METHANE HYDRATESCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE
Evaluating the resource potential ofmethane hydrate and understanding
its role in global climate changeINTRODUCTION
Methane hydrate represents a potentially vast methane resource for the United States and the world.
Once thought to be rare in nature, gas hydrates are now known to occur in great abundance inassociation with arctic permafrost and in the shallow sediments of the deep-water continental shelves.
The most recent estimates of gas hydrate abundance suggest that they contain more organic carbon
than all the world’s oil, gas, and coal combined.
The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Methane Hydrates R&D Program, managed by the
National Energy Technology Laboratory is to collaborate nationally and internationally to advance thescientific understanding of naturally occurring gas hydrates. Specific goals are to develop a more
complete understanding of the resource potential of methane hydrate and its role in climate change. In
pursuit of this mission, the program is proceeding along three parallel paths. The first path is to confirm
the scale and nature of the potentially recoverable resource through drilling and coring programs. The
second is to develop the technologies to safely and efficiently find, characterize, and recover methanefrom hydrates through a combination of field testing, numerical simulation, and controlled laboratory
experimentation. The third is to develop a more thorough understanding of gas hydrate’s role in thenatural environment, including its linkages to global climate change.
Going forward, the Methane Hydrate R&D Program is being designed to fill in the gaps in knowledge
along the three paths described above. The first path—confirming the scale and nature of thepotentially recoverable resource—will be achieved through pressure core sampling and high-resolution
seismic imaging in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Atlantic margin, and the rest of the nation. The second
path—developing technologies to safely and efficiently find, characterize, and recover methane fromhydrates—will be pursued by optimizing approaches to site review and project logistics, developing
new Alaska science wells for testing depressurization; and optimizing arctic and deepwater production
systems. The third path—understanding the role of gas hydrates in the environment and its linkages
to climate change—will be realized through arctic and Atlantic margin field work and developing andrefining predictive climate models.
This document is intended to provide a background on what is known about methane hydrate(Chapter 1); a status update on current Methane Hydrate R&D Program activities (Chapter 2); and a
description of R&D goals as projected into the near-future (Chapter 3). The U.S. Methane Hydrates
R&D Program has made significant advances over the past 15 years, and a number of projects
are currently underway that will advance our understanding of this fascinating resource even more.
Additional R&D will be tailored to address critical remaining questions and challenges.

Disclaimer
Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, orotherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States
Government or any agency thereof. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of theiremployees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy,completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use
would not infringe privately owned rights.

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METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATETABLE OF CONTENTSICE THAT BURNS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
What is Methane Hydrate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
Where is Methane Hydrate Found? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
Methane Hydrate and Global Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
Methane Hydrate as a Future Energy Resource  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S METHANE HYDRATE
R&D PROGRAM TODAY  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A Balanced Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
Identifying Knowledge Gaps  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
Project Portfolio Highlights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
Key Accomplishments  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  24

METHANE HYDRATE R&D NEEDS GOING FORWARD  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
U.S. DOE Hydrate Program Strategy for the Future  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  26
Long-Term Goals (2015–2030) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  27
Near-Term Goals (2015–2020)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  27
Technical Focus Areas for Short-Term Activities (2015–2020) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  30
Technology Transfer and Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  34

SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  35
How to Learn More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  37
Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  38

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

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ICE THAT BURNS
Pressure, temperature, and availability of sufficient quantities of water and methane
are the primary factors controlling methane hydrate formation and stability.

What is Methane Hydrate?
Methane hydrate is a naturally-occurring clathrate
in which a host lattice of water-ice encloses guest
molecules of methane. The gas molecules are notchemically bound to the water molecules but instead
are trapped within their crystalline lattice. The resulting
substance looks remarkably like white ice, but it does not
behave like ice. When methane hydrate is “melted,” orexposed to pressure and temperature conditions outside
those where it is stable, the solid crystalline lattice turns
to liquid water, and the enclosed methane molecules are
released as gas. This process, called dissociation, canbe demonstrated by lighting a match next to a piece ofModel of a methane molecule
enclosed in water-molecule “cage.”4

methane hydrate; the heat from the match will cause thehydrate to dissociate, and the methane molecules will beignited as they are released. This results in the curious
spectacle of what appears to be burning ice.
Methane hydrate is a material that only occurs inparticular environments, because it requires very specificphysical conditions to form and remain solid. Pressure,temperature, and availability of sufficient quantities ofwater and methane are the primary factors controlling
methane hydrate formation and stability.

Methane hydrate dissociating withthe methane ignited – “burning ice.”

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEThe graphs below are phase diagrams, showing thepressure and temperature ranges where methane hydrate
is able to form. The horizontal axis shows temperature,
increasing from left to right, and the vertical axis shows
depth of burial, increasing from top to bottom. Because
fluid pressure increases with depth below the surface ofthe earth or the ocean, depth serves as a proxy for fluidpressure in hydrate phase diagrams.
The curved red line is the methane hydrate phaseboundary. Above and to the right of this boundary,temperatures are too warm, and pressures are too low
for methane hydrate to form, so methane can only bepresent as a gas. Below and to the left of this boundary,solid methane hydrate is able to form and remain stable,
because temperatures are sufficiently low, and fluidpressures are sufficiently high to sustain the solid phase.

Other factors can affect the stability of methane hydrate.
For example, higher salt content in pore water within
sediments can restrict hydrate formation, just like roadsalt keeps ice from forming on highways. Elevated salinity
has the effect of shifting the hydrate phase boundary
to the left—essentially requiring colder temperatures toform hydrate. Similarly, the presence of small amounts ofgases other than methane, such as carbon dioxide (CO2),hydrogen sulfide (H2S), or heavier hydrocarbons such as
ethane (C2H6) can act to shift the phase boundary to theright, so that hydrate can form at higher temperatures.
The depth zone where temperatures are in the range tosustain solid hydrate is called the gas hydrate stability
zone and is indicated by vertical arrows on the phase
diagrams shown below.

