Abstract
The water depth in Nansha (南沙) waters, which is located in the southern South China Sea, varies from 200 to 2 500 m, with a deep-water (>500 m) area of 500 000 km2. In this region, there are many depositional basins with various structural features, prone to the accumulation of organic material. The temperature and pressure conditions in the deep-water environment are suitable for the preservation of gas hydrate. At several sites, we have recognized bottom-simulating reflectors (BSRs) from seismic data. Regional geology analyses show that the Nansha waters may have abundant gas hydrate prospects, especially in localities such as the Nansha trough and other deep-water basins of the central Nansha waters.
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This study was jointly supported by the National Basic Research Programs of China (973 Programs) (Nos. 2009CB2194 and 2007CB411700), the National Natural Science Fundation of China (Nos. 40976029 and 40676039), the Major Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. kzcx2-yw-203-01), the National Program of Sustaining Science and Technology (No. 2006BAB19B00), and the Ministry of Land and Resources, China (Nos. GT-YQ-QQ-2008-1-02 and 2009GYXQ06).
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Liu, H., Yao, Y. & Deng, H. Geological and geophysical conditions for potential natural gas hydrate resources in southern South China Sea waters. J. Earth Sci. 22, 718–725 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-011-0222-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-011-0222-5