NATURAL GAS HYDRATES: POTENTIAL FUTURE ENERGY RESOURCE

Gas hydrates, potentially one of the most important energy resources for the future, are naturally occurring ice-like solids in which water molecules trap gas molecules in a cagelike structure known as a clathrate. Although many gases form hydrates, methane hydrate is by far the most common. Gas hydrates exist in huge quantities in marine sediments below the sea floor and are found in association with permafrost in the Arctic. The volume of carbon contained in methane hydrates worldwide is estimated to be twice the amount contained in all fossil fuels on Earth. The demand for natural gas throughout the world makes the immense volumes of methane hydrates worldwide an extremely attractive research target. However, the contribution of gas hydrate's role in meeting world energy needs will depend on the availability, producibility, and cost of extracting methane from the hydrate phase. The overall resource base and producibility of gas hydrates is still very much in question, in part because gas hydrates are not stable at normal sea-level pressures and temperatures. Despite the obstacles to the study and development of gas hydrate resources, it is important to remember that research breakthroughs and technological developments have led to the utlization of resources once thought to be unavailable, such as coalbed gas. This presentation will highlight some of the recent research, production tests, assessments, and critical studies that may ultimately lead to facilitating gas hydrate's contribution to the world's energy mix.