China discovered ‘combustible ice’ on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in September 2009, and the deposit is equivalent in energy to 35 billion tons of oil, sufficient to power China for 90 years.
Qinghai province is allowing energy companies and researchers to work out how to access the frozen methane hydrate while minimizing environmental damage. A cubic meter (35.3 cu.ft.) of combustible ice yields 164 cubic meters (5,792cu.ft) of natural gas. The methane trapped within the water ice molecule is clean burning and gives almost no pollutants – other than carbon dioxide and water.
Many countries, including the USA, Russia and Japan, have methane hydrate (or clathrate) and are actively pursuing its use as an energy source. Various estimates put the carbon content of the hydrates in world deposits at anywhere between 10% to 50% of that of fossil fuels, so it may be an important fuel as well as a significant source of GHG emissions. Disturbing the hydrates during extraction can also release methane into the atmosphere.
Via Xinhuanet News
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