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Advances in Marine Gas Hydrates
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Advances in Marine Gas Hydrates

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Geological Oceanography".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2025 | Viewed by 4344

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hailong Lu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate and School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: gas hydrate; hydrate-bearing sediment; hydrate occurrence; hydrate production; ocean geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Umberta Tinivella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS), Borgo Grotta 42C, 34010 Trieste, Italy
Interests: gas hydrate; pore fluid; overpressure; modeling; seismic processing; integrated geophysical approaches
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yinan Deng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
MNR Key Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources, Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, Guangzhou, China
Interests: cold seeps; element cycling and hydrate evolution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine gas hydrate is not only a potential energy resource but also a giant carbon reservoir. In the past decades, huge efforts have been being devoted to the study of its physical and chemical properties, its occurrence, and its environmental effects, with production methods and progresses being made. In this Special Issue, the results obtained from recent studies of marine gas hydrate will be reported.

In detail, we welcome contributions that explore a wide range of topics, including but not limited to the following:

  • gas hydrate formation;
  • characterization and development of marine gas hydrate;
  • gas sources, migration, and accumulation systems;
  • physical properties;
  • effects on environment;
  • characteristics of hydrate reservoir sediments.

Prof. Dr. Hailong Lu
Dr. Umberta Tinivella
Dr. Yinan Deng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gas hydrate formation
  • reservoir characterization
  • resource potential
  • geophysical exploration
  • experimental technology

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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35 pages, 7887 KiB  
Article
Triaxial Experimental Study of Natural Gas Hydrate Sediment Fracturing and Its Initiation Mechanisms: A Simulation Using Large-Scale Ice-Saturated Synthetic Cubic Models
by Kaixiang Shen, Yanjiang Yu, Hao Zhang, Wenwei Xie, Jingan Lu, Jiawei Zhou, Xiaokang Wang and Zizhen Wang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(6), 1065; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061065 - 28 May 2025
Viewed by 181
Abstract
The efficient extraction of natural gas from marine natural gas hydrate (NGH) reservoirs is challenging, due to their low permeability, high hydrate saturation, and fine-grained sediments. Hydraulic fracturing has been proven to be a promising technique for improving the permeability of these unconventional [...] Read more.
The efficient extraction of natural gas from marine natural gas hydrate (NGH) reservoirs is challenging, due to their low permeability, high hydrate saturation, and fine-grained sediments. Hydraulic fracturing has been proven to be a promising technique for improving the permeability of these unconventional reservoirs. This study presents a comprehensive triaxial experimental investigation of the fracturing behavior and fracture initiation mechanisms of NGH-bearing sediments, using large-scale ice-saturated synthetic cubic models. The experiments systematically explore the effects of key parameters, including the injection rate, fluid viscosity, ice saturation, perforation patterns, and in situ stress, on fracture propagation and morphology. The results demonstrate that at low fluid viscosities and saturation levels, transverse and torsional fractures dominate, while longitudinal fractures are more prominent at higher viscosities. Increased injection rates enhance fracture propagation, generating more complex fracture patterns, including transverse, torsional, and secondary fractures. A detailed analysis reveals that the perforation design significantly influences the fracture direction, with 90° helical perforations inducing vertical fractures and fixed-plane perforations resulting in transverse fractures. Additionally, a plastic fracture model more accurately predicts fracture initiation pressures compared to traditional elastic models, highlighting a shift from shear to tensile failure modes as hydrate saturation increases. This research provides new insights into the fracture mechanisms of NGH-bearing sediments and offers valuable guidance for optimizing hydraulic fracturing strategies to enhance resource extraction in hydrate reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Gas Hydrates)
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16 pages, 3152 KiB  
Article
Determining the Minimum Detection Limit of Methane Hydrate Using Associated Alpha Particle Technique
by Josip Batur, Davorin Sudac, Ilker Meric, Vladivoj Valković, Karlo Nađ and Jasmina Obhođaš
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(6), 1050; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061050 - 27 May 2025
Viewed by 276
Abstract
Methane hydrate is a crystalline compound in which methane is trapped within a water lattice under high-pressure, low-temperature conditions. Its presence in oceanic and permafrost sediments makes it a promising alternative energy source, but also a potential contributor to climate change. Accurate in [...] Read more.
Methane hydrate is a crystalline compound in which methane is trapped within a water lattice under high-pressure, low-temperature conditions. Its presence in oceanic and permafrost sediments makes it a promising alternative energy source, but also a potential contributor to climate change. Accurate in situ detection remains a major challenge due to hydrate’s dispersed occurrence and the limitations of conventional geophysical methods. This study investigates the feasibility of using the associated alpha particle (AAP) technique for the direct detection of methane hydrate. A series of laboratory measurements was conducted on sand-based samples with varying levels of methane hydrate simulant. Using a 14 MeV neutron generator and a LaBr3 gamma detector, the 4.44 MeV carbon peak was monitored and calibrated against volumetric hydrate saturation. The minimum detection limit (MDL) was experimentally determined to be (67±25)%. Although the result is subject to high uncertainty, it provides a preliminary benchmark for evaluating the method’s sensitivity and highlights the potential of AAP-based gamma spectroscopy for in situ detection, especially when supported by higher neutron flux in future applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Gas Hydrates)
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32 pages, 12782 KiB  
Article
Pore Characteristics of Hydrate-Bearing Sediments from Krishna-Godavari Basin, Offshore India
by Wen Guan, Hailin Yang, Xindi Lu and Hailong Lu
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(10), 1717; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12101717 - 29 Sep 2024
Viewed by 857
Abstract
Pore-filling hydrates are the main occurrence forms of marine gas hydrates. Pore characteristics are a vital factor affecting the thermodynamic properties of hydrates and their distribution in sediments. Currently, the characterization of the pore system for hydrate-bearing reservoirs are little reported. Therefore, this [...] Read more.
Pore-filling hydrates are the main occurrence forms of marine gas hydrates. Pore characteristics are a vital factor affecting the thermodynamic properties of hydrates and their distribution in sediments. Currently, the characterization of the pore system for hydrate-bearing reservoirs are little reported. Therefore, this paper focuses on the Krishna-Godavari Basin, via various methods to characterize the hydrate-bearing sediments in the region. The results showed that X-ray diffraction (XRD) combined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cast thin section (CTS) can better characterize the mineral composition in the reservoir, high-pressure mercury injection (HPMI) focused on the contribution of pore size to permeability, constant-rate mercury injection (CRMI) had the advantage of distinguishing between the pore space and pore throat, and nuclear magnetic resonance cryoporometry (NMRC) technique can not only obtain the pore size distribution of nanopores with a characterization range greater than nitrogen gas adsorption (N2GA), but also quantitatively describe the trend of fluids in the pore system with temperature. In terms of the pore system, the KG Basin hydrate reservoir develops nanopores, with a relatively dispersed mineral distribution and high content of pyrite. Rich pyrite debris and foraminifera-rich paleontological shells are observed, which leads to the development of intergranular pores and provides more nanopores. The pore throat concentration and connectivity of the reservoir are high, and the permeability of sediments in the same layer varies greatly. The reason for this phenomenon is the significant difference in average pore radius and pore size contribution to pore permeability. This article provides a reference and guidance for exploring the thermodynamic stability of hydrates in sediments and the exploration and development of hydrates by characterizing the pores of hydrate reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Gas Hydrates)
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Review

