Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Gas Hydrates

Active
By Central Energy Resources Science Center November 2, 2018

Central Energy Resources Science Center - Gas Hydrates Project Page

Gas hydrates are naturally occurring ice-like combinations of natural gas and water that have the potential to provide an immense resource of natural gas from the world's oceans and polar regions.  Gas hydrates are known to be widespread in permafrost regions and beneath the sea in sediments of outer continental margins.  It is generally accepted that the volume of natural gas contained in the world's gas hydrate accumulations greatly exceeds that of known gas reserves.  There is also growing evidence that natural gas can be produced from gas hydrates with existing conventional oil and gas production technology.  The USGS is participating in several international consortia of research, industry, and academic institutions. The USGS also has ongoing cooperative research efforts with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the State of Alaska, the Department of Energy, industry, and Native Alaskan corporations to further the understanding of gas the hydrate endowment and recoverability.

For a listing of our completed expeditions click here to visit the Related Science tab.

 

 

USGS Links

     USGS Gas Hydrate Project
     Woods Hole Science Center
     USGS Scientists contribute to new gas hydrates monograph

External Links

     DOE Methane Hydrate R&D Program
     NETL Methane Hydrate Web Site
     NETL Fire in the Ice Newsletter
     US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
     Current Perspectives on Gas Hydrate Resources
     Gas Hydrate and Climate Change
     World Atlas of Submarine Gas Hydrates in Continental Margins | SpringerLink
     

Tasks and Field Reports

Filter Total Items: 14
Drill Rig at the Mt. Elbert Test Site

Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well

Field Report
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well

Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well

Field Report
Learn More
Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, Second Ulleung Basin Thumbnail

Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition

As a part of Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, the Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition (UBGH2) was successfully performed by using the D/V Fugro Synergy to establish 13 research drill sites in the period of time from July 8 to September 30, 2010. The first leg of this expedition focused on logging-while-drilling operations, while the second leg focused on both conventional and...
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition

Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition

As a part of Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, the Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition (UBGH2) was successfully performed by using the D/V Fugro Synergy to establish 13 research drill sites in the period of time from July 8 to September 30, 2010. The first leg of this expedition focused on logging-while-drilling operations, while the second leg focused on both conventional and...
Learn More
Aerial photograph at the Mallik location site in Canada

The Mallik Research Consortium

The Mallik Research Consortium drilled three test wells in Canada’s Mackenzie Delta, and the results of this international cooperative effort, demonstrating the producibility of this energy resource, were published in 2005.
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
The Mallik Research Consortium

The Mallik Research Consortium

The Mallik Research Consortium drilled three test wells in Canada’s Mackenzie Delta, and the results of this international cooperative effort, demonstrating the producibility of this energy resource, were published in 2005.
Learn More
Image shows a gas hydrate sample with a green and pink pen for scale

AAPG Memoir 89: Natural Gas Hydrates

USGS Contribution to AAPG Memoir on Gas Hydrates: In the December of 2009, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) published a comprehensive treatise on the geology of gas hydrates which is entitled Natural Gas Hydrates – Energy Resource Potential and Associated Hazards.
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
AAPG Memoir 89: Natural Gas Hydrates

AAPG Memoir 89: Natural Gas Hydrates

USGS Contribution to AAPG Memoir on Gas Hydrates: In the December of 2009, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) published a comprehensive treatise on the geology of gas hydrates which is entitled Natural Gas Hydrates – Energy Resource Potential and Associated Hazards.
Learn More
Image shows an undersea gas hydrate formation with shellfish on it.

Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project

Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project

Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project

Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II
Learn More
Area in northern Alaska where subsurface temperature and pressure conditions are conducive to the occurrence of gas hydrates

Assessment of Gas Hydrate Resources on the North Slope, Alaska, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed the first assessment of the undiscovered technically recoverable gas-hydrate resources on the North Slope of Alaska. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimates that there are about 85 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of undiscovered, technically recoverable gas resources within gas hydrates in northern Alaska. Read the full...
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
Assessment of Gas Hydrate Resources on the North Slope, Alaska, 2008

Assessment of Gas Hydrate Resources on the North Slope, Alaska, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed the first assessment of the undiscovered technically recoverable gas-hydrate resources on the North Slope of Alaska. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimates that there are about 85 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of undiscovered, technically recoverable gas resources within gas hydrates in northern Alaska. Read the full...
Learn More

