石油および環境バイオテクノロジージャーナル

概要

Natural Gas Hydrate as an Upcoming Resource of Energy

Amit Arora, Swaranjit Singh Cameotra and Chandrajit Balomajumder

With increasing energy demand and depleting energy resources, gas hydrates may serve as a potentially
important resource for future energy requirements. Methane gas hydrates is one such source of methane gas which is trapped in crystalline ice like structure in permafrost regions and beneath the sea in outer continental margins. It is estimated that total amount of carbon in the form of methane hydrates, far exceeds the carbon content in all the fossil fuel reserves put together and hence these are supposed to be the future potential energy resource. Like several other countries, India has also started a national gas hydrate programme for focussed exploration and possible exploitation of this important natural gas resource. This review article briefly takes up the issues related to understanding of methane hydrates, their origin, occurrence, energy potential and its exploitation techniques.