Phase diagrams showing depth and temperature ranges, in pink, where hydrate may form and remain stable.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

5

Because methane hydrate can only remain solid at
low temperatures and high pressures, it is difficult
to recover methane hydrate samples intact, whether
the samples are collected from the seafloor or fromdeeply buried sediments. As soon as a sample isbrought to the Earth’s surface, it will follow a pressuretemperature path that is upwards and towards theright across the phase boundary. Dissociation of
hydrate into water and methane will occur, unlessthe sample is maintained during retrieval, or quicklypressurized or refrigerated after retrieval to keep it
within the hydrate stability envelope.
Methane hydrate is a fairly concentrated form ofnatural gas. When dissociated at normal surface
temperature and pressure, one cubic foot of solid
methane hydrate will release about 164 cubic feet ofmethane gas. This is one of the reasons people areinterested in methane hydrate as a potential sourceof methane for energy supply.

Illustration showing dissociation of hydrate into water and methane.

Where is Methane Hydrate Found?
Methane hydrate is known
to occur in both terrestrial(onshore) and marine (offshore)environments throughout theworld. Terrestrial deposits havebeen found in polar regions,
hosted in sediments within
and beneath permafrost.
Marine occurrences have beenfound mainly in sediments ofthe Earth’s outer continental
margins. These are the natural
settings where methane andwater are present, and wherepressure and temperature
conditions are suitable to formand sustain hydrate.
The methane that is captured
in methane hydrate may havebeen generated by biogenicor thermogenic processes.
Biogenic methane is the common
by-product of bacterial ingestionof organic matter. This is the6

Location of sampled and inferred gas hydrate occurrences worldwide.
(Map courtesy of Timothy S. Collett, USGS)METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEsame process that produces methane in swamps, and it
occurs continually within buried sediments all aroundthe globe. Biogenic processes are capable of producing
vast amounts of methane and are considered to be thedominant source of the methane trapped in hydrate
accumulations in shallow seafloor sediments, as shownin the diagram below.
Thermogenic methane is produced by the combined
action of heat and pressure over long periods of time indeeply buried organic material. Over time and with deep
burial, organic-rich source beds are literally pressurecooked, with the result being the production of large
quantities of oil and natural gas. Along with the oil, thenatural gas (largely methane, but also ethane, propane,and other gases) slowly migrates upward due to its
relative buoyancy. Where sufficient quantities of gas reachthe zone of hydrate stability, this gas is able to combinewith water in the sediments to form methane hydrate, as
shown below.

Given the pressure-temperature relationship found indeep marine environments, it might seem that hydrate
could accumulate anywhere in ocean-bottom sediments
where water depth exceeds about 400 meters. However,very deep sediments are generally not thought tocontain large quantities of hydrate. The reason is thatvery deep oceans lack the high biologic productivity
needed to create the organic matter that generates
methane, and they lack the rapid sedimentation rates
needed to deeply bury the organic matter. These
conditions do exist along the continental margins—areas where the continental shelf transitions to thedeep ocean. As a result, this is where large quantitiesof methane hydrate are thought to exist in themarine environment.

Gas Hydrate in Nature

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

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Methane Hydrate and Global Climate
Methane hydrate deposits hold immense volumes ofmethane, primarily stored in sediments of the Earth’s
outer continental margins and polar regions. The total
amount of carbon stored in these deposits amounts to
many thousands of gigatons and, in fact, far exceeds
the quantity of carbon that currently resides in theatmosphere. Clearly, methane hydrate has an importantrole in our planet’s global carbon cycle, primarily as acarbon storage reservoir.
Methane is also a significant greenhouse gas, representing
about 10 percent of our nation’s greenhouse gas
emissions in recent years. It is much less abundant andmuch shorter-lived in our atmosphere than carbon
dioxide, but it is a potent greenhouse gas—meaning it
is highly effective at trapping the sun’s radiation. For allof these reasons, methane hydrate is gaining recognition
as an important player in global climate processes andclimate change.
Beyond these basic assertions, many questions remain.
What is the best estimate for how much methane
resides in methane hydrate accumulations throughout
the world? A current estimate is 5,000 Gigatonnes, as
illustrated below.

Estimates of Gigatonnes mobile carbon in gas hydrate relative to otherorgainic materials and environments. (Courtesy of W. Waite, USGS).

8METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEA related question is, what is the natural methane
flux from methane hydrate deposits in marine andnon-marine environments? Also, what role do gas
hydrates play in mediating the movement of carbon
between the Earth and its atmosphere? How stable are
hydrate deposits in Polar Regions, and how much do they
contribute to observed methane releases? How sensitive
are methane hydrate deposits to climate change in Arctic
regions? How sensitive are marine hydrate deposits towarming of ocean waters? How can we most effectively
minimize the risk of unintended dissociation of gas
hydrates in future production scenarios?

Illuminated hydrate mound. (Photo courtesyof Scripps Institute of Oceanography).

Ice worms in methane hydrate.

Photo credit NASA.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE9

In recent years the U.S. Department of Energy’s Officeof Fossil Energy has stepped up efforts to addressthese and other questions. Experts from universities andnational laboratories are working to quantify methane
flux from hydrate in a variety of settings and to define
the potential impacts of methane hydrate formationand dissociation on the global carbon cycle. Scientists
are also studying natural consumption of methane bymicrobes in marine waters, to determine how muchmethane makes its way upward through the watercolumn and to the atmosphere. Ongoing studies arealso underway to improve maps of the distribution andconcentration of hydrate deposits in particular geologicalsettings. Data and results from such studies will enablemethane hydrate to be more accurately incorporated
into global climate models.

Methane creation in the environment. (Courtesy of W. Waite, USGS).

10METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEGlobal carbon cycle. (Courtesy of W. Waite, USGS).

On an international level, DOE program representatives
have participated in recent years in an initiative
launched by the United Nations Environment Program(UNEP), to develop a comprehensive review of thescience and technology of gas hydrates. UNEP worked
with an international steering committee and with
scientists and engineers throughout the gas hydrate
research community to publish Frozen Heat, A Global
Outlook on Methane Gas Hydrates. This publicationis organized in three volumes: Volume 1, A Review
of Gas Hydrates in Nature; Volume 2, The Potential
Significance of Gas Hydrates as an Energy Resource;
and an Executive Summary, A 32-Page Summary of theReport. This report is intended for a global audienceof policy makers, the general public, and otherstakeholders. It is available online at http://www.netl.
doe.gov/research/oil-and-gas/methane-hydrates.

