CAN HYDRATE DISSOLUTION EXPERIMENTS PREDICT THE FATE OF A NATURAL HYDRATE SYSTEM? ...

• Main Authors: Hester, Keith C., Peltzer, E.T., Dunk, R.M., Walz, P.M., Brewer, P.G.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: The University of British Columbia 2008
• Subjects: Methane hydrate
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0041027; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0041027

Here, we present a dissolution study of exposed hydrate from outcrops at Barkley Canyon. Previously, a field experiment on synthetic methane hydrate samples showed that mass transfer controlled dissolution in under-saturated seawater. However, seafloor hydrate outcrops have been shown to have significant longevity compared to expected dissolution rates based upon convective boundary layer diffusion calculations. To help resolve this apparent disconnect between the dissolution rates of synthetic and natural hydrate, an in situ dissolution experiment was performed on two distinct natural hydrate fabrics. A hydrate mound at Barkley Canyon was observed to contain a “yellow” hydrate fabric overlying a “white” hydrate fabric. The yellow hydrate fabric was associated with a light condensate phase and was hard to core. The white hydrate fabric was more porous and relatively easier to core. Cores from both fabrics were inserted to a mesh chamber within a few meters of the hydrate mound. Time-lapse photography ...