Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
This is perhaps due to the perception that methane hydrate exploitation will be economically viable only when the price of conventional hydrocarbon and other fuels rises substantially. On the positive side, many of the identified hydrate deposits are located on continental slopes not far from major markets in industrialised countries 60 . Furthermore, countries with little or-no hydrocarbon resources have also noticed the presence of methane hydrates in abundance on their continental slopes. It is to be expected that the prospect of energy self reliance will catalyse some of these countries to initiate harvesting methane hydrates as soon as scientists and technologists come forward with dependable, safe and cost effective mechanisms to explore and exploit this resource. 8.2 Technological factors Most methane hydrate deposits occur in the deeper part of the continental slope and rise. Lack of suitable production technology was a major impediment in considering the feasibility of exploitation of this resource. However the past five years has witnessed a dramatic improvement in drilling technologies for oil and gas in deep water areas and even newer technologies are being developed. The oil exploration industry is now exploring extensively in deepwater regions (where hydrate deposits occur), and drilling capability to about 3500-4000 m (the base of the potential economic hydrate zone) is being built for conventional hydrocarbon drilling 60 . There has also been a distinct reduction in deepwater development costs. All these are positive factors for hydrate exploration and development. Even though located in deep waters, marine hydrate deposits are easily accessible to relatively shallow drill penetration from the seabed. Much of the engineering required to exploit these deposits can perhaps be achieved by suitably adopting proven technology currently in use in connection with exploitation of deep water oil and gas reserves. The present technological base appears to be adequate for exploration, exploitation and sub sea transport capabilities required for marine methane hydrate resources 60 . However as exploitation is not expected in the foreseeable future, the corporate sector is not willing to venture into this field. At present, whatever research is ongoing is mostly supported by governmental sources. The industry view 3 is that when hydrate development is required, challenges will be met, just as industry has mastered other difficult environments in energy resource development. INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 548
One interesting outcome of R & D in gas hydrates has been the identification of several possible uses of gas hydrates other than as fuel. Since the benefits from those uses are quite significant, therefore importance of gas hydrate is increasing. If continued research can find an increasing number of such alternate uses of gas hydrates, the economics of exploiting methane hydrates will improve and such activities will gain momentum. 8.3 International scenario of gas hydrate research Countries that have strong economic bases, or are witnessing high industrial growth rates, but have low energy resource potential, could potentially become energy independent, an event that would affect international affairs, foreign policy and other interrelations. The repercussions would extend to world trade, regional power equations, and foreign currency balance of existing major importers, when gas hydrates begin to be exploited. The realisation that such a situation could come about has lately generated some interest in the field of gas hydrate research in many countries recently. The first national United States Gas Hydrate Workshop in 1991 brought together government, industry, and academic research interests and proposed that research into hydrates should take place as a broad, integrated research programme. Significant scientific re- search subsequently by various US organisations culminated in the Presidential con- sent of the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 1999. The legislation authorised $5 million in research funding3 for the Year 2000 and about $46 million until Year 2004. The government of Japan was first to establish a national hydrate research programme. An exploratory five-year plan for hydrate research was established in 1995 and in 1998 the Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC) sponsored test drilling of known hydrate deposits in the McKenzie Delta of Canada in collaboration with the Geological Survey of Canada, the U. S. Geological Survey (partly funded by U.S. Department of Energy Technology Center, Morgantown, WV) and contracted university and research institutes. The Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC) is conducting extensive research of a potential hydrate resource off Hokkaido Island and drilled test wells in two locations in 1999. Commercial production is targeted for 2010, barely 10 years away. It is estimated that recovery of only one tenth of Japan's estimated reserve INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 549
- Page 506 and 507: Speaking about particular geographi
- Page 508 and 509: World Ocean, including areas off no
- Page 510 and 511: Table 4: Largest oil and gas discov
- Page 512 and 513: The extremely harsh environment bro
