Deep-sea dive with Alvin submersible

Improved Characterization Drilling Safety and sea-floor stability Methane Hydrate as a Resource Hydrate and Global Climate Hydrates and Deep Marine Life

Interest in natural methane hydrate is rapidly expanding around the globe. Many nations, intrigued by the vast volumes of methane contained in hydrate, and the promising results of recent well tests in Japan and Canada, are starting to look toward hydrate as a possible source of energy for the future. The widespread occurrence of methane hydrate promises to dramatically alter the international balance of power with regard to energy supply, and to provide energy self-sufficiency to many nations now dependent on others.

Before attempts at methane extraction from hydrates can begin, much more needs to be known. In the near term, the primary focus of hydrate researchers is improved characterization. Fundamental questions such as quantities, distributions, modes of occurrence, physical and chemical properties, and many others, must be answered. Such information is necessary to develop computer models that can accurately predict the behavior of hydrates and hydrate-sediment systems under changing conditions. As information is gained and analytical tools are developed, these will be applied to three broad natural methane hydrate R&D topics:

• Drilling Safety and Seafloor Stability. In recent years, the oil and gas industry has moved into progressively deeper water in pursuit of conventional oil and gas deposits. Drillers are faced with thicker sequences of shallow, hydrate-laden sediments. Dissociation of near-surface hydrate caused by drilling and production activities poses hazards to both personnel and equipment. In order to mitigate drilling problems and safety risks, new data on the properties of hydrates need to be analyzed. The connection between natural changes in seafloor environments, hydrate dissociation, and mass movements of seafloor sediments is critical.
  
• Climate. Over the past decade, scientists have recorded a progressive increase in global air temperatures -a phenomena known as global warming. Although it is not yet clear to what degree human activities have contributed to this trend, it is well documented that the trend does exist. It is also known that methane is a key greenhouse gas, along with carbon dioxide and water vapor. By statute, one of the primary goals of the National Methane Hydrates R&D Program is to investigate the possible connection between natural methane hydrate and global climate processes. The recent discovery that methane hydrate is the single largest global storehouse of organic carbon necessitates re-thinking the global carbon cycle.
  
• Resource Potential. In addition to safety and environmental concerns, the improved understanding of the basic nature of natural methane hydrate will allow for more accurate assessment of the resource potential of methane hydrate. Exploration tools that better define the location of sweet spots, sampling tools that allow detailed characterization of the resource, and production testing to analyze the extractability of the resource – these are all important areas of research and development that will lead us closer to production of methane from hydrate.