The USGS’s Critical Role in DOE’s Methane Hydrates R&D Program USGS Congressional Briefing Series July 27, 2007 Washington, DC Ray Boswell, Technology Manager for Methane Hydrates U.S. DOE/National Energy Technology Laboratory

National Energy Technology Laboratory Natural Gas Hydrates Setting the Stage  Before ~1980:  Few consider hydrate a significant part of nature  :  USGS documents gas hydrate occurrence in Alaska  USGS reports 320,000 tcf gas in place in US EEZ.  Japan starts massive 15-year program  2000:  MHR&D Act passed Glomar Challenger; 1982 Plugged Pipeline - Petrobras “Eileen” and “Tarn” trends – Collett, USGS, 1993 Kvenvolden, USGS, 1988

National Energy Technology Laboratory The Federal Interest in Hydrate R&D Arising from the recognition of the global scale of hydrates  A clear federal role  Long term, high risk, high potential payoff  Expanding international R&D  Multi-disciplinary  Wide range of public interest issues  Role in nature  Deep sea ecosystems  Sediment stability  Carbon cycle  Global climate  Economic significance  Safety of ongoing E&P  Future energy source DOE and USGS scientists collaborate aboard the JOIDES Resolution: NGHP Expedition 01 - Summer 2006

National Energy Technology Laboratory The USGS Contribution USGS Science + DOE Technology  The nature of the Gas Hydrate Program is unique in NETL’s portfolio  USGS has been…  a credible, reliable source of objective scientific expertise for DOE and its industrial- private partners  a valued partner in creating a “National R&D Program”  DOE’s gas hydrate program would not undertake a major field program or a new scientific direction without consultation and collaboration with the USGS USGS scientists contributing to field operations; DOE-Chevron Gulf of Mexico JIP – Spring 2005

National Energy Technology Laboratory The USGS Contribution …to Program Execution  DOE sponsored Field Programs  developing science plans  provide scientific leads during field operations 2007 Mt. Elbert Well, which demonstrated… … the ability to safely gather data in hydrate-bearing sediments …the validity of the USGS-developed gas hydrate exploration methodology …the producibility of gas hydrate via depressurization …the need to continue to a long-term production test  Experimentation  assuring work is relevant to important issues  pushing the state of the art  Numerical Simulation  ensuring modeled scenarios honor reality Dr. Timothy Collett (USGS) at the Mt. Elbert gas hydrate test well – Winter 2007

National Energy Technology Laboratory USGS Contribution …to International Gas Hydrate Collaborations  Mallik 2002 test well program (Japan, Canada)  IODP gas hydrate expeditions (Japan, EU, USA (NSF)  USGS: science and operations  DOE: supplemental funding for technology development  NGHP Expedition 01 (India)  113-day expedition in the Indian Ocean  unprecedented data quantity and quality  Significance to the program  foreign programs recognize US capabilities  grow DOE/NETL expertise  enable valuable leveraging of US R&D funds  advance DOE collaborations Derrick of the JOIDES Resolution – DGH-USGS gas hydrate expedition, summer 2006 Mallik India

National Energy Technology Laboratory Ray Boswell The Doyon 14 rig at Mt. Elbert – Alaska North Slope – February, 2007