Oil patch bits: UAF leads project to map hydrocarbon seeps on seafloor

Petroleum News

The University of Alaska Fairbanks said Nov. 21 that researchers from the university are mapping oil and gas seeps off Alaska’s coast to better understand hydrocarbon resources and seafloor ecosystems. The work is being funded by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

At hydrocarbon seeps, fluids leaking from the Earth’s surface carry hydrocarbon gases, primarily methane but also ethane and propane. The fluids, which sometimes include crude oil, may ooze out slowly or bubble vigorously into the ocean. On land, seep locations have traditionally been used in prospecting for petroleum deposits. In the ocean, they can also be used to help assess oil and gas resource potential, and their chemistry can provide an environmental baseline to distinguish natural environmental conditions from oil spills.

UAF oceanographer Jennifer Reynolds is leading the project in collaboration with Fugro, a geo-data specialist company with decades of experience in Alaska and a global expert in seeps mapping. Fugro’s participation on the project is being led by geologist Kelley Brumley, a UAF alumna and seeps expert. Brumley and Reynolds are using the geology of the region to identify likely areas of additional seeps. They hope to check their predictions in future fieldwork at sea.

To map seep locations in the continental shelf off Alaska’s coast, the team is reviewing a century’s worth of reports, publications and data. Source information extends from the first days of Alaska oil and gas exploration a century ago through modern charting and fisheries surveys in Alaska waters.

“Every seep is important,” said Reynolds. “We’ll put all of them on the map and rate how confident we are about the accuracy of each location.”

“Fugro is thrilled to partner with UAF on this project. We share a long record of collaboration with the university on both public and private-sector projects,” Brumley said. She also noted that mapping natural seeps allows industry to focus their oil and gas exploration activities on the most promising areas, thereby reducing the need for large-scale 3D seismic programs. For more information visit https://news.uaf.edu.