The three-volume Frozen Heat publication.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

11

Methane Hydrate as a Future Energy Resource
The worldwide volume of methane held in methane
hydrate is immense. A frequently quoted estimate of
the global methane hydrate resource is 20,000 trillion
cubic meters, or about 700,000 Tcf. It is important to point
out, however, that only a small portion of this enormous
resource is likely to be harvested as an energy fuel.
Gas hydrates have the potential to provide significant
supplies of clean-burning domestic natural gas to meet
future energy needs. The largest domestic resources
are estimated to be present in Alaska and the Gulf of
Mexico. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2008
estimated there are about 85 trillion cubic feet ofundiscovered, technically recoverable gas resources ingas hydrates in northern Alaska. In the Gulf of Mexico,
marine in-place gas hydrate resources in the mostfavorable reservoir settings have recently been assessedby the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
at more than 6,000 trillion cubic feet, and a 2012 reportfrom BOEM indicated large potential resources off the
U.S. Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well.
These estimates are continually refined and improved,
as researchers obtain new and better information about
the location and concentration of methane hydrate
through direct sampling, laboratory testing, modeling,
and geophysical detection.

Table 1. BOEM in-place gas hydrate resource volumes for
the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS). Units are trillion cubic feet; 1 x 1012 ft3.
Resource volumes have not been subject to geologic risk.

In-Place Gas Hydrate Resources
Region12

Gas (TCFg)
95%

Mean

5%

Atlantic OCS

2,056

21,702

52,401

Pacific OCS

2,209

8,192

16,846

Gulf of Mexico OCS

11,112

21,44434,423METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

Gas hydrate in-place resource assessment by U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

13

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’SMETHANE HYDRATE R&D PROGRAM TODAY
The FE Hydrate Program aims to develop a comprehensive understandingof the resource potential of methane hydrates and the role that hydrates
may play in climate change.
Since the passage of the Methane Hydrate Researchand Development Act of 2000, the DOE has led, throughits Office of Fossil Energy and the National Energy
Technology Laboratory, a coordinated Methane Hydrate
R&D Program in collaboration with other federal agencies,
universities, industry, and international partners. The DOE
program mission is to collaborate with international entities
and with other U.S. government agencies to advance thescientific understanding of gas hydrates as they occur innature. More specifically, the program aims to develop acomprehensive understanding of the resource potential ofmethane hydrates and the role that hydrates may play inclimate change.

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In keeping with this mission, the current program isstructured to advance along three paths. The first path
is to confirm the scale and nature of the potentially
recoverable resource through drilling and coring
programs. The second is to develop the technologies
to safely and efficiently find, characterize, and recovermethane from hydrates through a combination of fieldtesting, numerical simulation, and controlled laboratory
experimentation. The third is to better understandgas hydrate’s role in the natural environment and its
linkages to global climate change.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEA Balanced Program
The DOE strives to manage a methane hydrate research program that is well balanced and focused on knowledge
gaps in key areas including: resource characterization, production potential, and global environmental andsafety impacts.
The National Research Council (NRC), in its 2010 review of the program, foundthat DOE’s “overall management of the Program has been consistent andeffective.” Further, the NRC found that “the positive impact the Program ishaving on raising the profile of and interest in methane hydrate as a potential
energy resource, and the rate at which the Program is moving toward the goalof achieving production of methane from methane hydrate accumulations are
all commendable.”

A 2010 review of the gas hydrate program was conductedby the National Research Council and can be found at:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12831/realizing-the-energypotential-of-methane-hydrate-for-the-united-states.

In its existing portfolio, DOE continues to focus on theobjectives supported by the NRC review; “to develop
a comprehensive knowledge base and suite of tools
and technologies that will enable: 1) safe and economic
methane production from hydrate while minimizing
environmental impacts, and 2) full integration of hydratescience into our understanding of global environmental
and climate processes.”
International collaboration is a vital part of the program,and the DOE FE Hydrate Program is committed toworking with international partners whenever feasible
to achieve common goals. Such cooperation promotes
open exchange of information on gas hydrate occurrencesfrom a wide range of geologic and geographic settings.
International projects also provide a framework for gaining
a wide breadth of experience with field sampling andanalysis tools. Recent international collaboration has beenwith major national R&D programs in Japan, India, andSouth Korea.

South Korean researchers conducting amethane hydrate science expedition.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

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Identifying Knowledge Gaps
Methane hydrate resource volumes, particularly marine
hydrate resources that are most prospective for
production, remain poorly defined. Large areas of the
U.S. outer continental shelf are virtually unexplored, with
only a handful of wells having been drilled for hydrate
evaluation in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific andAtlantic seaboards.
The commercial producibility of gas hydrate reservoirs
is also not well known. A limited number of production
tests have been conducted to-date, with the first
deepwater test occurring offshore Japan in the Spring of2013. A series of controlled scientific field experiments,
followed by extended duration production test wells andleading to commercial- scale multi-well demonstrations,
are needed to determine the rates and volumes atwhich methane can be extracted and to assess potential
environmental impacts.

Several gas hydrate production strategies are being
investigated. Simple depressurization holds the mostpromise in terms of potential flow rates. However,methane production via carbon dioxide (CO2) injection is
also considered a viable approach that could be adopted
for future production systems.
Potential environmental and safety issues associated withdifferent gas hydrate production strategies are also in needof investigation. The geomechanical stability of a hydrate
reservoir may change during and after production, so
laboratory testing and modeling of different production
scenarios prior to a field test are key. In addition, carefulborehole and reservoir stability monitoring during a
production field test are essential.
Studies of methane in the atmosphere are also needed todevelop a more complete understanding of gas hydrate’srole in releasing methane into the natural environment.
Methane release from hydrates may impact the health ofthe oceans, and it may contribute to climate change.

Pore-filling in coarse grained sand.
(Courtesy of Dallmore and Collett, 2005)

Methane gas flare resulting from methane hydrate
depressurization test, Daini Atsumi Knoll, eastern
Nankai Trough, Japan. Photo credit: JOGMEC.

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Sea-floor instability.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEProject Portfolio Highlights
The DOE FE Methane Hydrate Program’s project portfolio
has been formulated to address these knowledge gaps.
Most of the R&D projects are field and laboratory efforts
being conducted through partnerships with industry andacademia and supported by work performed by DOE’s
National Laboratories and collaborating federal agencies.

