The northern Gulf of Mexico hosts numerous seafloor (<7m subbottom) occurrences of gas hydrate. The seafloor is dominated by salt-tectonic basin structures, high sedimentation rates (about 40 cm/yr), and complex late Neogene stratigraphy with common seafloor failures. Natural oil and gas seeps are abundant, usually associated with fault conduits resulting in numerous hydrocarbon vents, often capped by gas hydrate when the seeps are within the hydrate stability zone.