Natural gas and gas hydrate accumulations within permafrost in Russia

Sudden natural gas blowouts from within the permafrost sections in West and East Siberia and some results of permafrost core samples study are presented. Topics covered include gas geochemistry, blowout intensity (gas flow rate), depth interval and permafrost rock peculiarities in places of these gas releases. Although microbial gas is widespread within permafrost, thermogenic gas can also occasionally migrate from deep gas reservoirs along faults, or be present locally in areas of gas reservoirs within the permafrost section. Gas can be preserved within permafrost in a free state as well as in hydrate form throughout the permafrost zone and be a potential threat to climate in the course of global warming. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.