Skip to comments.With gas from methane hydrates added to shale and natural gas, ....thousand years ...supply?
Posted on 05/03/2012 12:28:24 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Methane hydrates represent the largest source of hydrocarbons in the earths crust.
Methane clathrate (CH45.75H2O), also called methane hydrate, hydromethane, methane ice, fire ice, natural gas hydrate, or gas hydrate is a solid clathrate compound (more specifically, a clathrate hydrate) in which a large amount of methane is trapped within a crystal structure of water, forming a solid similar to ice. Originally thought to occur only in the outer regions of the Solar System where temperatures are low and water ice is common, significant deposits of methane clathrate have been found under sediments on the ocean floors of Earth.
The worldwide amounts of carbon bound in gas hydrates is conservatively estimated to total twice the amount of carbon to be found in all known fossil fuels on Earth.
While production of usable gas from methane hydrates is still some way away, DoE reports on successful tests:
New Energy and Fuel
By injecting a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen into a methane hydrate formation (pdf link) on Alaskas North Slope, the DOE partnering with ConocoPhillips and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp was able to produce a steady flow of natural gas in the first field test of the new method. The test was done from mid-February to about mid-April this year. ..
While everyone is suggesting that methane hydrate production is some time in the future, we might note that a partner is from Japan, a country that has been buying via imports virtually all its energy and fuel inputs. A glance at the map of potential reserves shows that Japan may well pour on the intellectual and financial power to get results much quicker than many expect.
On the other hand, for North Americans natural gas is ratcheting down to dirt cheap, with more resources with the new horizontal drilling and reserve fracturing available on land and significant amounts of natural gas at sea in already developed areas. ..
It would seem that with shale gas added to natural gas resources and the potential for methane hydrates, that we will have gas available for a thousand years.
Shh don’t tell barry.
The Greenies are gonna get concerned.
So,,, if I fart into my freezer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The only thing all this gas will do is to ratchet up the left’s global warming lies so they can redistribute even more wealth.
The dark lord will never allow us to drill for this amount of fuel.
Gots to be careful with these babies. They are thought to have caused the die off off most species on earth. Either the meteor or this methane are the most likely suspects of a mass die-off.
You mean to say there is hope for the poor birds flying into moving blades and the poor scorpions having to relocate from solar farms. :)
"Gots to be careful with these babies. They are thought to have caused the die off off most species on earth. Either the meteor or this methane are the most likely suspects of a mass die-off."Any links to this theory?
I'm persuaded that the great flood had something to do with any dieoff - given that we find sea shells across every area of every continent.
And by the way:
And it uses Carbon Dioxide....some concern about having enough of it.
Links? Sure, look under methane release - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleocene-Eocene_Thermal_Maximum
And I agree the Great Flood did kill off huge numbers of creatures.
If so, why (in a sane world) would we EVER build another electricity-generating windmill? Why would we EVER build another electric car? Why would we EVER hear the words "algae" and "power" in the same sentence?
The problem is in my parenthetical. It ain't a sane world.
I’m sure the EPA will find a way to prevent its development.
Maybe we can cap all those cow farts too.
Seems like this sort of supply of NG could even be used as a source of Hydrogen for fuel cells . . .
Thanks will read later...
Wait 'til they get good at finding it. They're still improving their methods of finding petroleum.
HUMMM “Methane hydrates” think I’ll have Chili tonight!
How in the He(( are they going to herd us all into high speed cattle cars , oops, I mean high speed rail?
Thanks Ernest. Zero will make a major policy-shift speech about this, saying we must move beyond a modern society.
Also thanks neverdem for the additional ping.
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