Gas Hydrate System Offshore Chile

In recent decades, the Chilean margin has been extensively investigated to better characterize the complex geological setting through the geophysical data. The analysis of seismic lines allowed us to identify the occurrence of gas hydrates and free gas in many places along the margin and the change...

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Main Authors: Ivan Vargas-Cordero, Michela Giustiniani, Umberta Tinivella, Lucia Villar-Muñoz, Giulia Alessandrini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/3/709
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author Ivan Vargas-Cordero
Michela Giustiniani
Umberta Tinivella
Lucia Villar-Muñoz
Giulia Alessandrini
author_facet Ivan Vargas-Cordero
Michela Giustiniani
Umberta Tinivella
Lucia Villar-Muñoz
Giulia Alessandrini
author_sort Ivan Vargas-Cordero
collection DOAJ
description In recent decades, the Chilean margin has been extensively investigated to better characterize the complex geological setting through the geophysical data. The analysis of seismic lines allowed us to identify the occurrence of gas hydrates and free gas in many places along the margin and the change of the pore fluid due to the potential hydrate dissociation. The porosity reduction due to the hydrate presence is linked to the slope to identify the area more sensitive in case of natural phenomena or induced by human activities that could determine gas hydrate dissociations and/or leakage of the free gas trapped below the gas-hydrate stability zone. Clearly, the gas hydrate reservoir could be a strategic energy reserve for Chile. The steady-state modelling pointed out that the climate change could determine gas hydrate dissociation, triggering slope failure. This hypothesis is supported by the presence of high concentrations of gas hydrate in correspondence of important seafloor slope. The dissociation of gas hydrate could change the petrophysical characteristics of the subsoil triggering slopes, which already occurred in the past. Consequently, it is required to improve knowledge about the behavior of the gas hydrate system in a function of complex natural phenomena before the exploitation of this important resource.
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spelling doaj.art-890f90ae9066491e93551b77619cc9022023-12-03T15:19:47ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-01-0114370910.3390/en14030709Gas Hydrate System Offshore ChileIvan Vargas-Cordero0Michela Giustiniani1Umberta Tinivella2Lucia Villar-Muñoz3Giulia Alessandrini4Calle Capilla 907, Cerro Alegre, Valparaíso 2340000, ChileIstituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale—OGS, 34010 Borgo Grotta Gigante, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale—OGS, 34010 Borgo Grotta Gigante, ItalyCentro de Investigación y Formación San Ignacio de Huinay, Hualaihué, ChileDipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Sezione Geofisica, Università di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, ItalyIn recent decades, the Chilean margin has been extensively investigated to better characterize the complex geological setting through the geophysical data. The analysis of seismic lines allowed us to identify the occurrence of gas hydrates and free gas in many places along the margin and the change of the pore fluid due to the potential hydrate dissociation. The porosity reduction due to the hydrate presence is linked to the slope to identify the area more sensitive in case of natural phenomena or induced by human activities that could determine gas hydrate dissociations and/or leakage of the free gas trapped below the gas-hydrate stability zone. Clearly, the gas hydrate reservoir could be a strategic energy reserve for Chile. The steady-state modelling pointed out that the climate change could determine gas hydrate dissociation, triggering slope failure. This hypothesis is supported by the presence of high concentrations of gas hydrate in correspondence of important seafloor slope. The dissociation of gas hydrate could change the petrophysical characteristics of the subsoil triggering slopes, which already occurred in the past. Consequently, it is required to improve knowledge about the behavior of the gas hydrate system in a function of complex natural phenomena before the exploitation of this important resource.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/3/709gas hydrateChilean marginporosityhazardslope
spellingShingle Ivan Vargas-Cordero
Michela Giustiniani
Umberta Tinivella
Lucia Villar-Muñoz
Giulia Alessandrini
Gas Hydrate System Offshore Chile
Energies
gas hydrate
Chilean margin
porosity
hazard
slope
title Gas Hydrate System Offshore Chile
title_full Gas Hydrate System Offshore Chile
title_fullStr Gas Hydrate System Offshore Chile
title_full_unstemmed Gas Hydrate System Offshore Chile
title_short Gas Hydrate System Offshore Chile
title_sort gas hydrate system offshore chile
topic gas hydrate
Chilean margin
porosity
hazard
slope
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/3/709
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AT michelagiustiniani gashydratesystemoffshorechile
AT umbertatinivella gashydratesystemoffshorechile
AT luciavillarmunoz gashydratesystemoffshorechile
AT giuliaalessandrini gashydratesystemoffshorechile