Production
Investigations of the production potential of onshore gas
hydrates associated with permafrost have utilized thenatural laboratory of North Slope of Alaska. Projects havebeen completed in the Milne Point Unit (Mt. Elbert well)and the western Prudhoe Bay region (Ignik Sikumi well).

Individual methane hydrate projects fall primarily into four
categories: 1) production projects; 2) characterization
projects; 3) climate change projects; and 4) international
efforts. Ongoing and recently completed projects in thesecategories are summarized as follows.

Mt. Elbert-01 well, in the Milne Point Unit; andPBU L-106 Ignik Sikumi well, Prudhoe Bay Unit.
hydrate projects in the Alaska North Slope.

Logs from Mt. Elbert test well in Milne Point field near
Prudhoe Bay on the Alaskan North Slope. The gamma ray(GR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logs show that
pre-drilling estimates of formation thickness and methane
hydrate gas saturation (Sgh) based on seismic data were very
accurate, supporting the conclusion that seismic exploration
tools could be used to prospect for methane hydrate deposits.
(Courtesy of Mt. Elbert Science Team).

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

17

The Milne Point project was led by BP Exploration Alaska, with extensive
contributions from USGS scientists. In 2006–2008, the USGS analyzed log andseismic data and identified a dozen gas hydrate prospects. The Mt. Elbert well
was drilled and tested on one such prospect in 2009, confirming the presenceof gas hydrate in reservoir quality sandstone.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is completing ongoing modeling efforts
focused primarily on the evaluation of CO2-CH4 exchange as an effective
production strategy.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is continuing its program of integrated
laboratory and numerical modeling to enable the prediction of gas hydrate
response to depressurization-induced production. In 2017, LBNL completed
initial simulations of a long-term production test at their Indian Hydrates site
number nine. LBNL plans to continue with new simulations that focus onreservoir conditions at site number nine.
Gas flare from Ignik Sikumi test well.

Summary of CO2-CH4 exchange production test results, showing well pressure (black line) and gas production rate
(purple line) as a function of time. Stages of production are indicated by shading: unassisted flow-back (green shading);
jet-pump assisted flowback above gas hydrate stability pressure (tan shading); at hydrate stability pressure (pale yellow
shading); and below gas hydrate stability (dark yellow shading). Note that the production was stable after 20 days andclearly responding to induced pressure changes. Sand production, CH4 stability, and CO2 stability also shown.

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METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

Additionally, NETL is conducting a range of experimental
and numerical modeling studies designed to enableimproved planning, implementation, and interpretationof DOE-sponsored field programs related to gas hydrate
resource potential.

A number of the field efforts described above would not
be possible without results derived from the DOE’s Fossil
Energy Program’s fundamental science projects. These
projects include laboratory and numerical modeling efforts.
One important project is an international methane hydrate
reservoir modeling and numerical simulation consortium.
This effort is led by NETL and has resulted in significant
advances in all of the leading numerical simulators that are
utilized to examine methane hydrate production behavior.
Such simulators are essential for accurate planning andpredicting methane hydrate production tests.

Characterization
Recent and ongoing marine hydrate characterization
investigations have been focused in large part on thenorthern Gulf of Mexico, with some recent efforts in the
Cascadia Margin area of the Pacific Northwest.
A project carried out by a DOE-Chevron Joint Industry
Project (JIP) included a comprehensive site selection
process for drilling and coring expeditions that took
place in 2005 and 2009. In 2005, JIP scientists carriedout logging while drilling operations at two sites in thenorthern Gulf of Mexico in order to develop safe drilling

Map of the geophysical response of the target horizon.
Red areas have seismic response consistent with that
confirmed to indicate gas hydrate in the WR313-G well.
Derrick of the Q4000 at WR313.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

19

practices in hydrate-bearing areas. In 2009, the JIP
conducted a second expedition to drill test wells at three
deepwater sites selected using methods that target
sand-rich reservoirs. The project resulted in the discoveryof several gas hydrate accumulations with 50–80 percent
saturation, confirming the effectiveness of pre-drill
exploration techniques.
The University of Texas at Austin is currently leading
an effort to conduct further gas hydrate sampling andanalysis at northern Gulf of Mexico sites discovered by
the Chevron JIP in 2009. This new project is currently inthe throes of expedition planning and analysis of existing
data. Ultimately, the project team will revisit Gulf of Mexico
methane hydrate sites for collection of core samples,in-situ measurements, and pressure perturbation testing.
Project partners have not ruled out exploring otherareas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf as well. Asof May 2017, the complementary project proposal wasapproved and the projected start date for a large-scale
research expedition is early 2020.

Climate Change
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Los Alamos
National Lab recently completed an effort to couple
leading gas hydrate reservoir simulators and ocean
circulation models to enable prediction of the responseof marine gas hydrates to changing ocean conditions.
The project will also examine the potential impact ofmarine hydrate destabilization on ocean ecology.
In a project aimed at understanding natural methane
fluxes from marine hydrates, Oregon State University
has generated computer models to interpret modern
day methane fluxes and reconstruct past episodesof methane flux in gas hydrate-bearing regions using
shallow geochemical data. The results of this effort help
to constrain the biogeochemical processes occurring inthe sediments near the sulfate-methane transition zone
and are important from a research perspective regarding
the role of methane hydrate in global greenhouse gas
emissions and climate change.

Georgia Tech completed a series of laboratory studies
to investigate the behavior of gas hydrates hosted infine-grained sediments, and the results will be used toevaluate the potential to produce gas from such deposits.
In a related effort, the Colorado School of Mines isconducting laboratory studies to develop a calibration
tool that will enable a more accurate estimation of theconcentration of gas hydrates from standard seismic data.

A 3D tomographic reconstruction of the pore space in afine grain glass bead pack containing BaCl brine (yellow)
where tetrahydrofuran hydrate (violet) has formed. Part of a
research effort to relate seismic and acoustic velocities andattenuations to hydrate saturation and texture.

Results of modeling the variation in hydrate saturation in
a 10m thick, heterogeneous reservoir (Mt. Elbert C Unit)
after 180 days of depressurization at 2.8 MPa.

20

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEIn an allied effort, the University of New Hampshire
has been reconstructing the history of methane flux
at three sites on the Cascadia margin, off the coast of
Washington State, using data from sedimentary rocklayers. This study ultimately identified multiple intervalsof diagenetically reduced magnetic susceptibility atthree separate sites along the Cascadia margin.

