Energy of the future
In a world first, Japan extracts 'fire ice' gas from seabed
Japan said on Tuesday it had successfully extracted methane hydrate, known as " fire ice", from its seabed, possibly unlocking many years' worth of gas for the resource-starved country.
In what they are claiming as a world first, a consortium is drilling for the hydrate, a fossil fuel that looks like ice but consists of very densely-packed methane surrounded by water molecules, one kilometre (3,300 feet) below sea level.
The solid white substance burns with a pale flame, leaving nothing but water. One cubic metre of it is estimated to contain many times the equivalent volume of methane in gas form.
"We aim to establish methane hydrate production technologies for practical use by the fiscal 2018 year" ending March 2019, a consortium official said.
"I hope we can make use of resources surrounding our country as soon as possible by clearing hurdles one by one," he added.
This has meant energy costs have shot up for Japan as it has been forced to buy pricey fossil-fuel alternatives.
The gas field is northeast of the Tokyo-controlled disputed islands — called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China — over which Asia's two largest economies have locked horns for months.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/In-a-world-first-...
To hell with global warming........80% of the world's population is living such a deprived life.......who cares if the world ends after a decade or two.......only those who are rich.
This is nature's way of making CNG under extreme pressure with some water molecules.
The compressed natural gas that we use to run vehicles is mainly methane (CH4)which is the simplest saturated hydrocarbon.
Wrong UK... I guess this is Methane in crystalline form... heavily compressed gas... thats why they say "Ice"...
its just a wild guess though...
Well the point was if you dont use what you have or what the creator has given you while you still can other options might come up which might make what you have not needed anymore
I guess it's similar to cow patties they burn in rural India?
accept credit card and westeruion
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Methane is always forming in the environment... whenever things decay... methane is produced the trick is to collect this for human and environments good...
In this Japan case too Methane was extracted from its already existing state.
Burning Methane fuel is cleaner and better than burning anykind of fuel available to mankind...
Best thing of Methane is anybody and everybody can produce Methane at home... and use it... relatively safely... it is actually safer than LPG (since LPG is compressed). It is the BEST fuel economically and environmentally.
Actually there is a school of thought that is trying to stop any kind of Methane production as Petroleum Companies will loose their strangle hold on countries... the biggest problem for them is that anybody can produce this at home... The only thing that they can find against Methane is that it explodes... but then LPG also explodes...
Another myth is that people are been brainwashed into thinking "Methane is not good for the environment".... if it is not good then collect the methane and burn it... so there will be no methane... and when it burns there will be no residue as in LPG..
Methane biogas derived from cow manure is also being tested in the U.S. According to a 2008 study, collected by the Science and Children magazine, methane biogas from cow manure would be sufficient to produce 100 billion kilowatt hours enough to power millions of homes across America.
over two million households in India, fifty thousands in Bangladesh and thousands in Pakistan, particularly North Punjab, due to the thriving population of livestock use Methane (Biogas).
Interesting..
I wonder if it will be viable, since a Japanese study has estimated that the deposits will provide for about 11 years of Japanese gas consumption.
we had lost one of our great late LP who was very good in Physics and chemistry and I am surprised by the above comments
It does not burn only to water - it also produces CO2 - a greenhouse gas.
am not sure, generally Methane is not good for the environment, but in this case it is Methane hydrate.
Finding an alternate is always welcome.