Abstract This work proposed an additional approach to investigate gas hydrate occurrences in the Foz do Amazonas Basin, in the Brazilian Equatorial Margin. The automatic comparison of seafloor seismic amplitudes with those from the Bottom Simulating Reflectors (BSR) was used to exhibit the reversal of signal polarities among the seafloor (positive) and the BSR (negative), reinforcing the identification of BSR in areas where its visualization was unclear. Additionally, we used the envelope attribute to highlight the BSR in the seismic section. Subsequently, we decomposed the seismic data into different frequency bands, applied a -90 degrees phase rotation to the data and recalculated the envelope attribute for each section decomposed in frequency bands. This technique improved visualization, allowing the identification of intervals where BSR were laterally discontinuous, revealing to be valuable for mapping the gas hydrate distribution in Foz do Amazonas Basin.

Abstract The main reservoirs in the Linguado Field are grainstone and packstone carbonates composed of oolites, oncolites, pelloids, and rare bioclasts, of the Quissamã Formation (Albian-age) and coquinas of the Coqueiros Formation (Aptian-age). Within Quissamã Formation, facies have high porosity variations and their 3D characterization is of utter importance to allow for a better location of the wells. The objective of this study was a volumetric characterization of Quissamã Formation by means of an adapted classical workflow composed of well-seismic tie, seismic preconditioning, seismic interpretation, seismic inversion, petrophysical properties estimation, and porosity geostatistical modeling. Seismic inversion results allowed the interpretation of a horizon to separate the carbonate platform in an upper zone, with low acoustic impedance, from a lower zone, with high acoustic impedance. Finally, behavioral knowledge of acoustic impedance and the porosity distribution within the Albian carbonate platform helped to better characterize the distribution of carbonaceous facies allowing the confirmation that commercial wells were drilled in low acoustic impedance and high porosity regions. It was also possible to confirm that a well, declared as noncommercial, was drilled in a poor reservoir region with high acoustic impedance and low porosity and identified other locations that were not yet drilled but could represent potential targets.

RESUMO: Muitas pesquisas têm sido publicadas relacionando elevadas acumulações de hidrato de gás e o ciclo global do carbono. Nesse contexto, a determinação da profundidade da interface sulfato/metano (SMI) é importante para entender a dinâmica do fluxo de metano em locais rasos. Este artigo científico identifica a profundidade da SMI em sedimentos com base em perfis de concentração de sulfato e metano em testemunhos recuperados na Província do Hidrato de Gás do Cone do Rio Grande, Bacia de Pelotas, no Sul do Brasil. A forma dos perfis de concentração de metano e sulfato nos sedimentos pode ser relacionada à taxa de fluxo de metano da seguinte forma: (i) fluxo de metano quase linear, de alta difusão ascendente, com alta difusão de sulfato da água do mar; (ii) fluxo de metano irregular e taxas variáveis;(iii) perfil de tipo torção, que é indicativo de um fluxo de metano variável em vez de somente alto fluxo ascendente. As áreas em que o alto fluxo de metano foi identificado estão associadas com chaminés de gás em sedimentos dentro de pockmarks, enquanto perfis com baixo fluxo de metano estão presentes em áreas adjacentes. Essas chaminés aparecem como brancos acústicos nos dados sísmicos e, portanto, podem ser mapeadas na subsuperfície. A variação da reflexão sísmica que segue o SMI coincide com a ocorrência de nódulos e concreções de carbonato autigênicos. Além disso, elevados fluxos de metano e a ocorrência de concreções e nódulos de carbonatos foram correlacionados pela posição estratigráfica dos intervalos de concreções e perfis de sulfato.

ABSTRACT: Much research has been published regarding the relation between major gas hydrate accumulations and the global carbon cycle. In this context, the determination of the sulfate/methane interface (SMI) depth is of primary importance in order to understand the dynamics of methane flux in the shallow section. This paper identifies the depth of the SMI in sediments based on sulfate and methane concentration profiles in cores recovered in the Rio Grande Cone Gas Hydrate Province, Pelotas Basin, southern Brazil. The shape of methane and sulfate concentration profiles in the sediments can be linked to the local methane flux rate as follows: (i) near linear, high upward-diffusing methane flux coupled with high sulfate diffusion from seawater; (ii) irregular, variable methane flux rates; and (iii) kink-type profile, which is indicative of variable rather than strictly high upward methane flux. The areas in which a high methane flux was identified are spatially associated with gas chimneys in sediments within pockmarks, whereas profiles with low methane flux are present in adjacent areas. These chimneys appear as acoustic blankings in seismic records and can therefore be mapped in subsurface. The wavy-like seismic reflection following the SMI coincides with the occurrence of authigenic carbonate nodules and concretions. In addition, high methane fluxes and the occurrence of concretions and nodules carbonates were correlated by stratigraphic position of the concretions bearing intervals and sulfate profiles.

RESUMO: Vesículas elípticas ocas são observadas em afloramentos de arenitos argilosos muito finos e siltitos lacustrinos do Membro Pitanga da Formação Maracangalha, expostos na Ilha de Maré, sudeste da Bacia do Recôncavo, Estado da Bahia, Brasil. Essas rochas foram depositadas em condições subaquosas e são consideradas depósitos gravitacionais do tipo slurry. Essas feições têm sido tradicionalmente interpretadas como sendo estruturas de escape de água, resultado da ação do diapismo de folhelhos sotopostos da Formação Candeias. Este trabalho propõe que as vesículas foram geradas durante uma intensa dissociação de hidratos de gás em resposta à atividade tectônica existente naquele sistema lacustre. O soerguimento tectônico do fundo do lago teria propiciado a redução da pressão confinante nos poros sedimentares, bem como o aumento de temperatura nas águas de fundo, resultando na instabilidade dos hidratos de gás contidos nas porções rasas dos sedimentos e causando uma violenta liberação de metano - ou gás carbônico (CO2) - e água. Se correta, esta proposta tem um grande impacto na interpretação paleoambiental da Bacia do Recôncavo, uma vez que corroborará com a hipótese corrente de que as rochas do Membro Pitanga teriam sido depositadas em ambientes profundos, suficientes para a formação de hidratos de gás e a consequente dissociação em período de soerguimento. Por outro lado, permite uma interpretação adicional acerca da gênese de estruturas de escape de fluidos em rochas sedimentares, lacustres ou marinhas, servindo como um potencial indicador de paleobatimetria.

ABSTRACT: Empty elliptical vesicles are observed in outcrops of Barremian very fine clayey sandstone to siltstone lacustrine slurry deposits of the Pitanga Member (Maracangalha Formation), exposed in the Maré Island, Southern Recôncavo Basin, Brazil. These sedimentary features have been traditionally interpreted as water escape structures triggered by the diapirism of the underlying shales of the Candeias Formation. This work proposes that vesicles were generated during massive gas hydrate dissociation as a result of tectonic activity in a paleolake system. Tectonic uplift would have triggered both the reduction of the confining pressure as well as an increase in lake bottom temperature, resulting in the instability of gas hydrate and causing intense release of both methane - or carbon dioxide (CO2) - and water. On one hand, this proposal has a strong impact on paleoenvironmental interpretations, giving support to the current hypothesis that rocks related to the Pitanga Member would have been deposited under water columns deep enough for gas hydrate formation and subsequent dissociation. On the other hand, it provides new insights on the genesis of fluid escape structures in sedimentary rocks, both lacustrine and marine, providing a paleobathymetric indicator.