Cryogenic gas hydrates on the Arctic shelves: forecast features and resource assessments
https://doi.org/10.18599/grs.2025.3.5
Abstract
The study is dedicated to the features of forecasting and quantitative assessment of methane resources in subaqueous cryogenic gas hydrates on the Russian Arctic shelf. The work is based on numerical modeling of submarine permafrost and the thermal regime of marine sediments. As a result of the mathematical modeling, equilibrium curves of hydrate formation with variable seawater salinity were constructed. These curves facilitated the determination of the spatial boundaries of cryogenic gas hydrate stability zones. In regions with predicted cryogenic gas hydrate stability zones, potentially hydrate-bearing accumulations were delineated based on Common Depth Point (CDP) seismic data. The amount of methane in four forecasted sub-permafrost gas hydrate accumulations on the Laptev Sea shelf was estimated. The identified accumulations are projected to contain approximately 0.1 trillion cubic meters of methane in hydrate form. According to the regional-scale assessments, up to 9.24 trillion cubic meters of methane, or about 0.3% of the global gas-in-place assessments, may be accumulated on the Russian Arctic shelf.
Keywords
cryogenic gas hydrates,
resource assessment,
submarine permafrost,
gas hydrate stability zone,
seismic exploration,
gas hydrate accumulations
Supporting agencies: The publication of the article was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation under agreement No. 075-10-2022-011 within the framework of the development program for a world-class Research Center.
About the Authors
Yu. Yu. Smirnov
All-Russia Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resourses of the World Ocean; Russian State Hydrometeorological University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Yury Yu. Smirnov – Lead Engineer
124 Moika River Embankment, Saint Petersburg, 190121
T. V. Matveeva
All-Russia Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resourses of the World Ocean
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Tatiana V. Matveeva – Cand. Sci. (Geology and Mineralogy), Academic Secretary
124 Moika River Embankment, Saint Petersburg, 190121
A. O. Chazov
All-Russia Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resourses of the World Ocean
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Artem O. Chazov – Lead Engineer
124 Moika River Embankment, Saint Petersburg, 190121
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For citations:
Smirnov Yu.Yu., Matveeva T.V., Chazov A.O. Cryogenic gas hydrates on the Arctic shelves: forecast features and resource assessments. Georesursy = Georesources. 2025;27(3):64-76. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.18599/grs.2025.3.5
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