1. Christian Berndt oceansurv, Cowes, Isle of Wight
Focused fluid flow systems in continental margins – Implications and recent advances
Christian Berndt
oceansurv, Cowes, Isle of Wight
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

2. Overview Introduction Gas hydrates Volcanic intrusions Geohazards
Focused fluid flow systems
Relevance of focused fluid flow systems
Seismic imaging
Gas hydrates
Volcanic intrusions
Geohazards
High-resolution 3D seismic acquistion system
Conclusions, outlook and possibilities for collaboration
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

3. Fluid flow in passive margins
Berndt, 2005
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

4. Why fluid flow research?
Fluid flow is the most important link from the subsurface to the seabed and many seabed processes cannot be understood without this link
Fluid flow/seepage and sedimentation are the two most important carbon fluxes from/to the geosphere
Fluid flow has important implications for hydrocarbon exploration and production, but it is only understood for very simple cases
Fluid flow is highly relevant to society on a short term as opposed to many other geological processes
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

5. Specific fields of research
Fluid flow in passive margins is an important aspect of the Earth System
Fluid flow controls the release of carbon into the ocean and into the atmosphere
Fluid flow provides nutrients for chemosynthetic ecosystems
Fluids and gas migration poses the most dangerous hazard to offshore exploration and scientific ocean drilling
Fluid flow controls the distribution of natural energy resources (oil, gas, condensates, gas hydrates)
Weaver et al., 2004
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

6. What does seafloor methane hydrate look like?
Methane hydrate (clathrate)
Methane (CH4) gas molecule trapped in lattice of water (H20) molecules
Dissociates (solid → gas)
High P, low T
Pictures: IfM-Geomar
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

7. Where do we find methane hydrates?
United States Geological Survey
Berndt et al. 2003
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

8. Geophysical response to gas hydrates
Gas hydrate quantification through
Seismic velocity response
Seismic attenuation EM
High Q = low Q-1
Western Svalbard Hydratech OBS tomography results, Rossi et al. (2007)
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

9. Evidence for gas hydrates
Vanneste et al., 2006
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

10. Intrusive volcanism in sedimentary basins
Break-up related volcanism
Sill intrusions into the sedimentary basins
Contact metamorphism releasing huge amount of carbon into the atmosphere
Early Eocene climate optimum
Explosive eruption of greenhouse gas
Formation of pipes and explosion craters
Svensen et al. 2005
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

11. Distribution of vent complexes on the Norwegian Margin
735 mapped
likely present
1-2 km below the sea floor
Mud volcanism in Azerbaijan as a modern analogue to gas explosions? (Photo: BBC, 2001)
Svensen et al., 2004
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

12. Volcanic intrusions in the Faeroe Shetland Basin
Vents in the Faeroe Shetland Trough
Berndt and Hili, 2006
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

13. Free gas and slope stability linkage
Masson and Berndt , 2006
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

14. Blow outs from free gas accumulations: A major geohazard
Gas blow-outs are the single biggest geohazard for the offshore industry
Every year blow-outs happen causing casualties
3D imaging of shallow gas accumulations is necessary for avoiding blow-outs
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

15. P-Cable projects P-Cable is patented technology by VBPR
Joint development project involving VBPR, NOCS, UTromsoe, and IfM-Geomar
A seismic cable towed perpendicular to the vessel’s steaming direction
Many single-channel seismic streamers attached to a wire held in place by two doors
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

16. Mercator Mud Volcano Gulf of Cadiz
BSR
Berndt et al., 2007
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

17. 3D visualisation Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance
Berndt et al., 2007
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

18. Overview Introduction Gas hydrates Volcanic intrusions Geohazards
Focused fluid flow systems
Relevance of focused fluid flow systems
Seismic imaging
Gas hydrates
Volcanic intrusions
Geohazards
High-resolution 3D seismic acquistion system
Conclusions, outlook and possibilities for collaboration
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

19. Summary
Focused fluid flow systems are extremely relevant to society as they control our environment in the short term
Understanding the involved physical processes is instrumental for assessing their role in
climate change
chemosynthetic ecosystems
distribution of energy sources
geohazards (tsunamis, slides, etc.)
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

20. Possible Collaborations
Influence of halokinesis on fluid migration patterns / cementation and drilling problems around salt diapirs
Effects of fluid migration/gas hydrates on sea bed stability
Mud volcanoes as a window to deeper hydrocarbon systems
Thermal structure from BSR depth
Effect of sill intrusions on sedimentary basins
Carbon sequestration
Site surveys
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance

21. Contact details Dr. Christian Berndt oceansurv 32 Denmark Road Cowes
Isle of Wight
PO31 7SZ
United Kingdom
Consulting projects will be carried out by oceansurv.
Scientific projects will be carried out either through National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, or IfM-Geomar, Kiel depending on project.
Scientific targets and hydrocarbon industry relevance