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39 pages, 4219 KiB  
Review
Bottom-Simulating Reflectors (BSRs) in Gas Hydrate Systems: A Comprehensive Review
by Shiyuan Shi, Linsen Zhan, Wenjiu Cai, Ran Yang and Hailong Lu
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(6), 1137; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061137 - 6 Jun 2025
Viewed by 140
Abstract
The bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) serves as an important seismic indicator for identifying gas hydrate-bearing sediments. This review synthesizes global BSR observations and demonstrates that spatial relationships among BSRs, free gas, and gas hydrates frequently deviate from one-to-one correspondence. Moreover, our analysis reveals that [...] Read more.
The bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) serves as an important seismic indicator for identifying gas hydrate-bearing sediments. This review synthesizes global BSR observations and demonstrates that spatial relationships among BSRs, free gas, and gas hydrates frequently deviate from one-to-one correspondence. Moreover, our analysis reveals that more than 35% of global BSRs occur shallower than the bases of gas hydrate stability zones, especially in deepwater regions, suggesting that the BSRs more accurately represent the interface between the gas hydrate occurrence zone and the underlying free gas zone. BSR morphology is influenced by geological settings, sediment properties, and seismic acquisition parameters. We find that ~70–80% of BSRs occur in fine-grained, grain-displacive sediments with hydrate lenses/nodules, while coarse-grained pore-filling sediments host <20%. BSR interpretation remains challenging due to limitations in traditional P-wave seismic profiles and conventional amplitude versus offset (AVO) analysis, which hinder accurate fluid identification. To address these gaps, future research should focus on frequency-dependent AVO inversion based on viscoelastic theory, multicomponent full-waveform inversion, improved anisotropy assessment, and quantitative links between rock microstructure and elastic properties. These innovations will shift BSR research from static feature mapping to dynamic process analysis, enhancing hydrate detection and our understanding of hydrate–environment interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Gas Hydrates)
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18 pages, 1949 KiB  
Review
Geochemical and Physical Methods for Estimating the Saturation of Natural Gas Hydrates in Sediments: A Review
by Yuan Xue, Hailong Lu, Hailin Yang, Wenjiu Cai and Linsen Zhan
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(10), 1851; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12101851 - 16 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1678
Abstract
The saturation of natural gas hydrates is a key parameter for characterizing hydrate reservoirs, estimating hydrate reserves, and developing hydrate as an energy resource. Several methods have been proposed to estimate hydrate saturation, although most of these studies rely on logging and seismic [...] Read more.
The saturation of natural gas hydrates is a key parameter for characterizing hydrate reservoirs, estimating hydrate reserves, and developing hydrate as an energy resource. Several methods have been proposed to estimate hydrate saturation, although most of these studies rely on logging and seismic data. However, the methods for estimating hydrate saturation from recovered core sediments have not been thoroughly reviewed, which hinders a deeper understanding, proper application, and the use of these experimental data to integrate geophysical and numerical model results with the actual geological conditions. In this paper, the methods widely used for estimating natural gas hydrate saturation from core sediments, including those based on pore water chemistry (Cl− concentration, δD, and δ18O values), gas volumetric analysis, and temperature anomaly, have been summarized in terms of the principle, estimation strategy, and issues to be considered of each method. The applicability, advantages and disadvantages, and scope of application of each method are also compared and discussed. All methods for estimating gas hydrate saturation have certain limitations. A comprehensive application of results from multiple methods could lead to a better understanding of the amount of gas hydrate in sediments, although the chlorinity of pore water is the most commonly used method of estimation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Gas Hydrates)
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