CT scanning image showing gas migration pathways (inred) through a fine grain sediment core (in gray) as part of
NETL ORD effort to visualize hydrate within the pore space
during the hydrate formation and dissociation processes.

International Efforts
The DOE FE Methane Hydrate Program has collaborated
on major international field efforts in recent years, primarily
with international hydrate programs in Japan, India,
South Korea, and New Zealand.

southeastern coast of Japan. Studies at the Mallik site
focused on testing gas hydrate production technologies,
while the Nankai Trough work included geophysicalsurveys, exploratory drilling, as well as short duration
production testing. The United States and Japan alsocollaborated on the Ignik Sikumi Field Trial in Alaska,
and the two countries signed an agreement in 2014 tocooperate on additional gas hydrate production testingon state lands on the North Slope of Alaska.
The government of India has also been active in gas
hydrate R&D over the past decade, with substantial
involvement of the U.S. DOE, USGS, and BOEM. The
Indian government led a collaborative drilling and coring
program in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Andaman
Islands in the past. More recently, Indian scientists havebeen planning additional drilling locations in deeper
water locations for methane hydrate production testing.
The USGS has played a pivotal role in planning andexecuting India’s gas hydrate R&D efforts. South Korea
has conducted two large-scale drilling programs in their
Ulleung Basin region and discovered a wide range of gas
hydrate occurrences. Methane hydrate experts from the
U.S. DOE and USGS participated in these expeditions andserved as scientific advisors to the South Korean Program.
Collectively, these projects provide the fundamental
science needed to support the methane hydrate field
efforts described above. Laboratory and modeling results,
when applied to the various field efforts, contribute tomore accurate resource characterization; more reliable
resource estimates; more rigorous estimates of a hydrate
reservoir’s production potential; and more accurate
estimates of a hydrate accumulation’s influence on andresponse to its climate and environment.

The Naval Research Laboratory participated in acollaborative field program with New Zealand and Germany
to investigate gas hydrates offshore New Zealand. Thiseffort was in support of a research voyage conducted by
the New Zealand Gas Hydrates Resources Program tocollect acoustic, seismic, and piston cores.
The Japan Oil and Gas Metals Corporation has led
several international methane hydrate R&D efforts, withcritical contributions from the FE Hydrate Program. Twowell-known field programs were carried out successfully
in an onshore region of Arctic Canada, known as the
Mallik site; and in the deepwater Nankai Trough, off the

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

21

Gas hydrate R&D drilling programs for resource appraised since 2000.

22

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEDOE and USGS scientists have participated in a number of recent international
scientific expeditions to study methane hydrate in marine settings. This photo wastaken during an excursion led by India. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Rose, NETL).

Global gas hydrate R&D “deep” drilling programs during the last 15 years.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

23

Key Accomplishments
The Gas Hydrates program is working to advance the science andtechnologies necessary to fully understand the energy resource andenvironmental implications of naturally-occurring gas hydrate.

Some key accomplishments of the FE Methane Hydrate
R&D Program to date include:• Confirmation of the ability to reliably detect andcharacterize gas hydrate accumulations prior to drilling,using seismic and well log information;• Confirmation of the occurrence of resource-quality
gas hydrate accumulations in the Gulf of Mexico;• Acquisition of data in Alaska that has enabled the firstquantification of technically-recoverable resource
volumes from gas hydrates;• Development of new tools to enable measurementof the physical properties of gas hydrate-bearing
sediment samples acquired in the field;• Characterization of potential testing sites on the Alaska
North Slope, including the drilling and evaluation
at the Ignik Sikumi test site in 2011 and a 3-monthproduction trial of CO2-CH4 exchange technology
during early 2012;• Development of collaborative agreements with leading
global gas hydrate research programs;• Expansion of numerical modeling capability to enable
the first field-scale production, geomechanical stabilityof hydrate bearing sediment, and gas hydrate-climatechange simulations.

24

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

Mt. Elbert test site, Alaska North Slope.

METHANE HYDRATE R&D NEEDS
GOING FORWARD
In order to move forward and continue to advance our understandingof gas hydrate’s role in energy and the global environment, additionaltargeted scientific research and technology development is needed.
U.S. and international R&D efforts to date have shownthat gas hydrates are abundant in nature and exist in awide variety of forms, with varying relevance to futureenergy, long-term global carbon cycling, near-termclimate change, and natural and operational geohazards.
Formal hydrate resource assessments indicate large
volumes of domestic hydrate resources in onshore
sedimentary strata in Alaska and in offshore sediments
in our nation’s outer continental shelves.

Drilling programs in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico havedemonstrated the effectiveness of methane hydrate
exploration approaches and provided initial confirmationof the technical recoverability of gas from hydrates. In
addition, short-duration, scientific production trials havebeen carried out successfully in Alaska and in the Nankai
Trough, off the coast of Japan. Recent and ongoing
scientific field programs to evaluate the flux of natural gas
in climate-sensitive, gas hydrate-bearing environments
promise to provide new insights into the history andcauses of methane release from hydrates.

Importance of gas hydrate R&D as applied to operational geohazards, energy resource potential, and the global environment.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE25

U.S. DOE Hydrate Program Strategy for the Future
In order to move forward and continue to advance our understanding of gas hydrate’s role in energy and the global
environment, additional targeted scientific research and technology development is needed.
Primary long-term R&D needs are: 1) to provide an accurate assessment of the nature and occurrence of gas hydrates
within the U.S.; 2) to identify, refine, and demonstrate technologies that can achieve production of natural gas fromgas hydrates in an economically-viable and environmentally-responsible manner; 3) to determine and effectively
communicate the role of gas hydrates in natural and operational geohazards; and 4) to elucidate the role gas hydrate
plays in the natural sequestration and cycling of carbon over a range of time-scales, including potential short-term
responses to ongoing climate change.
The most effective approach tomeeting these R&D needs will be
to carry out a series of large-scalescientific field programs supported
by laboratory and modeling studies.
Such field programs will benefit fromcontinued international partnerships,
public-private partnerships, andsustained collaboration amongfederal agencies.
Field programs will be optimizedby combining multidisciplinary
efforts ranging from geophysicaldata acquisition, to well drilling andlogging, to sampling and analysis,
and finally reservoir scientific andproduction testing.
As a complement to such field
programs, it is important to continue
targeted laboratory and numericalsimulation efforts that improve ourunderstanding of the fundamentals
of gas hydrate behavior under
the specific conditions found at aparticular field site. Methane hydrate
field programs also benefit fromcontinued design improvements tohydrate sampling and measurement
tools. The devices shown at rightare essential for successful recovery,
preservation, and analysis of methane
hydrate in the field.

