14 May 2024
Methane hydrates idea bubbles up again in Japan
Publication date: 12 March 2013
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Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) said on Tuesday it had for the first time successfully extracted natural gas from methane hydrates under the seabed, opening up a potential source of domestic energy for the energy-hungry country. The move is significant because it is the first extraction of methane hydrate deposits. But the idea of mining methane hydrates is not new – in fact it has been known about for many years, and was seen as the big new unconventional gas source well before the development of shale gas – and the commercial development of methane hydrates is still a long way off.