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 43

Gas hydrate in nature Gas hydrate in nature

Gas hydrate is a naturally occurring, ice-like substance that forms when water and gas combine under high pressure and at moderate temperatures. Methane is the most common gas present in gas hydrate, although other gases may also be included in hydrate structures, particularly in areas close to conventional oil and gas reservoirs. Gas hydrate is widespread in ocean-bottom sediments at...
Authors
Carolyn D. Ruppel
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Gas Hydrates Project The U.S. Geological Survey’s Gas Hydrates Project

The Gas Hydrates Project at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) focuses on the study of methane hydrates in natural environments. The project is a collaboration between the USGS Energy Resources and the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Programs and works closely with other U.S. Federal agencies, some State governments, outside research organizations, and international partners. The USGS...
Authors
Carolyn D. Ruppel
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution seismic characterization of the gas and gas hydrate system at Green Canyon 955, Gulf of Mexico, USA High-resolution seismic characterization of the gas and gas hydrate system at Green Canyon 955, Gulf of Mexico, USA

The Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments at lease block Green Canyon 955 (GC955) in the Gulf of Mexico include sand-rich strata with high saturations of gas hydrate; these gas hydrate accumulations and the associated geology have been characterized over the past decade using conventional industry three-dimensional (3D) seismic data and dedicated logging-while-drilling (LWD) borehole data...
Authors
Seth S. Haines, Patrick E. Hart, Timothy S. Collett, William Shedd, Matthew Frye, Paul Weimer, Ray Boswell
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Observed correlation between the depth to base and top of gas hydrate occurrence from review of global drilling data Observed correlation between the depth to base and top of gas hydrate occurrence from review of global drilling data

A global inventory of data from gas hydrate drilling expeditions is used to develop relationships between the base of structure I gas hydrate stability, top of gas hydrate occurrence, sulfate-methane transition depth, pressure (water depth), and geothermal gradients. The motivation of this study is to provide first-order estimates of the top of gas hydrate occurrence and associated...
Authors
Michael Riedel, Timothy S. Collett
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

The Iġnik Sikumi Field Experiment, Alaska North Slope: Design, operations, and implications for CO2−CH4 exchange in gas hydrate reservoirs The Iġnik Sikumi Field Experiment, Alaska North Slope: Design, operations, and implications for CO2−CH4 exchange in gas hydrate reservoirs

The Iġnik Sikumi Gas Hydrate Exchange Field Experiment was conducted by ConocoPhillips in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, and the U.S. Geological Survey within the Prudhoe Bay Unit on the Alaska North Slope during 2011 and 2012. The primary goals of the program were to (1) determine the feasibility of gas injection into...
Authors
Ray Boswell, David Schoderbek, Timothy S. Collett, Satoshi Ohtsuki, Mark White, Brian J. Anderson
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Evaluation of gas production potential from gas hydrate deposits in National Petroleum Reserve Alaska using numerical simulations Evaluation of gas production potential from gas hydrate deposits in National Petroleum Reserve Alaska using numerical simulations

An evaluation of the gas production potential of Sunlight Peak gas hydrate accumulation in the eastern portion of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) of Alaska North Slope (ANS) is conducted using numerical simulations, as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gas hydrate Life Cycle Assessment program. A field scale reservoir model for Sunlight Peak is developed using...
Authors
Manish S. Nandanwar, Brian J. Anderson, Taiwo Ajayi, Timothy S. Collett, Margarita V. Zyrianova
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Below are news stories associated with this project.

 

Drill Rig at the Mt. Elbert Test Site

Exploring Gas Hydrates as a Future Energy Source Exploring Gas Hydrates as a Future Energy Source

In the past decade, the development of the Barnett, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and other shales has dominated the national consciousness regarding natural gas. But in Alaska, another form of natural gas has been the focus of research for decades—methane hydrate.
By
Science for a Changing World
EarthWord–Discovery

EarthWord–Discovery

Eureka often accompanies this EarthWord.

Read Article
Exploring Gas Hydrates as a Future Energy Source

Exploring Gas Hydrates as a Future Energy Source

In the past decade, the development of the Barnett, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and other shales has dominated the national consciousness regarding natural...

