| Summary: | This contribution aims to publicize the efforts made in the identification of gas hydrates in the Uruguayan continental shelf, analyze the most outstanding aspects related to its energy potential, as well as include this topic in other areas of knowledge for a comprehensive understanding of the subject. The hydrates, crystalline solid formed mainly by water and natural gas, are reservoirs of carbon that occur naturally in the continents in permafrost areas, and at sea, in the offshore basins of continental margins. They contain more than twice the total carbon in the world, surpassing the conventional hydrocarbon reserves. Principal energy programs foresee its commercial exploitation by 2015. International research programs include not only the energy aspect, but studying such systems considering their participation in the global carbon cycle, climate change and benthic communities associated with them. In our country, several seismic surveys showed evidence of the presence of gas hydrates in continental shelf and the surrounding area. The first survey was carried out by Brazil in the south of the Brazilian continental shelf, ANCAP then showed the continuity of the hydrate layer on the Uruguayan continental shelf and estimated the gas potential of the mineralized layer (87 TCF). Finally, the BGR survey verified the existence of seismic evidence of gas hydrates layer and the presence of free gas below these. The typical seismic response of gas hydrate and free gas is the BSR (Bottom Simulating Reflector) and is interpreted as a positive intensity reflection, followed by a negative intensity, showing the wave passage from a high acoustic impedance zone to a low acoustic impedance zone. Non UBC Unreviewed
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