Seismic wave attenuation in a methane hydrate reservoir

Abstract

Elastic-wave data collected around the world in sediments with methane hydrate point to significant velocity increases due to the presence of the hydrate in the pores. This effect can be easily understood if we recall that gas hydrate is a solid as opposed to brine or gas. By filling the pore space, gas hydrate acts to reduce the porosity available to the pore fluid and increase the elastic moduli of the solid frame. However, it is difficult to reconcile this effect with more recent observations that the attenuation of elastic waves grows with increasing gas hydrate concentration.