26

Devices essential for successful recovery, preservation, and analysis of methane hydrate
in the field: (A) The Instrumented Pressure Testing Chamber (IPTC) showing probeball valves, drive arms, and the ends of the instrumented probes. The manipulator
and IPTC can accommodate core sections up to 1.2 m long. (B) The biologicalincubation chamber (bottom) can be prepared with a chosen set of nutrients andthen receive a core subsection from the bio-sampler (center), which subsamples
core material fed through the ball valve (right). A window permits observation of thesample during subsampling. (C) Some members of the Georgia Tech and USGS
teams standing with the controlled depressurization chamber. The metal chamber
is filled with a hydrate-bearing sediment core that produces water (collected in thesmall chamber) and methane gas (collected in the large chamber) during controlled
dissociation. (D) The direct shear device.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATELong-Term Goals (2015-2030)
In keeping with this strategy, the U.S. DOE FE Methane
Hydrate Program has identified some long-term goals,
to be achieved over the next 15 years.
One goal is to carry out a series of drilling, logging, andcoring programs to refine the assessment of viable
domestic recoverable gas resource volumes frommethane hydrates.
A second goal is to conduct a series of extended duration
reservoir response tests that progress from controlledscientific experiments of reservoir depressurization to
an integrated technology demonstration in a variety ofgeologic settings. These tests will enable an improved

assessment of the potential for gas hydrate to provide
incremental supplies of natural gas to the United States.
An additional long-term goal is to examine and document
the role gas hydrate plays in the global environment,
including its role in long-term carbon cycling andnear-term climate change. Ultimately, these insights
will be integrated into forward climate models.
Finally, an important long-term goal is to continue toengage in international collaboration and partnerships,
in order to assist in accelerating timelines for R&D
achievements and in order to broaden the geographic
and geologic base for gas hydrate resource appraisal by
key allies.

Near-Term Goals (2015-2020)
While the primary outcomes of a gas hydrate R&D effort are likely to be long-term, there are a number of key steps over the
next five years that will help ensure a positive progression toward the long-term goals. Near-term and long-term goals areillustrated on the timeline below.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

27

Resource Confirmation
Several near-term goals are related to “Resource Confirmation.” The first is to complete field programs in the northern
Gulf of Mexico that are aimed at exploring new sites and to collect and characterize pressure cores from existing sites.
The second is to initiate field programs to evaluate gas hydrate occurrences on the U.S. Atlantic Margin. The third is tocomplete testing, development, and deployment of deepwater pressure coring and pressure core analysis systems.

Exploration and Production Technologies
A number of near-term goals fall under the category “Exploration and Production Technologies.” One goal is tocomplete geologic and geophysical studies to confirm reservoir occurrences on State Lands on the North Slope of
Alaska. Another goal is to conduct a series of multi-well expeditions at sites in the U.S. outer continental shelf.

These exploration efforts would be designed to select sites and conduct science to address a range of issues, includingcore acquisition from resource-quality accumulations; development of advanced models of gas hydrate formation andevolution, geohazards, climate interactions; and refinement of resource volume estimates. The primary focus will be on
further evaluation of gas hydrate occurrences in areas of high potential as indicated in ongoing BOEM studies, including
the northern Gulf of Mexico and the central and northern Atlantic outer continental shelf.
An additional goal is to test exploration concepts in other locations, through collaborative International drilling
programs.

28

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEA short-term goal for advancing production technologies is to complete an initial scientific production test in
Alaska, with focus on determining expected gas and water production profiles to be generated from reservoir
depressurization. The test will contain comprehensive environmental monitoring related to gas migration, movementof the dissociation front, geomechanics and land subsidence, water production, air emissions, and water production
volumes and chemistry.
Another goal in this category is to analyze the petrophysical and geomechanical characteristics of marine gas hydrates
from existing pressure cores and to collect short-duration pressure response data from gas hydrate reservoirs in
the Gulf of Mexico.

Global Carbon Cycle
A short-term goal in this area is to complete studies to constrain observed natural gas flux and potential contributions
from gas hydrates. This goal also includes development and validation of numerical simulation tools that enable soundplanning of field programs and reliable interpretation of field data with respect to gas hydrate energy development,
reservoir geomechanics, environmental impacts, gas hydrate role in global carbon cycling (long term) and past climate
events, and gas hydrate role in ongoing climate change (present and near term).

Another goal is to initiate a program of drilling and sampling expeditions in climate-sensitive and geohazard-prone
settings to determine typical gas hydrate occurrences and inventories, the rate and nature of changes in the naturalenvironment and the response of gas hydrate-bearing sediment to those changes, the dynamics of natural gas flux,
and the impact of natural gas on oceanic and atmospheric chemistry. It is anticipated that such an expedition would
target gas hydrate in permafrost-associated settings, in offshore settings, and in areas of natural gas seepage within
the zone of gas hydrate stability. Efforts to integrate gas hydrate science and global climate modeling are also a priority.

International Collaboration
A short-term goal under “International Collaboration” is to strengthen collaborative ties with key allies and develop
new partnerships as opportunities arise.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

29

Technical Focus Areas for Short-Term Activities(2015–2020)
Six technical focus areas have been identified for R&D work needed tomeet short-term program goals over the next five years:
1. Development of tools for reliable marine gas hydrate sampling andanalysis;
2. Integrated geologic/geophysical characterization methodologies to enablepre-drill assessments of natural gas hydrate systems;
3. Development of exploration technologies;
4. Development of production technologies;
5. Determination of gas hydrate’s implications for long-term global carbon
cycling and potential near-term feedbacks to ongoing climate change;
and6. Development and demonstration of effective numerical simulation tools
to enable the effective design and interpretation of field data related toboth production and environmental implications.

Marine Sampling Tools/Technology
Development

Gas Hydrate Systems
Characterization

Given the difficulties in preservation and transfer
of natural samples into laboratory equipment, andthe complexities of creating synthetic samples thatsufficiently mimic natural conditions, strong emphasis
will continue to be placed on development of in situ datacollection tools.

