Japan said Tuesday that it had extracted gas from offshore deposits of methane hydrate — sometimes called “flammable ice” — a breakthrough that officials and experts said could be a step toward tapping a promising but still little-understood energy source.
The gas, whose extraction from the undersea hydrate reservoir was thought to be a world first, could provide an alternative source of energy to known oil and gas reserves. That could be crucial especially for Japan, which is the world’s biggest importer of liquefied natural gas and is engaged in a public debate about whether to resume the country’s heavy reliance on nuclear power.
Experts estimate that the carbon found in gas hydrates worldwide totals at least twice the amount of carbon in all of the earth’s other fossil fuels, making it a potential game-changer for energy-poor countries like Japan. Researchers had already successfully extracted gas from onshore methane hydrate reservoirs, but not from beneath the seabed, where much of the world’s deposits are thought to lie.
The exact properties of undersea hydrates and how they might affect the environment are still poorly understood, given that methane is a greenhouse gas. Japan has invested hundreds of millions of dollars since the early 2000s to explore offshore methane hydrate reserves in both the Pacific and the Sea of Japan.
That task has become all the more pressing after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis, which has all but halted Japan’s nuclear energy program and caused a sharp increase in the country’s fossil fuel imports. Japan’s rising energy bill has weighed heavily on its economy, helping to push it to a trade deficit and reducing the benefits of the recently weaker yen to Japanese exporters.
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said a team aboard the scientific drilling ship Chikyu had started a trial extraction of gas from a layer of methane hydrates about 300 meters, or 1,000 feet, below the seabed Tuesday morning. The ship has been drilling since January in an area of the Pacific about 1,000 meters deep and 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, south of the Atsumi Peninsula in central Japan.
With specialized equipment, the team drilled into and then lowered the pressure in the undersea methane hydrate reserve, causing the methane and ice to separate. It then piped the natural gas to the surface, the ministry said in a statement.
Hours later, a flare on the ship’s stern showed that gas was being produced, the ministry said.
“Japan could finally have an energy source to call its own,” said Takami Kawamoto, a spokesman for the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, or Jogmec, the state-run company leading the trial extraction.
The team will continue the trial extraction for about two weeks before analyzing how much gas has been produced, Jogmec said. Japan hopes to make the extraction technology commercially viable in about five years.
“This is the world’s first trial production of gas from oceanic methane hydrates, and I hope we will be able to confirm stable gas production,” Toshimitsu Motegi, the Japanese trade minister, said at a news conference in Tokyo. He acknowledged that the extraction process would still face technical hurdles and other problems.
Still, “shale gas was considered technologically difficult to extract but is now produced on a large scale,” he said. “By tackling these challenges one by one, we could soon start tapping the resources that surround Japan.”
The Latest Bing News on:
Methane hydrate
- Satellites can help find and stop methane leakson April 16, 2024 at 4:48 am
April 16 (UPI) --Far more methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is being released from landfills and oil and gas operations around the world than governments realized, recent airborne and satellite ...
- More climate-warming methane leaks into the atmosphere than ever gets reportedon April 15, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Far more methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is being released from landfills and oil and gas operations around the world than governments realized, recent airborne and satellite surveys show.
- Methane from landfills is detectable from space – and driving the climate crisison April 9, 2024 at 8:44 am
Landfill trash is the third-largest source of human-caused methane pollution in the US. To fight global heating, curb waste An elusive climate menace is now easier than ever to see. In early March ...
- Scientists retrieve rare methane hydrate samples for climate and energy studyon April 8, 2024 at 8:15 pm
A scientific drilling mission in the Gulf of Mexico has returned with 44 cores from a methane hydrate reservoir deep under the seafloor. Globally, energy-rich methane hydrates hold an estimated 15 ...
- Carbon dioxide, methane levels in the atmosphere hit record highs last yearon April 8, 2024 at 10:09 am
Scientists are also worried about the rapid rise in atmospheric levels of methane, a shorter-lived but more potent heat-trapping gas. Both jumped 5.5% over the past decade. READ MORE: EPA proposes ...
- Exploding craters and overflowing landfills are unexpected sources of methaneon April 2, 2024 at 4:59 pm
The craters that periodically appear in northern Siberia are thought to be linked to climate change (Credit: Getty Images) A new methane-monitoring satellite is turning a powerful eye on methane ...
