Res. 29,6a, 51–62, DOI: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-11-00147.1.
Hovland, M., and A.G. Judd (1988), Seabed Pockmarks and Seepages: Impact on Geology, Biology, and the Marine Environment, Graham and Trotman, London, 293 pp.
Hovland, M., H. Svensen, C.F. Forsberg, H. Johansen, C. Fichler, J.H. Fossa, R. Jonsson, and H. Rueslatten (2005), Complex pockmarks with carbonateridges off mid-Norway: Products of sediment degassing, Mar. Geol. 218,1–4, 191–206, DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2005.04.005.
Hustoft, S., S. Bünz, J. Mienert, and S. Chand (2009), Gas hydrate reservoir and active methane-venting province in sediments on < 20Ma young oceanic crust in the Fram Strait, offshore NW-Svalbard, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 284,1–2, 12–24, DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2009.03.038.
King, L.H., and B. MacLean (1970), Pockmarks on the Scotian Shelf, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 81,10, 3141–3148, DOI: 10.1130/0016-7606 (1970)81 [3141:POTSS] 2.0.CO;2.
Kugler, A. (1973), An interpretation of the Southwest Iran aeromagnetic survey, Oil Service Company of Iran (unpublished).
Løseth, H., M. Gading, and L. Wensaas (2009), Hydrocarbon leakage interpreted on seismic data, Mar. Petrol. Geol. 26,7, 1304–1319, DOI: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2008.09.008.
Luan, X., and Y. Qin (2005), Gas seepage on the sea floor of Okinawa Trough Miyako Section, Chin. Sci. Bull. 50,13, 1358–1365, DOI: 10.1360/04wd0257.
Meldahl, P., R. Heggland, B. Bril, and P. de Groot (2001), Identifying faults and gas chimneys using multiattributes and neural networks, The Leading Edge 20,5, 474–482, DOI: 10.1190/1.1438976.
Nissen, E., M. Ghorashi, J. Jackson, B. Parsons, and M. Talebian (2007), The 2005 Qeshm Island earthquake (Iran) — a link between buried reverse faulting and surface folding in the Zagros Simply Folded Belt?, Geophys. J. Int. 171,1, 326–338, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2007.03514.x.
Popescu, I., G. Lericolais, N. Panin, M.D. Batist, and H. Gillet (2007), Seismic expression of gas and gas hydrates across the western Black Sea, Geo-Mar. Lett. 27,2–4, 173–183, DOI: 10.1007/s00367-007-0068-0.
Preusser, F., U. Radtke, M. Fontugne, A. Haghipour, A. Hilgers, H.U. Kasper, H. Nazari, and P.A. Pirazzoli (2003), ESR dating of raised coral reefs from Kish Island, Persian Gulf, Quat. Sci. Rev. 22,10–13, 1317–1322, DOI: 10.1016/S0277-3791(03)00038-6.
Raeesi, M., A. Moradzadeh, F. Doulati Ardejani, and M. Rahimi (2012), Classification and identification of hydrocarbon reservoir lithofacies and their heterogeneity using seismic attributes, logs data and artificial neural networks, J. Petrol. Sci. Eng. 82-83, 151–165, DOI: 10.1016/j.petrol.2012.01.012.
Rajabi, M., S. Sherkati, B. Bohloli, and M. Tingay (2010), Subsurface fracture analysis and determination of in-situ stress direction using FMI logs: An example from the Santonian carbonates (Ilam Formation) in the Abadan Plain, Iran, Tectonophysics 492,1–4, 192–200, DOI: 10.1016/j.tecto. 2010.06.014.
Rezaee, R. (2010), Geotechnical Properties of the Quaternary Calcareous marine terraces of the Qeshm Island. In: Proc. 1st Int. Applied Geological Congress, Department of Geology, Islamic Azad University — Mashad Branch, Iran.
Schroot, B.M. (2002), North Sea shallow gas as a natural analogue in feasibility studies on CO2 sequestration. In: Proc. 64th EAGE Conference and Exhibi tion “CO 2 Sequenstration and Gas Storage”, 27–30 May 2002, Florence, Italy, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers.
Schroot, B.M., and R.T.E. Schüttenhelm (2003), Expressions of shallow gas in the Netherlands North Sea, Neth. J. Geosci. 82,1, 91–105.
Schumacher, D., and M.A. Abrams (eds.) (1996), Hydrocarbon Migration and Its Near-Surface Expression, AAPG Memoir, Vol. 66, 445 pp.
Soleimany, B., and F. Sàbat (2010), Style and age of deformation in the NW Persian Gulf, Petrol. Geosci. 16,1, 31–39, DOI: 10.1144/1354-079309-837.
Talebian, M. (2003), Active faulting in the Zagros Mountains of Iran, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Cambridge.
Uchupi, E., S.A. Swift, and D.A. Ross (1996), Gas venting and late Quaternary sedimentation in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf, Mar. Geol. 129,3-4, 237–269, DOI: 10.1016/0025-3227(96)83347-0.
Vanneste, M., M. De Batist, A. Golmshtok, A. Kremlev, and W. Versteeg (2001), Multi-frequency seismic study of gas hydrate-bearing sediments in Lake Baikal, Siberia, Mar. Geol. 172,1–2, 1–21, DOI: 10.1016/S0025-3227(00)00117-1.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hosseinyar, G., Moussavi-Harami, R. & Behbahani, R. Shallow gas accumulations and seepage in the sediments of the Northeast Persian Gulf. Acta Geophys. 62, 1373–1386 (2014). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11600-014-0236-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11600-014-0236-3