Open AccessDrilling program investigates permafrost gas hydrates
Author(s) -
Dallimore Scott R.,
Collett Timothy S.,
Weber Michael,
Uchida Takahashi
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2002eo000129
Subject(s) - permafrost , drilling , clathrate hydrate , scientific drilling , climate change , drill , geology , global warming , fossil fuel , earth science , physical geography , petroleum engineering , oceanography , hydrate , engineering , geography , mechanical engineering , chemistry , organic chemistry , waste management
On 25 December 2001, fieldwork began on a new gas hydrate research well program at the northeastern edge of the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada (Figure 1, top). The Mallik research well program of 2001–2002 will drill a 1200‐m deep main production research well, and, for the first time, two 1150‐m‐deep scientific observation wells offset 40 m from the main well (Figure 1, bottom) for geophysical monitoring of the main well. The science and engineering objectives are to assess the production properties of gas hydrates and determine the stability of continental gas hydrates both in terms of past climate warming events and in response to warming trends predicted by various climate change models.