- Column: South Texas can lead on methane reductionon March 28, 2024 at 10:44 pm
Relatedly, methane hydrate is a chemical compound that can be used as fuel more efficiently than pure methane and is made up of just methane and water, two highly abundant resources. Japan has ...
- A potent planet-warming gas is seeping out of US landfills at rates higher than previously thought, scientists sayon March 28, 2024 at 11:23 am
Garbage piling up in landfills isn’t just an eyesore, it’s also a climate nightmare, belching out large amounts of planet-warming methane gas. In the United States, the problem could be much ...
- ‘Garbage Lasagna’: Dumps Are a Big Driver of Warming, Study Sayson March 27, 2024 at 5:01 pm
Decades of buried trash is releasing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, at higher rates than previously estimated, the researchers said. By Hiroko Tabuchi They’re vast expanses that can be as ...
- Column: South Texas can lead on methane reductionon March 26, 2024 at 5:00 pm
In the wake of COP28 and Texas environmentalists calling for substantial environmental action, the energy industry in Texas is looking for realistic ways to produce the energy we need more ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Methane hydrate
[google_news title=”” keyword=”methane hydrate” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
[/vc_column_text]
The Latest Bing News on:
Hydrate reservoir
- This Seemingly Silly Luxury Is Actually Important For Your Pet's Healthon April 23, 2024 at 4:00 am
“Water fountains can deliver a lot of benefits for cats and dogs,” said Dr. Danielle Bernal, a veterinarian who specializes in animal nutrition and works on-staff at Wellness Pet Company. For starters ...
- I’ve seen the future, and it’s really salty: Testing Flowbio’s new wearable hydration sensoron April 22, 2024 at 5:31 am
The sold-out sensor already has WorldTour adoption, but given time it could become as ubiquitous as the heart rate monitor ...
- 11 Easy Ways to Stay Hydrated, According to Celebrity Nutritionistson April 20, 2024 at 5:24 pm
“Everything in your body depends on optimal hydration, from organ function to hormone balance,” explains Los Angeles-based nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. “When you’re hydrated, your joints ...
- Covered reservoir could be in Highland Park’s future: See what Rush’s looks likeon April 19, 2024 at 4:59 pm
RUSH, N.Y. – Covering reservoirs is not new. But after workers pulled a body from Highland Reservoir last month, the idea is getting News10NBC’s Eriketa Cost took a tour of the city’s only ...
- The 10 Best Body Oils That Hydrate, Nourish And Soften Skinon April 18, 2024 at 4:28 pm
The best body oils are lightweight, hydrating and nourishing, often giving skin a beautiful sheen. Oils can also strengthen the skin barrier and deliver radiance-boosting antioxidants for long ...
- No. 8 Glenelg softball shows its fight, battles back for 6-4 win over No. 1 Reservoiron April 18, 2024 at 2:31 pm
Glenelg softball was down to its final out and trailing Reservoir by a run. Coach Anna Pallozzi encouraged her players to remain calm and seek contact. A walk and a single set the table for Rylie ...
- Marathon fuel and hydration: How science can help runners avoid hitting the wallon April 18, 2024 at 2:08 am
While each training run can provide a different piece, most runners would be wise to consider how they will utilise fuel and hydration on the day, in order to fit the whole thing together.
- Sites Reservoir project northwest of Sacramento gains momentumon April 17, 2024 at 6:34 pm
MAXWELL — The conversation surrounding California's water continues. The Sites Reservoir project northwest of Sacramento has a price tag of $4 billion and is funded by local, state and federal ...
- California's Largest Reservoir Is Almost Completely Fullon April 16, 2024 at 5:46 am
Lake Shasta, the state's largest reservoir, neared capacity last year, but began declining in the summer. This year, Lake Shasta's water levels began significantly improving in January after a ...
- Aurora neighbors still fighting to stop fracking near Colorado reservoiron April 12, 2024 at 8:54 pm
When Randy Willard moved to southeast Aurora 10 years ago, he was surprised that the oil and gas company, Civitas, was trying to frack near the Aurora Reservoir and his new home. "We got a letter ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Hydrate reservoir
[google_news title=”” keyword=”hydrate reservoir” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]