• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.208-212
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• 2008

Gas hydrate has been paid attention to study for because: 1) it can be considered as a new energy resources; 2) one of reasons causing the instability of sea floor slope and 3) a factor to the climate change. Bottom simulating reflector (BSR) defined as seismic boundary between the gas hydrate and free gas zone has been considered as the most common evidence in the seismic reflection data for the gas hydrate exploration. BSR has several characteristics such as parallel to the sea bottom, high amplitude, reducing interval velocity between above and below BSR and reversing phase to the sea bottom. Moreover, instantaneous attribute properties such as amplitude envelop, instantaneous frequency, phase and first derivative of amplitude of seismic data from the complex analysis could be used to analyze properties of BSR those would be added to the certain properties of BSR in order to effectively find out the existence of BSR of the gas hydrate stability zone. The output of conventional seismic data processing for gas hydrate data set in Ulleung basin in the East sea of Korea will be used for complex analyses to indicate better BSR in the seismic reflection data. This result of this analysis implies that the BSR of the analyzed seismic profile is clearly located at the two ways time (TWT) of around 3.1 seconds.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.407-409
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• 2006

Geochemical analyses carried out on samples collected from cores on and near the southern smit of Hydrate Ridge have advanced understanding by providing a clear contrast of the two major modes of marine gas hydrate occurrence. High concentrations (15%-40% of pore space) of gas hydrate occurring at shallow depths (0-40 mbsf) on and near the southern summit are fed by gas migrating from depths of as much as 2km within the accretionary prism. This gas carries a characteristic minor component of C2-C5 thermogenic hydrocarbons that enable tracing of migration pathways and may stabilize the occurrence of some structure II gas hydrate. A structure II wet gas hydrate that is stable to greater depths and temperatures than structure I methane hydrate may account for the deeper, faint second bottom simulating reflection (BSR2) that occurs on the seaward side of the ridge. The wet gas is migrating In an ash/turbidite layer that intersects the base of gas hydrate stability on the seaward side of and directly beneath the southern summit of Hydrate Ridge. The high gas saturation (>65%) of the pore space within this layer could create a two-phase (gas + solid) system that would enable free gas to move vertically upward through the gas hydrate stability zone. Away from the summit of the ridge there is no apparent influx of the gas seeping from depth and sediments are characterized by the normal sequence of early diagenetic processes involving anaerobic oxidation of sedimentary organic matter, initially linked to the reduction of sulfate and later continued by means of carbonate reduction leading to the formation of microbial methane.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.192-195
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• 2008

Conventional gas deposits consist of pressurized gas held in porous and permeable reservoir rocks and its recovery takes place where the natural pressure of the gas reservoir forces gas to the surface. But gas hydrate is a crystalline solid, its prospects require reservoir rock properties approprate porosity, permeability with mapping of temperature and pressure conditions to define the hydrate stability zone. In this study, we have carried out to investigate the dissociation characteristics of methane hydrates and the productivities of dissociated gas and water with depressurization scheme. Also, it has been conducted the flowing behavior of the dissociated gas and water in porous rock and the efficiency of the production.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.680-681
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• 2009

On the basis of seismic interpretation, seismic indicators of gas hydrate and associated gas such as bottom simulating reflector (BSR), acoustic blanking, column structure, gas seepage, enhanced reflection were identified in the Ulleung Basin. Fractures, faults, sandy layer could be the migration pathways transporting fluid and gas to stability zone. The formation of gas hydrate in the Ulleung Basin include: (1) nodules, veins, layers in muddy sediments and disseminated forms in sandy layer within localized column structure, (2) disseminated forms in sandy layer, and (3) disseminated forms in sandy layer just above BSR.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.507-510
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• 2007

Piston cores retrieved from the western Ulleung Basin, East Sea were analyzed to examine the potential for hydrocarbon generation and to determine the hydrocarbon indicators. 2D multi-channel reflection seismic and Chirp data were also investigated for mapping and characterizing the geophysical hydrocarbon indicators such as BSR (bottom simulating reflector), blank zone, pock-mark etc. High organic carbon contents and sedimentation rates that suggest good condition for hydrocarbon generation. High pressure and low temperature condition, and high residual hydrocarbon concentrations are favor the formation of natural gas hydrate. In the piston cores, cracks generally oriented to bedding may indicate the gas expansion. The seismic data show several BSRs that are associated with natural gas hydrates and underlying free gas. A number of vertical to sub-vertical blank zones were well identified in the seismic sections. They often show the seismic pull-up structures, probably indicating the presence of high velocity hydrates. Numerous pockmarks were also observed in the Chirp profiles. They may indicate the presence of free gas below the hydrate stability zone as well.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.676-679
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• 2009

The bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) is the most commonly observed seismic indicator of gas hydrate in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea. We processed ten representative seismic reflection profiles, selected from a large data set, for amplitude variation with offset (AVO) analysis of the BSR to estimate gas-hydrate concentrations. First, BSRs were divided into five groups based on their seismic amplitudes and associated sediment types: (1) very high-amplitude BSRs in turbidite/hemipelagic sediments, (2) high-amplitude BSRs in debris-flow deposits, (3) moderate-amplitude BSRs in turbidite/hemipelagic sediments, (4) very low-amplitude BSRs in debris-flow deposits, and (5) very low-amplitude BSRs in seismic chimneys. The AVO responses of the group 1 and 3 BSRs are characterized by a rapid decrease and a relatively slow decrease in magnitude with offset, respectively. The AVO response of the group 2 BSR is characterized by a relatively slow increase in magnitude with offset. The AVO responses of the groups 4 and 5 BSRs are characterized by a flat AVO with very small zero-offset amplitude. Theoretical AVO curves, based on the three-phase Biot theory, suggest that the group 1 and 3 BSRs may be related to high (> 40%) concentrations of gas hydrate whereas the group 2 BSRs may indicate low (< 20%) concentrations of gas hydrate. The AVO responses of the group 4 and 5 BSRs cannot be compared with the theoretical models because of their very small zero-offset amplitudes. The comparison of the AVO response of the BSR at the UBGH-04 well with theoretical models suggests about 10% gas-hydrate concentration above the gas-hydrate stability zone.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.216-230
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• 2014

Based on the interpretation of 3D seismic profiles acquired in the northwestern area of the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, the shallow sediments consist of five seismic units separated by regional reflectors. An anticline is present in the study area that documents activity of many faults. Bottom simulating reflectors are characterized by high RMS amplitude. Acoustic blanking with low RMS amplitude is distinctively recognized in the gas hydrate stability zone. Seismic attribute analysis shows that if gas hydrates are underlain by free gas, the high reflection strength and the low instantaneous frequency are displayed below the boundary between them. Whereas, if not, the reflection strength is low and instantaneous frequency is high continuously below the gas hydrate zone. Based on the spectral decomposition of the bottom simulating reflector, the high envelope at the specific high frequency range indicates the generation of the tuning effect due to the lower free gas content. Four models for the occurrence of the gas hydrate are suggested considering the slope of sedimentary layers as well as the presence of gas hydrate or free gas.

• 한국석유지질학회:학술대회논문집
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• spring
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• pp.56-65
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• 1998

Methane hydrate is ice-like solid compound consisting of mainly methane and water, and is stable under specific low temperature and high pressure conditions (HSZ : methane hydrate stability zone) that occurs in permafrost regions and in the ocean floor sediments. Geophysical survey was implemented in the southern area of the East Sea, and the HSZ of the study area is determined by the temperature, pressure and local heat flow obtained from the survey and well data. In the study area, methane hydrates could exist in the sediments below the water depths of about $300{\cal}m$, and the base of HSZ is about 600m beneath the seafloor. The acoustically blanking zones in the sediment and phenomena of gas seepage were detected from the seismic section. These sediments have the sufficient physical condition for the formation of methane hydrate. The temperature and pressure conditions were experimentally measured for the dissociation of methane and propane hydrates in Pure water. Equilibrium conditions of methane and propane hydrates were obtained in the pressure range up to 19050Kpa and 401.3Kpa. Under same temperature condition, propane hydrate was dissociated at lower pressure than that of methane hydrate.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.50-53
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• 2006

Regional geophysical surveys and geological cal studies on natural gas hydrate (NGH) in the East Sea were carried out by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) from 2000 to 2004. 16 piston cores, 2270 L-km of multi-channel reflection seismic (MCRS) data and 730 L-km of 3.5kHz Chirp data obtained from the southwestern part of the deep-water Ulleung Basin were analyzed in this study. In piston cores, cracks generally developed parallel to bedding suggest significant gas content. The core analyses showed high total organic carbon (TOC) content, sedimentation rate and heat flow of sediments. These are in favor of the general ion of substantial biogenic methane, which can form the NGH within the stability zone of the near seafloor sediments in the study area. The cores generally show also high residual hydrocarbon gas concentrations for the formation of natural gas hydrates The geophysical indicators of the presence of gas and/or NGH such as bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs), seismic blank Bones, pockmarks and gas seeping features were well defined on the MCRS and Chirp data.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.207-215
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• 2004

As the sea connecting with the East Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk is the most potential area of gas hydrates in the world. In other to examine geophysical structures of gas hydrate-bearing sediments in the Sea of Okhotsk, the CHAOS (hydro-Carbon Hydrate Accumulation in the Okhotsk) international research expedition was carried out in August 2003. In the expedition, high-resolution seismic and geochemical survey was also conducted. Sparker seismic profiles show only diffusive high-amplitude reflections without BSRs at BSR depth. It means that BSR appears to be completely different images on seismic profiles obtained using different frequencies. Many gas chimneys rise up from BSR depth to seafloor. The chimneys can be divided into two groups with different seismic characteristics; wipe-out (WO) and enhanced reflection (ER) chimneys. Different seismic responses in the chimneys would be caused by amount of gas and gas hydrates filling in the chimneys. In hydroacoustic data, a lot of gas flares rise up several hundreds meters from seafloor to the water column. All flares took placed at the depths within gas hydrate stability zone. It is interpreted that gas hydrate-bearing sediments with low porosity and permeability due to gas hydrate filling in the pore space make good pipe around gas chimneys in which gas is migrating up without loss of amount. Therefore, large-scale gas flare at the site on gas chimney releases into the water column.