Gas Hydrate An Emerging Resource for America’s Energy Future Art Johnson Hydrate Energy International
Mar 31, 2015
Gas HydrateAn Emerging Resource for America’s Energy Future
Art Johnson Hydrate Energy International
Natural Gas is a Critical Component of U.S. Energy Supply
Total 2008 U.S. Gas Demand: 23.9 TCF
From: Dept. of Energy Statistics
US Natural Gas Consumption Forecast to 2030
What is Gas Hydrate?• Gas Hydrate is a crystalline solid
composed of water and gas. Methane is the most common hydrate-forming gas, but gas hydrates can form from ethane, CO2, propane, and other gases.
• One volume hydrate typically contains about 160 volumes methane gas.
• Stable at low Temperature and high Pressure
• Occurs abundantly in nature
– In continental margin sediments and Arctic permafrost
Global Carbon Distribution
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Total amount is not known with certainty, but is enormous
Arctic sandstones with infrastructure (~10’s of Tcf)
Arctic sandstones away from infrastructure (100’s of Tcf)
Deepwater sandstones (1000’s of Tcf)
Deepwater permeable, non-sandstone (unknown)
Seafloor mounds, etc. (unknown)
Deepwater, low permeability (100,000’s of Tcf) Reserves (200
Tcf)Res. growth & undiscovered (1,500 Tcf)
Remaining unrecoverable (unknown)
U.S. Gas Resource BaseOnly a fraction of gas hydrate deposits have commercial potential – but the resource base is still huge
Gas Hydrate Other Gas Resources
Challenges to Commercial Development
• Identifying deposits where hydrate is concentrated and has resource potential
• Establishing commercial viability
• Establishing environmental impact assessment protocol
Production Scenarios
Gas Hydrate is a stable solid at low temperatures and high pressures. The primary methods for producing natural gas from hydrate are:
• Depressurization • Heating• Chemical Exchange (with CO2)
These methods involve technological and economic challenges
Highlights of U.S. Hydrate Program
North Slope of Alaska – Joint industry, university, government program led by BP.
• 2007 drilling program confirmed exploration model.
• Confirmed producibility.• Long-term production
test planned for 2010.• CO2 sequestration test
planned for 2010.
Methane CO2
Highlights of U.S. Hydrate ProgramGulf of Mexico• 2008 MMS Assessment:
Mean estimate of 6,717 TCF in sandstone reservoirs
• April, 2009 Drilling program led by Chevron logged hydrate-bearing sands.
Results of Recent International Programs
• Canada – Successful 2008 Arctic production test at limited scale.
• Japan – Extensive drilling programs. Moving forward with plans for production test by 2011.
• India – Extensive 2006 drilling program.• China – Initiated drilling program in 2007• S. Korea – Initiated drilling program in 2007
Significant U.S. Collaboration
ConclusionWith adequate funding, by 2015 the United States will be
able to determine:1. The scale and production methods for economically-
recoverable Arctic gas hydrate2. The scale of the technically-recoverable resource from
marine gas hydrate3. The environmental impact of hydrate gas production and
hydrate's role in the environment
This is an important step to ensure America’s energy security – a transition to renewables