New energy source - methane hydrate

Well, when one doors closes we open another one eh?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324281004578356160674732462.html

Largest deposits of natural gas in the world consist of methane hydrate.

Thoughts?

Andrew

Known for a long time. Deposits are solid, under deep water, look like ice cubes that you can light on fire. Extraction would need to be in situ using heat and or solvent of some sort. Some evidence that deposits are mechanically unstable, and can 'landslide' and produce tsunamis 1000s of miles away. Makes little fracking quakes look like small taters

Isn't this the same stuff the really extreme AGW dormers say is going to start bubbling out of the ocean and turn the Earth to Venus?

lol. Either way, people will be drilling for it. Someone will develop a "safe" way to get it to services.... I don't doubt that it has been known for a long time (I remember a prof of mine at University talking about it...he was an inorganic chemist who loved crystals) but now it is going to be extracted which brings it to a new level for consumers...

It has always been present in Natural gas pipelines and increases costs of transport as they must remove all the water in the lines/gas so that no hydrates form. Otherwise the ice can impede the flow of gas.

Andrew

Most of the activity seems to be in Japan...which makes 'sense' based on their needs and resources. Don't see investment in NA at the present price of natgas!

I suppose. But if I wanted to keep something cold, the bottom of the sea would be a good place to keep it safe....hasn't been warm down there for a very long time.

Damn. I saw the title to this thread and thought I might be able to heat this place by wearing a set of diapers with a hose out the back.
No more splitting 6 cord a year!

Buzzkill.

"fire ice" as its been referred to in the past has been a known thing for quite a while, the potential for "slumping" out of the continental shelf is the worry tsunami wise.

geting the stuff out without losing it or causing these slumps seems to be proving difficult to do on a scale making it workable as a viable fuel source apparantly the japanese have figured out how to get the stuff up and out i heard a story on that yesterday but i do not really know the specifics

I may just try to buy a horse. Mounties used to ride them and it worked great

wonder what the DOT score for an amish wagon is. is there a "cafe" standard for horse drawn buggies? does the amish owner have to pay taxes on the hay to fuel the power source of the vehicle? if not do they pay a "user tax" to cover their "fair share" of the road's upkeep?

Ikea will buy up the wrecks.