- Page 514 and 515: In other regions of the world, enco
- Page 516 and 517: REFERENCES 1. L.G. Weeks (1971), Ma
- Page 518 and 519: SUMMARY OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSS
- Page 520 and 521: Dr. Vysotsky said that estimates of
- Page 522 and 523: In Southeast Asia, Dr. Vysotsky spo
- Page 524 and 525: Philippines, and possibly Brazil. W
- Page 526 and 527: and we shall encounter severe deple
- Page 528 and 529: In the 1960's scientists discovered
- Page 530 and 531: Figure 2. Worldwide locations of kn
- Page 532 and 533: methane by bacteria in an anoxic en
- Page 534 and 535: It has been assumed that the struct
- Page 536 and 537: identification of gas hydrate in ma
- Page 538 and 539: ottom simulating reflections (BSR)
- Page 540 and 541: Figure 6: Interpretative plot of hy
- Page 542 and 543: floor have indicated the presence o
- Page 544 and 545: of free gas below the BSR is usuall
- Page 546 and 547: sediment and to provide an indicati
- Page 548 and 549: 6. Harvesting methane hydrates -Som
- Page 550 and 551: deposits can be commercial, even in
- Page 552 and 553: at a catastrophic scale. Some of th
- Page 554 and 555: Figure 8. Development of hydrate re
- Page 558 and 559: would provide Japan with methane fo
- Page 560 and 561: NOTES AND REFERENCES 1. E.D. Sloan
- Page 562 and 563: 20. R.F. Meyer (1981), Speculation
- Page 564 and 565: Master Workshop on Gas Hydrates: Re
- Page 566 and 567: 60. M.D. Max and M.J. Cruickshank (
- Page 568 and 569: is that their exploitation might re
- Page 570 and 571: further pointed out that even if on
- Page 572 and 573: Dr. Desa also informed participants
- Page 574 and 575: thickness of the sediments, the thi
- Page 576 and 577: pressure at sea level leads to hydr
- Page 578 and 579: aware of any studies of natural ear
- Page 580 and 581: CHAPTER 15 A CASE STUDY IN THE DEVE
- Page 582 and 583: NAMIBIA L W OR CT BOTSWANA SOUTH AF
- Page 584 and 585: The Orange River, one of Africa’s
- Page 586 and 587: formation of a large accretion coar
- Page 588 and 589: The deep-water ore body more closel
- Page 590 and 591: 4. The mineral resource management
- Page 592 and 593: deployed on a MacArtney FOCUS 400 R
- Page 594 and 595: Utilising Jago has made very detail
- Page 596 and 597: Although at first glance the nature
- Page 598 and 599: to levels capable of sustaining sea
- Page 600 and 601: In accordance with De Beers’ over
- Page 602 and 603: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank my many co
- Page 604 and 605: 16. I.B. Corbett (1989), The sedime
One interesting outcome of R & D in gas hydrates has been the<br />
identification of several possible uses of gas hydrates other than as fuel.<br />
Since the benefits from those uses are quite significant, therefore<br />
importance of gas hydrate is increasing. If continued research can find an<br />
increasing number of such alternate uses of gas hydrates, the economics of<br />
exploiting methane hydrates will improve and such activities will gain<br />
momentum.<br />
8.3 <strong>International</strong> scenario of gas hydrate research<br />
Countries that have strong economic bases, or are witnessing high<br />
industrial growth rates, but have low energy resource potential, could<br />
potentially become energy independent, an event that would affect<br />
international affairs, foreign policy and other interrelations. The<br />
repercussions would extend to world trade, regional power equations, and<br />
foreign currency balance of existing major importers, when gas hydrates<br />
begin to be exploited. The realisation that such a situation could come<br />
about has lately generated some interest in the field of gas hydrate<br />
research in many countries recently.<br />
The first national United States Gas Hydrate Workshop in 1991<br />
brought together government, industry, and academic research interests<br />
and proposed that research into hydrates should take place as a broad,<br />
integrated research programme. Significant scientific re- search<br />
subsequently by various US organisations culminated in the Presidential<br />
con- sent of the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 1999.<br />
The legislation authorised $5 million in research funding3 for the Year<br />
2000 and about $46 million until Year 2004.<br />
The government of Japan was first to establish a national hydrate<br />
research programme. An exploratory five-year plan for hydrate research<br />
was established in 1995 and in 1998 the Japan National Oil Corporation<br />
(JNOC) sponsored test drilling of known hydrate deposits in the McKenzie<br />
Delta of Canada in collaboration with the Geological Survey of Canada,<br />
the U. S. Geological Survey (partly funded by U.S. Department of Energy<br />
Technology Center, Morgantown, WV) and contracted university and<br />
research institutes. The Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC) is<br />
conducting extensive research of a potential hydrate resource off<br />
Hokkaido Island and drilled test wells in two locations in 1999.<br />
Commercial production is targeted for 2010, barely 10 years away. It is<br />
estimated that recovery of only one tenth of Japan's estimated reserve<br />
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 549
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