Arendal
(Norway), 23 August 2010 - As global demand
for energy grows and continues to outpace
supply for the foreseeable future, so does
pressure to explore the use of methane hydrates
as an economically-viable energy source.
Global reservoirs of methane gas have long
been the topic of scientific discussion
both in the realm of environmental issues
such as natural forces of climate change
and as a potential energy resource for economic
development. Of particular interest are
the volumes of methane locked away in frozen
molecules known as hydrates.
Methane gas hydrates
are formed when gas and water are brought
together in a relatively unusual environment
of high pressure and low temperature.
Examples include beneath
thick frozen soils in the Arctic and in
certain settings in the global oceans.
Although rough estimates
of the global volume of occurrences of methane
gas hydrates are as high as 22,000 trillion
cubic meters it is generally agreed that
only a small percentage of this might ever
be recoverable. In the United States alone,
the United States Geological Survey estimates
the resource potential at approximately
5,600 trillion cubic meters. Assuming only
1% recovery, these deposits could meet the
natural gas needs of the country (at current
rate of consumption of 0.62 trillion cubic
meters) for the next 100 years.
In order to synthesize
the rapidly evolving scientific knowledge
and technological development related to
methane hydrates, the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), via its collaborating
center in Norway, GRID-Arendal, is in the
process of conducting a Global Outlook on
Methane Gas Hydrates,
Research into the hydrates
is being conducted by internationally-renowned
scientists from the United States, Canada,
Norway, Germany, Japan, India and Korea.
Industry is represented by Norwegian producer
Statoil and oil services group Schlumberger,
while the UK-based NGO Forum for the Future
is working to develop possible future scenarios
involving methane gas hydrates and the global
energy mix.
"Many nations are
operating under the assumption that initial
gas hydrate production (on a test scale)
could occur by 2015, with the more realistic
timeframe of 10-15 years for large scale
commercial production", said Yannick
Beaudoin, Project Manager at GRID-Arendal.
The main implications
of the research into methane hydrates revolve
around the possible environmental costs
of developing this new energy source versus
their overall value to society. However,
Mr. Beaudoin notes, "the environmental
impact of gas hydrate development cannot
be well understood until initial field tests
are conducted."
Ultimately, the research
into methane gas hydrates is expected to
guide government and industry officials
in their decision-making, and produce an
online knowledge resource on this important
topic.
You can follow the progress of the Global
Outlook on Methane Gas Hydrates here: http://www.methanegashydrates.org
