The dissociated methane hydrates can be secondary or tertiary methane source in a sedimentary basin.

What is it about?

In the hydrocarbon (biogenic methane) provinces with deep sea salt deposits, exists chlorinity anomaly, with fresh water reservoir water. The article describes the possibility of a tertiary methane source in the Transylvanian Basin-Romania. The methane released from the deep hypersaline brines trapped as methane hydrates can furnish further methane source after dissociation. The methane stored in the hydrates can migrate in the classical reservoirs and generates a strong chlorinity anomaly for the reservoirs reducing their salinity. Exists a lot of modern analogy for such deposits like i.e. the Black Sea region.

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Why is it important?

In the hydrocarbon (biogenic methane) province the classical idea, for the methane source, is considered the simple organic material degradation of the sedimentary deposits. But in many cases the gas quantity exceed the possibly generated gas amount, and it is indicated to look for further methane sources. One source we consider to be the methane hydrate (MH) deposits, where enormous gas can be stored for million of years. Once the MH equilibrium is broken, the methane become free, and will migrate to classical traps. The water, from the dissociation will dilute the former reservoir salty water, creating important chlorinity anomaly. By these indirect characters researcher should thing about the existence of secondary or tertiary methane sources for biogenic methane.

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