In order to improve our understanding of the controlson the abundance, occurrence, and nature of gas
hydrates in sediments, a large survey of methane
hydrate occurrences may be necessary. An effort will bemade to obtain data from a wide range of environments
where gas hydrate is theoretically stable, but its actual
occurrence is highly variable.

A high priority R&D activity is to complete thedevelopment of a robust coring system that has theflexibility to successfully acquire and analyze coresfrom a variety of common drilling platforms and acrossa range of occurrence types, including gas-hydratebearing sands. These systems include both the coring
device and a suite of compatible analytical devices thatcan collect physical and chemical property data fromminimally-disturbed samples. Opportunities to further
the development of these tools through domestic andinternational collaboration will be pursued.

30

A primary near-term R&D activity in this focus area will
include geologic and geophysical review, of gas hydrate
occurrence on state lands in Alaska. A second action
will be to pursue opportunities for deepwater drillingand sampling in the U.S. outer continental shelf, most
likely in association with known sites in the northern
Gulf of Mexico. A third action is continued international
engagement in drilling and coring expeditions.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

Gas Hydrate Exploration
Technologies
A number of highly concentrated methane hydrate
deposits have been located successfully using exploration
approaches that fully assess the local petroleum system—
using a balanced analysis of local gas sources, suitable
host reservoirs, and gas migration pathways. This typeof exploration approach appears to be sufficient for therecognition of a gas hydrate sweet spot or anomalously
rich accumulation. However, it is likely that many more
viable hydrate deposits exist in nature and will only be
identified through more sophisticated data acquisition
and analysis approaches.

track the dissociation front, the migration and/or releaseof any free gas, and the geomechanical response ofreservoirs and seals. Over the longer-term, subsequent
tests can be designed to assess the potential long-term
gas and water production profiles that can be expectedfrom optimized production systems across the range of
likely gas hydrate occurrences.

In the near-term, additional prospect development(in Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico) and subsequent
exploratory drilling will be essential to more fully develop
sound and effective gas hydrate characterization
methods. Longer-term, the program will apply these
insights to the evaluation of gas hydrate in otherhigh-potential regions of the U.S. outer continental
shelf, such as the Atlantic Margin; or to areas where
gas hydrate characterization could better constrain
potential geohazards, such as offshore northern Alaska.

Gas Hydrate Production Technology
Short-duration scientific field tests of gas hydrate
productivity have been conducted at locations in
Arctic Canada, Alaska North Slope, and in the Nankai
Trough, offshore Japan. These tests have revealed thatthe primary technology for gas hydrate production will
be reservoir depressurization; although it is expectedthat local optimization of production will include useof supplemental stimulation technologies, such asheating and chemical injection as most appropriate
for local conditions.
While these tests have demonstrated the technicalfeasibility of methane hydrate production, achieving
economic viability will require overcoming a range ofcomplex technical and operational challenges.
A primary near-term R&D need is to conduct extendedduration scientific field tests that will provide a soundunderstanding of the physical response of gas hydrate
reservoirs to reservoir depressurization. Such testing
would ideally include comprehensive monitoring to

Production Technology.

The most favorable location for long-term production
testing at this time is the Greater Prudhoe Bay region on
the North Slope of Alaska. This area includes the wellcharacterized reservoirs of the Milne Point, Prudhoe Bay,and Kuparuk River oil fields. The DOE is currently working
closely with Industry, the State of Alaska, the USGS, and
JOGMEC to overcome logistical barriers to conducting
the testing in this region.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

31

Gas Hydrate Geohazards
Gas hydrate has been linked to a range of issues
collectively described using the term “geohazards.”
These hazards generally relate to the consequences ofgas hydrate dissociation and the destabilizing effects ofrelatively sudden introduction of large volumes of gas
and water into shallow geologic systems.
Gas hydrate geohazards include events that occur due
to natural processes or that are triggered unintentionallyby industrial activities.
Although this technical focus area has attracted pastprivate industry investment, no ongoing industry
research on this topic is known. The unique setting ofgas hydrate on shallow Arctic shelves, and the highenvironmental sensitivity of those regions, suggeststhat further research on this topic is a priority. Primarynear-term actions will focus on designing various field
programs to assess natural geohazard issues that may
arise in both deepwater and arctic environments.
Gas Hydrate Linkages to Global Carbon Cycling andClimate Change: In recent years, there has been growing
concern that methane venting from the sea-floor may
be a common global occurrence. This phenomenon,
particularly as it may relate to events in the Arctic,
has fueled concerns that gas hydrate destabilizationand natural gas release pose a substantial risk as adeleterious feedback to ongoing climate change.

32

Current information and models are not sufficient toassess the climate risks of gas hydrate – to do so, they
will need to be based on accurate depictions of gas
hydrate occurrence and distribution in climate sensitive
settings; proper accounting for the timescales needed todestabilize gas hydrates given specific climatic changes;
and full integration of the potential sinks that may mediate
the delivery of any released natural gas to either theocean or the atmosphere.
To address these questions, our FE Hydrate Program will
initiate a systematic program of field study to delineate
those areas most prone to climate-induced destabilizationand to better constrain the assessment of the distributionof gas hydrate within those regions. These field-based
efforts should ultimately investigate a variety of gas
hydrate-bearing areas and the resulting data should befully integrated in various process models and ultimately
into forward climate models as appropriate.
The overall goal is to contribute to the development ofa general scientific consensus regarding the potential
response of gas hydrate to different future climate
scenarios and the resulting environmental implications.
This work should include shallow arctic shelves as wellas the landward limit of hydrate stability throughout the
U.S. outer continental shelf, and it is likely to be elucidated
by studies of past gas hydrate-climate linkages.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEPotential instability
Overpressure driven-gas releasesubsidence

Naturally-occurring Gas Hydrate Geohazards
During period of climate warming and sea-level rise

ARCTICREGION

Potential greenhousegas release

Impacts to
Ocean Ecology
Geochemistry

Potential gas release,sediment instability,
slumps, slides
Overpressure-drivengas release

Thermal stress due
to climate-driven
bottom-water warming(progressively longer time delayof impact with depth)

