For Chinese exploration of potential methane hydrate loading in their coastal region Strategic Carbon (SC) LLC will provide methane hydrate site assessment prior to deep hydrate well drilling and logging. This activity optimizes drill site selection and provides significant cost savings. Typical borehole drilling and well logging costs 10-20 million USD. An expedition that utilizes geochemical, geological, and geophysical analyses to guide borehole site selection can cost as little as 1 – 2 million USD. Strategic Carbon founders have demonstrated the benefits of a complete pre-drilling site survey: 1) In expeditions off the mid-Chilean margin, geochemical data indicated low deposits of deep sediment methane while seismic (only) data indicated high methane hydrate deposits; 2) At Atwater Valley, on the Texas-Louisiana Shelf, a raised seismic bottom simulating reflection was correlated with porewater chloride anomalies and methane advection showing deep salt diapirs reduced; 3) A recent survey of methane hydrate deposits on the Chatham Rise found no vertical methane fluxes in a large region where, conversely, seismic data had indicated high hydrate potential. → Go to Full Report