Read Article

Central Energy Resources Science Center - Gas Hydrates Project Page

Gas hydrates are naturally occurring ice-like combinations of natural gas and water that have the potential to provide an immense resource of natural gas from the world's oceans and polar regions.  Gas hydrates are known to be widespread in permafrost regions and beneath the sea in sediments of outer continental margins.  It is generally accepted that the volume of natural gas contained in the world's gas hydrate accumulations greatly exceeds that of known gas reserves.  There is also growing evidence that natural gas can be produced from gas hydrates with existing conventional oil and gas production technology.  The USGS is participating in several international consortia of research, industry, and academic institutions. The USGS also has ongoing cooperative research efforts with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the State of Alaska, the Department of Energy, industry, and Native Alaskan corporations to further the understanding of gas the hydrate endowment and recoverability.

For a listing of our completed expeditions click here to visit the Related Science tab.

 

 

USGS Links

     USGS Gas Hydrate Project
     Woods Hole Science Center
     USGS Scientists contribute to new gas hydrates monograph

External Links

     DOE Methane Hydrate R&D Program
     NETL Methane Hydrate Web Site
     NETL Fire in the Ice Newsletter
     US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
     Current Perspectives on Gas Hydrate Resources
     Gas Hydrate and Climate Change
     World Atlas of Submarine Gas Hydrates in Continental Margins | SpringerLink
     

Tasks and Field Reports

Filter Total Items: 14
Drill Rig at the Mt. Elbert Test Site

Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well

Field Report
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well

Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well

Field Report
Learn More
Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, Second Ulleung Basin Thumbnail

Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition

As a part of Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, the Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition (UBGH2) was successfully performed by using the D/V Fugro Synergy to establish 13 research drill sites in the period of time from July 8 to September 30, 2010. The first leg of this expedition focused on logging-while-drilling operations, while the second leg focused on both conventional and...
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition

Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition

As a part of Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, the Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition (UBGH2) was successfully performed by using the D/V Fugro Synergy to establish 13 research drill sites in the period of time from July 8 to September 30, 2010. The first leg of this expedition focused on logging-while-drilling operations, while the second leg focused on both conventional and...
Learn More
Aerial photograph at the Mallik location site in Canada

The Mallik Research Consortium

The Mallik Research Consortium drilled three test wells in Canada’s Mackenzie Delta, and the results of this international cooperative effort, demonstrating the producibility of this energy resource, were published in 2005.
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
The Mallik Research Consortium

The Mallik Research Consortium

The Mallik Research Consortium drilled three test wells in Canada’s Mackenzie Delta, and the results of this international cooperative effort, demonstrating the producibility of this energy resource, were published in 2005.
Learn More
Image shows a gas hydrate sample with a green and pink pen for scale

AAPG Memoir 89: Natural Gas Hydrates

USGS Contribution to AAPG Memoir on Gas Hydrates: In the December of 2009, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) published a comprehensive treatise on the geology of gas hydrates which is entitled Natural Gas Hydrates – Energy Resource Potential and Associated Hazards.
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
AAPG Memoir 89: Natural Gas Hydrates

AAPG Memoir 89: Natural Gas Hydrates

USGS Contribution to AAPG Memoir on Gas Hydrates: In the December of 2009, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) published a comprehensive treatise on the geology of gas hydrates which is entitled Natural Gas Hydrates – Energy Resource Potential and Associated Hazards.
Learn More
Image shows an undersea gas hydrate formation with shellfish on it.

Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project

Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project

Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project

Gulf of America Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II
Learn More
Area in northern Alaska where subsurface temperature and pressure conditions are conducive to the occurrence of gas hydrates

Assessment of Gas Hydrate Resources on the North Slope, Alaska, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed the first assessment of the undiscovered technically recoverable gas-hydrate resources on the North Slope of Alaska. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimates that there are about 85 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of undiscovered, technically recoverable gas resources within gas hydrates in northern Alaska. Read the full...
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
Assessment of Gas Hydrate Resources on the North Slope, Alaska, 2008

Assessment of Gas Hydrate Resources on the North Slope, Alaska, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed the first assessment of the undiscovered technically recoverable gas-hydrate resources on the North Slope of Alaska. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimates that there are about 85 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of undiscovered, technically recoverable gas resources within gas hydrates in northern Alaska. Read the full...
Learn More

