Japan looks to methane under sea floor

Cosmos Online ^ | 15 Aug 2012 | Achim Eberhart

[rjbemsha]

Large quantities of methane gas are stored as ice-like gas hydrates below the ocean floor and these could be used as an energy source, a Japanese geologist said....“One cubic metre of gas hydrate contains 164 cubic metres of methane,” said Ryo Matsumoto from the University of Tokyo, who presented his research at the 34th International Geological Congress in Brisbane, Australia. “Gas hydrates are very effective containers of methane.”....estimates suggest that the total amount of carbon contained in gas hydrates could match or even exceed that bound in fossil fuels.

[rjbemsha]

Burning ice. I wonder if methane released during earthquakes in Japan could account for the sightings of flames on approaching tsunamis.

[TexasTransplant]

Algore will not be happy

TT

[Paladin2]

Fracking the water.

[Reaganez]

Are they getting John Ross and Christopher from Ewing Energy to exploit the methane?

[JRandomFreeper]

A gas company is fracking under my property... Every so often, I take a cigarette lighter to the tap and run some water to check for gas in my water.

No luck yet. If it ever does happen, I've got a separator already built, and am ready to plumb the gas into my oven and heaters.

/johnny

[Paladin2]

Apparently Diesels can be modified to run well on natural gas.

[Lurker]

Gasoline engines are even easier to modify to run on NG. Diesels require a bit more work because they ignite from compression.

[RichInOC]

I wonder what the Japanese is for “There’s something down there...and it’s farting.”

[Paladin2]

I’m all for energy independence as soon as possible. SA needs to go down.

[sushiman]

soko no shita ni nanika ga onara shite imasu .

[Lurker]

If they pull any gas from underneath your property do you have any rights to it?

[JRandomFreeper]

Yep. I just inherited this place from the family estate. Dad was big on keeping mineral rights. We're collecting small royalties on properties I never heard of, and we don't own any more.

/johnny

[Lurker]

Your dad was a smart man. I hope they find more gas than you can shake your backside at underneath your property, sir.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The trouble is that mining methane ice is very risky, as it is close to the temperature of sublimation, and the entire methane ice field could have a chain reaction, resulting in an immense release of methane all at once. This would be bad.

One suggestion was that it would be robotically mined in an artificial Carbon Dioxide atmosphere. As it was removed, it would be replaced with supercooled water that would quickly turn to ice when sprayed into a gap where methane ice had been. This would also help to structurally support the mined area.

[BipolarBob]

What a coincidence. I’m working on a gas ran toaster right now.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks rjbemsha. There’s roughly (and at least) 7000 years worth of hydrocarbon use on the ocean floor in these forms (assuming current consumption).

[JRandomFreeper]

I make toast on a comal, so any kind of fuel works for that. ;)

/johnny

[Jim from C-Town]

Well, Well, Well, Almost daily we get reports about the almost limitless supply of energy available to be exploited right here on the Earth. Yet, we are constantly harassed by chicken little wackos who preach about limited energy and gush ovr false ‘renewable’ energy.

[Islander2]

“soko no shita ni nanika ga onara shite imasu .”

Honma ni machigai nai.

[Mike Darancette]

Godzilla farts.