A seismic study to investigate the prospect of gas hydrate in Mahanadi deep water basin, northeastern continental margin of India

The presence of gas hydrates, one of the new alternative energy resources for the future, along the Indian continental margins has been inferred mainly from bottom simulating reflectors (BSR) and the gas stability zone thickness mapping. Gas hydrate reserves in Krishna Godawari Basin have been established with the help of gas-hydrate related proxies inferred from multidisciplinary investigations. In the present study, an analysis of 3D seismic data of nearly 3,420 km2 area of Mahanadi deep water basin was performed in search of seismic proxies related with the existence of natural gas hydrate in the region. Analysis depicts the presence of BSR-like features over a large areal extent of nearly 250 km2 in the central western part of the basin, which exhibit all characteristics of a classical BSR associated with gas hydrate accumulation in a region. The observed BSR is present in a specific area restricted to a structural low at the Neogene level. The coherency inversion of pre-stack time migration (PSTM) gathers shows definite inversion of interval velocity across the BSR interface which indicates hydrate bearing sediments overlying the free gas bearing sediments. The amplitude versus offset analysis of PSTM gathers shows increase of amplitude with offset, a common trend as observed in BSR associated with gas hydrate accumulation. Results suggest the possibility of gas hydrate accumulation in the central part of the basin specifically in the area of structural low at the Neogene level. These results would serve as preliminary information for selecting prospective gas hydrate accumulation areas for further integrated or individual study from geophysical, geological, geochemical and microbiological perspectives for confirmation of gas hydrate reserves in the area. Further, on the basis of these results it is envisaged that biogenic gas might have been generated in the region which under suitable temperature and pressure conditions might have been transformed into the gas hydrates, and therefore, an integrated study comprising geophysical, geological, geochemical and microbiological data is suggested to establish the gas hydrate reserves in Mahanadi deep water basin.