Research Progress on Global Marine Gas Hydrate Resistivity Logging and Electrical Property Experiments

Natural gas hydrate is widely spread in marine environments around the world. It has great energy potential due to its high methane gas content. High-precision exploration and evaluation of marine gas hydrate still face great challenges as it is affected by the complex reservoir control mechanisms and distribution characteristics. Resistivity is widely used in geophysical logging and theoretical research on gas hydrate-bearing reservoirs by utilizing the high sensitivity electrical response. In this paper, based on the examination of the global marine gas hydrate occurrences, resistivity logging results are summarized. Then the key remaining gas hydrate resistivity experimental concerns are reviewed. In summary, resistivity properties are a reliable means to derive the gas hydrate reservoir characteristics, despite the effect induced by the anisotropic properties of hydrate reservoirs and drilling technology. The overall resistivity change associated with the occurrence of pore filling gas hydrate in reservoirs are relatively small, and the specific value is affected by sediment lithology and hydrate saturation. On the other hand, fracture filling hydrate reservoirs have strong anisotropy, and massive hydrate occurrences (i.e., layers of gas hydrate with no sediment) section shows very high resistivity variation. Clay minerals are an important factor restricting the accurate estimation of gas hydrate saturations from in situ resistivity measurements. Many experimental studies have proposed the correction of Archie empirical formula, but widely representative models have not yet been developed. It is worth noting that more complex resistivity measurements may be able to provide additional electrical response information on various gas hydrate systems.

Automated summary

Natural gas hydrate is widely distributed in marine environments and has great energy potential. Resistivity is a reliable method for deriving the characteristics of gas hydrate reservoirs, although it is influenced by the anisotropy of the reservoirs and drilling technology. The specific resistivity change depends on sediment lithology and hydrate saturation. Clay minerals are a limiting factor for accurately estimating hydrate saturations using in situ resistivity measurements. There is a need for widely representative models to correct for errors in resistivity measurements. More complex resistivity measurements may provide additional electrical response information on different gas hydrate systems.