Factors Controlling Short-Range Methane Migration of Gas Hydrate Accumulations in Thin Coarse-Grained Layers

Natural gas hydrate is often found in marine sediment in heterogeneous distributions in different sediment types. Diffusion may be a dominant mechanism for methane migration and affect hydrate distribution. We use a 1-D advection-diffusion-reaction model to understand hydrate distribution in and surrounding thin coarse-grained layers to examine the sensitivity of four controlling factors in a diffusion-dominant gas hydrate system. These factors are the particulate organic carbon content at seafloor, the microbial reaction rate constant, the sediment grading pattern, and the cementation factor of the coarse-grained layer. We use available data at Walker Ridge 313 in the northern Gulf of Mexico where two similar to 3-m-thick hydrate-bearing coarse-grained layers were observed at different depths. The results show that the hydrate volume and the total amount of methane within thin, coarse-grained layers are most sensitive to the particulate organic carbon of fine-grained sediments when deposited at the seafloor. The thickness of fine-grained hydrate free zones surrounding the coarse-grained layers is most sensitive to the microbial reaction rate constant. Moreover, it may be possible to estimate microbial reaction rate constants at other locations by studying the thickness of the hydrate free zones using the Damkohler number. In addition, we note that sediment grading patterns have a strong influence on gas hydrate occurrence within coarse-grained layers.