Japan Flares Gas in 2nd Hydrate Test
Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (Jogmec) May 4 said gas has been flared from its second test to extract gas from methane hydrates offshore Atsumi and Shima peninsulas. Three video clips of the flaring were released on the company's website.
Last month the country’s trade ministry announced plans by Jogmec to drill two test production wells, the first of which was expected to start gas production continuously for about three to four weeks.
Jogmec in March 2013 started a flow test and confirmed production of methane gas estimated from methane hydrate layers. The first test ended abruptly in six days due to sedimentation problems.
Gas flare during the second test, conducted in May 2017 (Credit: Methane Hydrate Resource Development Research Consortium)
A Japanese study has estimated the existence of at least 40 trillion ft3 of methane hydrates in the eastern Nankai Trough off the country's Pacific coast, equivalent to about 11 years of Japanese gas consumption.
Natural gas hydrates are a naturally-occurring, ice-like combination of natural gas and water found in the world’s oceans and polar regions. The amount of gas within the world’s gas hydrate accumulations is estimated to greatly exceed that of all known conventional gas resources. But their extraction carries the risk of landslides and resultant tsunamis.
Shardul Sharma