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I've seen it speculated that the methane sitting at the ocean's floor would supply the US with 700 years of natural gas. Until recently there had been little interest in it due to the extreme depths and associated hazards of recovery in light of the relative ease with which our current supplies can be obtained.
Others speculate that warming ocean temperature's may cause the melting of this "Ice that Burns", releasing it to the atmosphere and compounding our ghg problem. Japan was the first country to begin experimenting with uses for the frozen fuel, and now others, the US included, is looking at this fuel source. This article from todays (5/14/08) NGV Global.
Methane Hydrates Optimism Expands Natural Gas Horizons Source - Oil & Gas Journal Friday, 09 May 2008 USA, Houston
Although technical and economic obstacles have yet to be resolved, methane hydrates production feasibility could be demonstrated on a commercial scale by 2020, and commercial production might get underway by 2025 according to a report coming out of the Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston on May 8. The US Geological Surveys Energy Resources Program has said the world's gas hydrates accumulations exceed the volume of known conventional gas resources. It's estimated the US gas hydrates resources could total 200,000 tcf of gas in place and that world hydrates resources could total about 700,000 tcf of gas in place. In the US this year, a gas hydrates joint industry project (JIP), working in cooperation with government agencies, is expected to drill three deep water wells in the Gulf of Mexico.
Others speculate that warming ocean temperature's may cause the melting of this "Ice that Burns", releasing it to the atmosphere and compounding our ghg problem. Japan was the first country to begin experimenting with uses for the frozen fuel, and now others, the US included, is looking at this fuel source. This article from todays (5/14/08) NGV Global.
Methane Hydrates Optimism Expands Natural Gas Horizons Source - Oil & Gas Journal Friday, 09 May 2008 USA, Houston
Although technical and economic obstacles have yet to be resolved, methane hydrates production feasibility could be demonstrated on a commercial scale by 2020, and commercial production might get underway by 2025 according to a report coming out of the Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston on May 8. The US Geological Surveys Energy Resources Program has said the world's gas hydrates accumulations exceed the volume of known conventional gas resources. It's estimated the US gas hydrates resources could total 200,000 tcf of gas in place and that world hydrates resources could total about 700,000 tcf of gas in place. In the US this year, a gas hydrates joint industry project (JIP), working in cooperation with government agencies, is expected to drill three deep water wells in the Gulf of Mexico.
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