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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

## Fact Sheet

## Methane Gas Hydrates

## ![](media/image2.png){width="0.8125in" height="0.8125in"}Summary

-   Gas hydrates are an extremely energy-rich form of natural gas.
    Hydrates are solid ice-like structures with natural gas molecules
    trapped inside, particularly methane. Gas hydrates are found in the
    permafrost and deep below the ocean's surface.

-   The apparent enormous volume of methane hydrate resources has raised
    interest in using methane hydrates as a future energy source.
    Nations around the world have begun methane hydrate research
    programs.

-   With the demand for natural gas expected to increase over the next
    10 to 20 years, gas hydrates may become an important source of
    natural gas to help meet this demand.

## Resource Potential

-   The US Geological Survey estimates that over 99% of U.S. hydrate
    potential underlies Federal offshore waters in sediments on the
    ocean floor. Other deposits are found onshore in Alaska permafrost
    areas.

-   The USGS estimate (2000) of U.S. in-place gas hydrate resources is
    200,000 tcf (mean estimate). This is many orders of magnitude larger
    than current estimates of over 1,100 tcf for conventional natural
    gas (undiscovered, technically recoverable gas resources). To put
    that into context, conventional gas resources equal a 50 year supply
    at current demand.

-   According to the Department of Energy, if only 1% of the methane
    hydrate resources could be made technically and economically
    recoverable, the U.S. could more than double its gas resource base.

-   Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico are proven exploration targets. In the
    Gulf of Mexico, industry has begun assessing hydrate potential on
    their oil and gas leases -- some hydrate prospects could be drilled
    from existing structures.

-   The first domestic production of hydrates could occur in Alaska for
    gas to support oil and gas field operations, or for commercial sale
    if and when a gas pipeline is constructed.

-   The timing for expected commercial production of hydrates is
    uncertain. Estimates vary on when hydrate production will play a
    significant role in total resource development.

##  Federal Government and Private Research Programs

-   The National Methane Hydrate Research Program is a collaborative R&D
    effort among DOE, Naval Research Lab, USGS, Minerals Management
    Service, NOAA and the National Science Foundation. The goal is to
    develop knowledge and technologies to allow production of methane
    hydrates. Research is also being conducted on the association of gas
    hydrates with biological communities on the ocean floor and the role
    of gas hydrates in climate change. In Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003,
    these agencies have spent \$15 million per year on methane hydrate
    research.

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-   The Department of the Interior maintains active research programs to
    advance fundamental understanding of gas hydrates and to support the
    applied science needed to safely produce this resource in the
    future:

    -   The USGS conducts basic research in characterizing both onshore
        and offshore hydrates with regard to geophysical and geochemical
        processes. 

    -   The MMS supports research that promotes safe operations in
        hydrate zones, protects unique environmental resources found in
        association with gas hydrate deposits, and characterizes hydrate
        reservoir characteristics. 

Industry is now conducting production tests and modeling for potential
commercial production of methane hydrates. Gas hydrate research wells
have been drilled in Canada, Alaska, Russia and Japan.