Underwater Gas Reserves: The Next Big Thing?

March 14, 2013

Japan says it has successfully tapped a potential new source of energy from the ocean bottom -- the slushy, frozen chemical called methane hydrate - but there’s one tiny problem. Any accidental releases of seafloor methane could boost the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Oil companies have been trying for decades to figure out how to turn frozen methane hydrates into natural gas. Methane hydrate, also known as clathrate, is a compound of methane that exists under pressure at depths below 1,000 feet and under certain conditions in the Arctic.

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