Two fundamental objectives were established for the Mallik 2L-38 research-well program. The Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC), the Japan Petroleum Exploration Company (JAPEX) and other participating organizations from Japan sought to undertake a variety of verification studies in preparation for exploration drilling (in 1999) of gas hydrate deposits in the Nankai Trough, offshore Japan's eastern coast. These included the evaluation of technologies related to gas hydrate drilling, geophysics, casing, and production of an onshore site with known gas hydrate occurrences. In additon, a long-standing interest in gas hydrate occurrences in permafrost settings led the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to propose a comprehensive science program to quantify the geological, geophysical, geochemical, and engineering properites of an arctic gas hydrate occurrence. Following a long review process, a site for the gas hydrate research well was selected near Imperial Oil Mallik L-38, an existing industry exploration well drilled in 1972.
Location
Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada, North America;
Summary
Gas hydrate well: 1150 m; Core Drill: 10; Conventional: 2; PTCS: 2.
