Potential of porosity waves for methane transport in the Eugene Island field of the Gulf of Mexico basin

摘要

The Eugene Island minibasin and hydrocarbon field in the northern Gulf of Mexico basin is a well documented occurrence of anomalously rapid fluid migration. A variety of evidence suggests that hydrocarbons ascended through kilometers of very low permeability sediments separating source rocks and reservoirs at velocities up to kilometers per year. Previous research has shown that porosity waves could transport petroleum at millimeter per year velocities under a narrow range of low permeabilities. The purpose of the current research was to test the hypothesis that porosity waves could transport methane much more rapidly than oil.