Gas Hydrate Energy resource Studies in the United States

Authors: T.Collett (USGS), R. Boswell (DOE), K. Rose (DOE), W. Agena (USGS), and R. Baker (DOE)

Venue: American Chemical Society Meeting, March 22-26, 2009, Salt Lake City, Utah http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_MEETINGS&node_id=86&use_sec=false&__uuid=614acbfd-ce1c-4a0b-98de-348a14738f4e [external site]

Abstract: In 1982, scientists onboard the Research Vessel Glomar Challenger retrieved a meter-long sample of massive gas hydrate off the coast of Guatemala. This sample became the impetus for the first United States national research and development program dedicated to gas hydrates. By the mid 1990s, it was widely accepted that gas hydrates represented a vast storehouse of gas. Recognizing the importance of gas hydrate research and the need for coordinated efforts, Congress and the President of the United States enacted Public Law 106-193, the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000. Authorization for this program was extended to 2010 as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Many of the current gas hydrate projects in the United States are conducted within this program, which is administered by the U. S. Department of Energy in collaboration with six other U.S. federal agencies, and conducted in partnership with private industry, academic institutions, and DOE’s National Laboratories. In addition, other U.S. federal agencies conduct significant self-directed gas hydrate research; most notably the gas hydrate resource assessment activities conducted by U.S. Department of Interior agencies (the U.S. Geological Survey and the Minerals Management Service).

Related NETL Project
This presentation is related to the NETL project AI26-05NT42496, “Methane Hydrate Related Research and Support”. The purpose of this project is to conduct scientific studies of natural gas hydrates to support DOE efforts to evaluate and understand methane hydrates, their potential as an energy resource, and the hazard they may pose to ongoing drilling efforts.

NETL Project Contacts
NETL – Robert Vagnetti (robert.vagnetti@netl.doe.gov or 304-285-1334)
U.S. Geological Survey– Deborah Hutchinson (dhutchinson@usgs.gov or (508- 457-2263)