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A Brief Summary of Deep Drilling and Core Analysis for Gas Hydrate<br />
Research and Development in Prospect Region I, East Sea, Korea<br />
J.H. Jin, Y.K. Kwon, J.J. Bahk, J.H. Kim, Y.J. Lee, S.I. Nam, S.W. Chang,<br />
D.G. Yoo, J.H. Lee, G.S. Kong, I.K. Um, H.Y. Lee and K.P. Park<br />
Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources,<br />
30, Gajeong-dong, Yusung-ku, Daejon 305-350, Korea<br />
SUMMARY<br />
A total of five long (> tens of meters) sediment cores were retrieved from Prospect Region I,<br />
East Sea, as part of <strong>gas</strong> <strong>hydrate</strong> research and development activities by the Korea Institute of<br />
Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) in 2005. Methane–<strong>gas</strong> sensing was carried out<br />
simultaneously with drilling. With no distinct occurrence of <strong>gas</strong> <strong>hydrate</strong>s to the greatest drill<br />
depth (ca 40 m), there is, however, a clear trend of exponentially increasing methane <strong>gas</strong><br />
concentration with increasing depth from surface (from 10 3 nmol/l to more than 10 5 nmol/l).<br />
Laboratory core analyses show that the drilled substratum is dominated by muddy facies with<br />
minor intercalations of sandy facies increasing downwards. Porosity of the muddy sediments<br />
ranges from almost 100% at the top to as low as 50% at the bottom, decreasing downwards<br />
with decreasing water content. Based on radiocarbon dates, sedimentation rates are measured<br />
as 10 -1 mm/year. The sediments appear almost impermeable, being 0.187 md under given<br />
overburden pressure of 116 psi. Based on pore water analyses, the sulfate–methane interface<br />
develops at 5 to 17 m below the seafloor. No significant changes of Br - and Cl - concentrations<br />
and δD and δ 18 O values in pore water were found throughout the subsurface depths,<br />
suggesting that the lack of <strong>gas</strong> <strong>hydrate</strong> is not due to dissociation during drilling and sample<br />
recovery but is rather due to the initial poor conditions for its development and preservation.<br />
Along with a downward increase in the ratio of ethane to methane in void <strong>gas</strong>es, δ 13 C value<br />
also becomes heavier to the same direction, implying the possible contribution of thermogenic<br />
<strong>gas</strong>es from deeper substratum. All these analytical results suggest that much better conditions<br />
for <strong>gas</strong> <strong>hydrate</strong> development and preservation may be encountered in the deeper substratum.<br />
New Energy Resources in the <strong>CCOP</strong> Region - Gas Hydrates and Coalbed Methane 31