RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF THE GAS HYDRATE ACCUMULATIONS OFF NORTH SAKHALIN (ESTIMATION BASED ON THE CHAOS PROJECT

Abstract

Methane hydrate occurrences related to an active gas vents in the Sea of Okhotsk are known from offshore Paramushir Island and offshore northeast Sakhalin Island (Zonenshayn,1987

Ginsburg et al., 1993). During the expedition of VNIIOkeangeologia and Dalmorgeologia onboard RV Geolog Piotr Antropov in 1991, ten gas vents were revealed on the continental slope offshore Sakhalin Island within the west flank of the Deryugin Depression at a water depth of 620-1040 m (Ginsburg et al., 1993). Location of the gas seepage sites has been detected using echo sounding and was determined by high methane concentrations in the water column (Obzhirov, 1992). Occurrence of the gas seepage sites on the continental slope northeast off Sakhalin Island within a 20 km wide zone that extends about 130 km from north to south and coring results suggested that this region is a large gas-hydrate-bearing province. The study area is located in the vicinity of oil- and gas-bearing fields on Sakhalin Island and adjacent shelf.