Columbia Technology Ventures

Logging tool measures methane content in methane hydrate, a prominent form of permafrost, through microwave attenuation

Greenhouse gas emissions have been steadily increasing the global temperature for the past century. One greenhouse gas, methane, has had increasing emissions due to cattle farming, rice fields and melting permafrost. In particular, permafrost is often composed of methane hydrate, methane gas trapped in frozen water molecule lattices. To combat this foreboding climate change issue as well as investigate a potential large energy source, this technology has devised ways to evaluate the amount of methane gas encaged in methane hydrate. Current methods for investigating structural and physical properties of the earth are unable to distinguish paths and interconnected pours present in methane hydrate. This technology involves boring a hole into the permafrost and measures the dielectrics using attenuation of microwaves between two antennae.

Determination of methane content in permafrost enables evaluation of potential methane emissions as well as terrain stability.

This technology allows for the measurement of the methane content present in methane hydrate, which was previously not accessible. This measurement will shed light on the amount of energy that can be harnessed and/or the amount of methane that could be released into the atmosphere. Additionally, the technology can assess these geological reservoirs' local terrain and slope stability. This technology was used for measurements in Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada.

Lead Inventor:

David Goldberg, Ph.D.

Applications:

  • Measures methane content in methane hydrate / permafrost.
  • Assesses the amount of potential methane that could be released into the atmosphere or that could be harnessed for fuel.
  • Evaluates the stability of local terrain of methane hydrate.

Advantages:

  • Is able to access a porous material's fluid flow and thermal and mechanical properties e.g. fractured rock deep in the earth's crust.
  • Can more accurately measure the methane content in permafrost fields than any other method to date and therefore accurately project the future fuel content.

Patent information:

Patent Pending (WO/2006/031872)

Tech Ventures Reference: IR M04-075

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