Sea bottom characteristics and geochemistry of oil and gas seeps in the Gulf of Mexico

From 2015 to 2018, TGS conducted a comprehensive multiclient oil and gas seep hunting survey in the Gulf of Mexico. The basis for identifying seeps on the sea bottom was a high-resolution Multi-Beam Echo Sounder survey, mapping approximately 880,000 km2 of the sea bottom deeper than 750 m water depth, at a bathymetric resolution of 15 m and a backscatter resolution of 5 m. We have identified more than 5000 potential oil and/or gas seeps, and of those, we cored approximately 1500 for hydrocarbon geochemical analysis. The sea bottom features best related to hydrocarbon seepage in the GoM are high backscatter circular features with or without bathymetric expression, high backscatter features with “flow” appearance, mud volcanoes, pock marks, brine pools, “popcorn” texture, faults, and anticlinal crests. We also tracked gas plumes in the water column back to the sea bottom to provide an additional criterion for hydrocarbon seepage. Cores from sea bottom targets recovered liquid oil, tar, and gas hydrates. Oil extract and gas analyses of samples from most target types produced values substantially higher than background in oil and gas.

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Microbial sulfate reduction rates and sulfur and oxygen isotope fractionations at oil and gas seeps in deepwater Gulf of Mexico

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta ◽

10.1016/s0016-7037(99)00292-6 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

pp. 233-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 242

Author(s):

Paul Aharon ◽

Baoshun Fu

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Sulfate Reduction ◽

Oxygen Isotope ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Microbial Sulfate Reduction ◽

Sulfate Reduction Rates ◽

Gas Seeps

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Oil and Gas Seeps in the Gulf of Mexico

Habitats and Biota of the Gulf of Mexico: Before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽

10.1007/978-1-4939-3447-8_5 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 275-358 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Mahlon C. Kennicutt

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Gas Seeps

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Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf orders governing oil and gas lease operations

10.3133/25321 ◽

1980 ◽

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Continental Shelf ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Outer Continental Shelf

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Estimated oil and gas reserves, Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf, January 1, 1978

Open-File Report ◽

10.3133/ofr79551 ◽

1979 ◽

Author(s):

Floyd T. Bryan ◽

John H. Knipmeyer ◽

E. Kenneth Schluntz

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Continental Shelf ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Outer Continental Shelf

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Corrigendum to “Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and trace elements in four marine bird species from northern Canada in a region of natural marine oil and gas seeps” [Sci. Total Environ. 744 (2020) 140959]

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144682 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 144682

Author(s):

Jennifer F. Provencher ◽

Philippe J. Thomas ◽

Bruce Pauli ◽

Birgit M. Braune ◽

Ryan P. Franckowiak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trace Elements ◽

Aromatic Compounds ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Bird Species ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds ◽

Marine Bird ◽

Marine Oil ◽

Northern Canada ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Gas Seeps

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Atlas of gas chimney occurrences associated with oil and gas fields and dry holes: Case studies from deepwater Gulf of Mexico

10.1190/segam2015-5910718.1 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

David Connolly

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Case Studies ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Oil And Gas Fields ◽

Gas Chimney ◽

Gas Fields

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Finnmark Platform Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element, Barents Sea

Geological Society London Memoirs ◽

10.1144/m57-2020-20 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. M57-2020-20

Author(s):

E. Henriksen ◽

D. Ktenas ◽

J. K. Nielsen

Keyword(s):

High Frequency ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Upper Jurassic ◽

Source Rocks ◽

Basement Rocks ◽

Sea Bottom ◽

Middle Carboniferous ◽

Uralian Orogen ◽

Glacial Periods

AbstractThe Finnmark Platform Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element (CTSE), located in the southern Barents Sea, is a northward-dipping monoclinal structural unit. It covers most of the southern Norwegian Barents Sea where it borders the Norwegian Mainland. Except for the different age of basement, the CTSE extends eastwards into the Kola Monocline on the Russian part of the Barents Sea.The general water depth varies between 200-350 m, and the sea bottom is influenced by Plio-Pleistocene glaciations. A high frequency of scour marks and deposition of moraine materials exists on the platform areas. Successively older strata sub-crop below the Upper Regional Unconformity (URU, which was) formed by several glacial periods.Basement rocks of Neoproterozoic age are heavily affected by the Caledonian Orogeny, and previously by the Timanide tectonic compression in the easternmost part of the Finnmark Platform CTSE.Depth to crystalline basement varies considerably and is estimated to be from 4-5 to 10 km. Following the Caledonian orogenesis, the Finnmark Platform was affected by Lower to Middle Carboniferous rifting, sediment input from the Uralian Orogen in the east, the Upper Jurassic / Lower Cretaceous rift phase and the Late Plio-Pleistocene isostatic uplift.A total of 8 exploration wells drilled different targets on the platform. Two minor discoveries have been made proving presence of both oil and gas and potential sandstone reservoirs of good quality identified in the Visean, Induan, Anisian and Carnian intervals. In addition, thick sequences of Perm-Carboniferous carbonates and spiculitic chert are proven in the eastern Platform area. The deep reservoirs are believed to be charged from Paleozoic sources. A western extension of the Domanik source rocks well documented in the Timan-Pechora Basin may exist towards the eastern part of the Finnmark Platform. In the westernmost part, charge from juxtaposed down-faulted basins may be possible.

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