Pockmarks and gas seeps

The North Sea is one of the economically most important European margins with respect to the occurrence and exploitation of natural gas. The areas include surface structures such as gas seeps, pock marks and carbonate chimneys derived from diffuse or focused emissions of methane and around which methane transformations will be studied. Many gas seeps have been discovered in the North Sea associated with microbial mats, carbonate reefs and cold water corals by the METROL partner STATOIL.