Geoscience

Drilling Project for Natural Gas Hydrate in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

A feasibility demonstration meeting for the project of CAS Action-plan for West Development “the Drilling Project of Natural Gas Hydrate in Permafrost Regions of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau” based at the Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, CAS was held on Sep. 27. This project will investigate the existing proof for the natural gas hydrate in permafrost regions in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau through drilling operation in chosen places, and will develop geophysical investigation method suitable for natural gas hydrate and geochemistry index system for natural gas hydrate to explore its existence state and mechanism in the plateau. This project will promote the research of natural gas hydrate in permafrost regions and lays the foundation for the development and utilization of natural gas hydrate in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Meanwhile, it will also provide an ideal test place for the development of marine natural gas hydrate and is of great significance to the optimization of national new energy mix and the making of national energy policy.

Progress in Research of In-situ Stress

Prof. Shang Yanjun and his colleagues of the Division of Engineering Geology and Water Resources, the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, CAS focused their research on abnormal in-situ stress component values around the world. From 1,142 groups of relatively detailed measured in-situ stress values collected from reports and literatures, they sorted out igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks and metamorphism rocks and calculated respective average horizontal stress coefficient k and lateral coefficient λ(which is commonly used in China’s geological engineering) of these rocks. To better understand and estimate in-situ stress, they also made comparative analysis of in-situ data and typical cases with abnormal values. Their research results were published in the recent issue of the Geosciences Journal (Shang et al. Some large values of in-situ stress and related engineering geological problems in China. Geosciences Journal, 2010, 14: 135-153).