Quantification of gas hydrate saturation and morphology based on a generalized effective medium model

Numerous models have been developed for prediction of gas hydrate saturation based on the microstructural relationship between gas hydrates and sediment grains. However, quantification of hydrate saturation and morphology from elastic properties has been hindered by failing to account for complex hydrate distributions. Here, we develop a generalized effective medium model by applying the modified Hashin-Shtrikman bounds to a newly developed cementation theory. This model is validated by experimental data for synthetic methane and tetrahydrofuran hydrates. Good comparison of model predictions with experimental measurements not only reveals its ability to merge the results of contact cementation theory and effective medium theory, but also indicates its feasibility for characterizing complex morphologies. Moreover, the results of inverting acoustic measurements quantitatively confirm that for synthetic samples in “excess-gas” condition gas hydrates mainly occur as a hybrid-cementing morphology with a low percentage of pore-filling morphology, whereas for pressure-core hydrate-bearing sediments in natural environments they exist as matrix-supporting and pore-filling morphologies with a very low percentage of hybrid-cementing morphology. The hydrate saturations estimated from sonic and density logs in several regions including northern Cascadia margin (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 311, Hole U1326D and Hole U1327E), Alaska North Slope (Mount Elbert test well) and Mackenzie Delta (Mallik 5L-38), are comparable to the referenced hydrate saturations derived from core data and resistivity, and/or nuclear magnetic resonance log data, confirming validity and applicability of our model. Furthermore, our results indicate that ~8% hybrid-cementing, ~33% matrix-supporting and ~59% pore-filling hydrates may coexist in the fine-grained and clay-rich marine sediments on the northern Cascadia margin, whereas ~10% hybrid-cementing, ~54% matrix-supporting and ~36% pore-filling hydrates may coexist in the coarse-grained and sand-dominated terrestrial sediments of the Alaska North Slope and Mackenzie Delta.