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 43

Gas hydrate in nature Gas hydrate in nature

Gas hydrate is a naturally occurring, ice-like substance that forms when water and gas combine under high pressure and at moderate temperatures. Methane is the most common gas present in gas hydrate, although other gases may also be included in hydrate structures, particularly in areas close to conventional oil and gas reservoirs. Gas hydrate is widespread in ocean-bottom sediments at...
Authors
Carolyn D. Ruppel
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Gas Hydrates Project The U.S. Geological Survey’s Gas Hydrates Project

The Gas Hydrates Project at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) focuses on the study of methane hydrates in natural environments. The project is a collaboration between the USGS Energy Resources and the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Programs and works closely with other U.S. Federal agencies, some State governments, outside research organizations, and international partners. The USGS...
Authors
Carolyn D. Ruppel
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution seismic characterization of the gas and gas hydrate system at Green Canyon 955, Gulf of Mexico, USA High-resolution seismic characterization of the gas and gas hydrate system at Green Canyon 955, Gulf of Mexico, USA

The Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments at lease block Green Canyon 955 (GC955) in the Gulf of Mexico include sand-rich strata with high saturations of gas hydrate; these gas hydrate accumulations and the associated geology have been characterized over the past decade using conventional industry three-dimensional (3D) seismic data and dedicated logging-while-drilling (LWD) borehole data...
Authors
Seth S. Haines, Patrick E. Hart, Timothy S. Collett, William Shedd, Matthew Frye, Paul Weimer, Ray Boswell
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Observed correlation between the depth to base and top of gas hydrate occurrence from review of global drilling data Observed correlation between the depth to base and top of gas hydrate occurrence from review of global drilling data

A global inventory of data from gas hydrate drilling expeditions is used to develop relationships between the base of structure I gas hydrate stability, top of gas hydrate occurrence, sulfate-methane transition depth, pressure (water depth), and geothermal gradients. The motivation of this study is to provide first-order estimates of the top of gas hydrate occurrence and associated...
Authors
Michael Riedel, Timothy S. Collett
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

The Iġnik Sikumi Field Experiment, Alaska North Slope: Design, operations, and implications for CO2−CH4 exchange in gas hydrate reservoirs The Iġnik Sikumi Field Experiment, Alaska North Slope: Design, operations, and implications for CO2−CH4 exchange in gas hydrate reservoirs

The Iġnik Sikumi Gas Hydrate Exchange Field Experiment was conducted by ConocoPhillips in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, and the U.S. Geological Survey within the Prudhoe Bay Unit on the Alaska North Slope during 2011 and 2012. The primary goals of the program were to (1) determine the feasibility of gas injection into...
Authors
Ray Boswell, David Schoderbek, Timothy S. Collett, Satoshi Ohtsuki, Mark White, Brian J. Anderson
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Evaluation of gas production potential from gas hydrate deposits in National Petroleum Reserve Alaska using numerical simulations Evaluation of gas production potential from gas hydrate deposits in National Petroleum Reserve Alaska using numerical simulations

An evaluation of the gas production potential of Sunlight Peak gas hydrate accumulation in the eastern portion of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) of Alaska North Slope (ANS) is conducted using numerical simulations, as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gas hydrate Life Cycle Assessment program. A field scale reservoir model for Sunlight Peak is developed using...
Authors
Manish S. Nandanwar, Brian J. Anderson, Taiwo Ajayi, Timothy S. Collett, Margarita V. Zyrianova
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Below are news stories associated with this project.

 

Drill Rig at the Mt. Elbert Test Site

Exploring Gas Hydrates as a Future Energy Source Exploring Gas Hydrates as a Future Energy Source

In the past decade, the development of the Barnett, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and other shales has dominated the national consciousness regarding natural gas. But in Alaska, another form of natural gas has been the focus of research for decades—methane hydrate.
By
Science for a Changing World
EarthWord–Discovery

EarthWord–Discovery

Eureka often accompanies this EarthWord.

Read Article
Exploring Gas Hydrates as a Future Energy Source

Exploring Gas Hydrates as a Future Energy Source

In the past decade, the development of the Barnett, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and other shales has dominated the national consciousness regarding natural...

Read Article
Was this page helpful?