Potential of gas generation and natural gas hydrate formation in the near seafloor sediment of the Ulleung Basin

울릉분지 천부 퇴적층에서의 가스 생성과 천연가스 하이드레이트 형성 잠재력

Basic studies on natural gas hydrates in the East Sea were been carried out by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) from 2000 to 2004 involving 2D multichannel seismic lines and piston coring. 27 piston cores recovered from the deed-water Ulleung Basin of the East Sea were analyzed in this study. In piston cores cracks generally developed parallel to bedding suggest significant gas content. The core analyses showed high total organic carbon (TOC) content, sedimentation rate and heat flow of sediments. The cores recovered from the southern study area show also high residual hydrocarbon gas concentrations for the formation of natural gas hydrates. This study indicates that there is the potential for the generation of biogenic gas and the formation of natural gas hydrates in the near seafloor sediments of the study area.