Thermal stress due
to sea inundation

Permafrost
Gas Hydrate Stability Zone
Low-saturation GH in Clays
High-saturation GH in Sands
Low-saturation Free Gas in Clays
High-saturation Free Gas in Sand
Gas Hydrate Mound
Potential Thermal Stresses

Gas Hydrate “Operational” Geohazards
Drilling
Through GH
ProducingThrough GH

Potential Subsidence and Instability
Poorly-constrained Hazard

Vents, Chimneys

Drilling
Through GH

Producing
From GH
Likely subsidence and instability
Poorly-constrained Hazard

Drilling
Through GH

ProducingThrough GH

Producing
From GH

Mitigated
via known
drilling protocols

Mitigate via provenavoidance methods
Mitigate via known
completion approaches
Poorly-constrained hazard

Mitigate via provenavoidance methods

Mitigate via
known drilling
protocols

Sediment mobilization?
Poorly-constrained hazard

Sediment
mobilization
Poorly-constrained
hazards

Mitigate via provenavoidance methods
Free-gas fully masked by hydrate
Poorly-constrained hazard

Warm Fluids

Warm Fluids

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

33

Technology Transfer and Outreach
The FE Hydrate R&D Program is committed toensuring ongoing and effective communication of all
significant program findings to the public. Significant
R&D findings in the realm of resource confirmation,
exploration and production technologies, atmosphericcarbon cycling, and global climate change will all bereported in an open and balanced way.
Methane hydrate is known to have played an importantrole in the global carbon cycle throughout geologic
history, as both a source and a sink for atmosphericcarbon. Moreover, given strong links between fossil
fuels and anthropogenic climate change, it is essential
to examine and discuss insights about the role methane
hydrates as an energy fuel may play in future climate
perturbations.

34

Through its National Energy Technology Laboratory,
the DOE maintains a comprehensive website that iscontinually updated and provides detailed overviewsof completed and ongoing projects. The website also
includes links to project reports, project presentations,
DOE/NETL program documents, including the recent
gas hydrate science review by the United Nations
Environmental Programme. In addition, the website
includes current and back issues of NETL’s methane
hydrate newsletter, Fire in the Ice, which continues tobe a leading source of information for the international
gas hydrate R&D community.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATESUMMARY
The fundamental needs in gas hydrate R&D are the development of science andtechnology that enables an accurate assessment of the nature and occurrence ofgas hydrate within the U.S.; refinement and demonstration of technologies that
can achieve production in an economically-viable and environmentally-responsible
manner; and a more complete understanding of the role of gas hydrate deposits ingeohazards and in the natural sequestration and cycling of carbon.
Recent assessments published by the USGS and the
BOEM have identified extensive gas hydrate resourcesin sedimentary strata beneath the North Slope of Alaska,
the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic and Pacific continental
shelves of the United States. These assessments havebeen aided and validated by successful field programs led
by the U.S. DOE’s FE Methane Hydrate R&D Program.
In addition to developing and demonstrating effective
methane hydrate exploration and characterization
techniques, the FE Hydrate Program has provided groundtruth through drilling, logging, and sampling that has beenused to calibrate and refine resource estimates.

Successful field programs in the United States and in
offshore regions of Japan, India, and Korea have served
to confirm the presence of the hydrate resource and, insome instances, to demonstrate the technical feasibility of
producing methane from hydrate deposits. Nonetheless,additional field validation and calibration is needed
before the U.S. gas hydrate resource potential can beunderstood with confidence.
Gas hydrate also represents a potential risk to global
climate that must be properly assessed and evaluated.
Methane hydrate R&D going forward will need to continue

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE35

to augment private-public partnerships through sustained
collaboration across agencies and with international
partners. DOE, in its role as primary sponsor of extramural
R&D, will ensure program quality, transparency, andrelevance through external peer review and will manage
the work to ensure that the nation’s best talent fromindustry, academia, and government, are brought to bearon the most critical issues in the field of naturally-occurringgas hydrate.
The fundamental needs in gas hydrate R&D are thedevelopment of science and technology that enables anaccurate assessment of the nature and occurrence of gas
hydrate within the U.S.; refinement and demonstrationof technologies that can achieve production in an
economically-viable and environmentally-responsible
manner; and a more complete understanding of the roleof gas hydrate deposits in geohazards and in the naturalsequestration and cycling of carbon in response to both
long-term (global carbon cycle) and short term (potential
feedbacks to ongoing climate change) time-scales.

36

Successful R&D in these areas will result in a rigorous
scientific evaluation of the potential for gas hydrate toprovide an additional option to meet future energy needs
both for the United States and for key international allies.
Results will include demonstration of safe and efficient
exploration and production technologies, as well as anunderstanding of potential environmental impacts andmitigation strategies.
An additional outcome will be an improved understandingof our natural environment, providing more informed
decision-making on a wide variety of issues ranging fromocean policy to global climate change. Other benefits arealso expected, including successful collaboration with key
international partners, a more complete understanding ofgas hydrate-related geohazards, and contributions to theeducation and training of the next generation of scientists.

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATEHow to Learn More
Information about methane hydrate research being conducted by the DOE and its domestic and international
partners can be found on the DOE’s Methane Hydrates website.
The DOE’s Fire in the Ice newsletter is published several times per year and contains articles and news items
highlighting methane hydrate R&D activities taking place in the United States and around the world.
A wealth of information on methane hydrates can be found in the two-volume report published in March 2015
by the United Nations Environment Program, “Frozen Heat: A Global Outlook on Methane Gas Hydrates.”

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

37

Contacts
Lou Capitanio
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy
louis.capitanio@hq.doe.gov
202-586-5098
Jared Ciferno
Technology Manager, Oil & Gas
National Energy Technology Laboratory
jared.ciferno@netl.doe.gov
412-386-5862
Ray Boswell
Geologist
National Energy Technology Laboratory
ray.boswell@netl.doe.gov
412-386-7614

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METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

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1450 Queen Avenue SW
Albany, OR 97321-2198
541-967-5892
3610 Collins Ferry Road
P.O. Box 880
Morgantown, WV 26507-0880
304-285-4764
626 Cochrans Mill Road
P.O. Box 10940
Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940
412-386-4687
Program staff are also
located in Houston, Texas
and Anchorage, Alaska

WEBSITE
www.netl.doe.gov
CUSTOMER SERVICE
1-800-553-7681

July 2017

METHANE HYDRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A 2017 UPDATE

40