| Summary: | Natural methane hydrates have a potential of being an alternate fuel resource. They occur worldwide in the sediments of continental margins and in polar regions in association with permafrost. Methane hydrates are ice-like crystalline solids, composed of water and gas molecules and are thermodynamically stable within a limited range of pressure and temperature. The global amount of carbon stored in methane hydrates is conservatively estimated to be about 10,000 Gigatons, which is nearly double the amount of carbon stored in all known fossil fuel deposits. The presence of methane hydrates within the sediments can largely be detected through geophysical techniques and by non-geophysical proxies. Though harvesting of methane hydrates has not been initiated to date, some interesting ideas have been conceived for the production of methane from hydrates and its transportation to shore. Apart from being an abundant fuel resource, methane hydrates are also a matter of concern, as destabilization of sub-seabed methane hydrates can cause geological hazards and/or release of methane - a powerful green house - to the atmosphere. Research on the methane hydrate system may also lead to the development of useful downstream technologies, such as desalination of seawater and sequestering of exhaust-generated carbon dioxide in the deep seabed.
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