Are we on the verge of stumbling upon an abundant source of fuel? Given that petroleum reserves are fast depleting and also getting more expensive, methane clathrate, also called methane hydrate, could offer respite from fuel scarcity. What the heck is that, you might ask. It’s a source of fuel that a team of Indian and Russian scientists have been attempting to research. They are looking at methane trapped in water crystals deep in the sea.It is estimated that the world has twice as much methane hydrate as all conventional coal-based fossil fuels put together.
Methyl gas hydrates don’t need refining. The gas emerges in a pure form, unlike petroleum which is obtained by refining crude oil. The Indo-Russian exploratory project was kick-started at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore in November 2002.
Experts involved in the project say the team of scientists target both the developing of a technology to harness undersea methane gas hydrate deposits, as well as locating deposits of hydrates in the coastlines of Russia and India. While exploration and excavation of gas hydrate nodules is relatively easy, the more challenging task on hand is to develop a technology to harness methane once it is brought to the surface.
Methane clathrate is only present in extremely low temperatures. For a long while, scientists assumed that it was only present in the outer regions of the solar system, where the temperatures are extremely low. However, since the discovery of Methane clathrate under sediments in the ocean beds of the earth, there have been moves to extract it. The extraction of methane clathrate is a delicate task, as methane gas is instantly released once the ice coverings of the nodules melt. The gas could thus be wasted if it is not harnessed immediately. However, so far, scientists have not been able to create a technology to harness the instantly-released methane gas.
Although this is a venture in which no deadlines can be fixed, the collaborative project aims at developing a technology to harness the gas by 2012. This was revealed by scientists at the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), which is also engaged in the exploration and research on hydrate nodules, so that the gas can be tapped.
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