The National Energy Technology Laboratory's Methane Hydrate Research Team is investigating the physical properties of methane hydrates, including their use as a storage medium for natural gas. The Team has developed a method of obtaining Raman spectra of bulk, laboratory-prepared hydrate samples under the conditions of their synthesis. This unusual capability allows collection of vibrational spectroscopic data on samples unperturbed by changes in pressure and temperature, allowing new insights into hydrate structure, composition, and stability. This technique will be used to further provide important information about the hydrate, such as the presence of other cage types and the fraction of cages containing methane.