Breakthrough on new energy source

China announced yesterday it had made a breakthrough in excavating natural gas hydrate, the so-called “flammable ice”, which is believed to be a potential natural energy source.

Every cu m of gas hydrates could release 164 cu m of gas. Globally, the amount of organic carbon within all gas hydrate accumulations roughly doubles the volume of all known coal, oil and natural gas reserves, which will be used up in about 70 years, Zhang said.
Since 1999, the ministry has spent 500 million yuan on gas hydrate research projects in the sea, including an unsuccessful joint attempt by Chinese and German geologists to recover gas hydrates in 2004, when thick carbonate crust produced from methane and water molecules smashed the detection equipment.

On the international stage, the US and Japan have already spent $1 billion and $600 million dollars, respectively, on relevant research.

While developing countries seek to begin utilizing the resource by 2015, Zhang said that even 2030 would be an optimistic guess for China.

China has been importing oil since 1993 and is now the world’s second-largest oil importer after the US.

People’s Daily