Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fundamental challenges to methane recovery from gas hydrates

  • Published:
Topics in Catalysis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The growing use of natural gas, cleanest of all available fossils fuels, is already raising concern regarding the long-term supply of this precious resource. The amount of methane in gas hydrates is much greater than all other presently known sources of methane. This paper describes some fundamental challenges, the location, magnitude, and feasibility of recovery, which must be addressed to recover methane from dispersed hydrate sources. For methane recovery, we briefly describe kinetic models of methane hydrate decomposition for temperature and pressure conditions that mimic in situ methane hydrate stability. We also propose the catalytic role of sediment impurities, if any, in inducing nucleation sites for hydrate formation. The availability of plentiful methane is important to avoid future energy crises, such as that which crippled the world economy three decades ago.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Suess E., Bohrmann G., Greinert J., Lausch E. (1999). Sci Am. 76

  2. E.D. Sloan (1998) Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases Marcel Dekker New York

    Google Scholar 

  3. P. Englezos (1993) Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 32 IssueID7 1251

    Google Scholar 

  4. K.A. Kvenvolden (1999) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA. 96 IssueID7 3420

    Google Scholar 

  5. T.S. Collett (2001) AAPG Memoir. 74 85

    Google Scholar 

  6. J. Mienert J. Posewang M. Baumann (1998) Geological Society Special Publications. 137 275

    Google Scholar 

  7. C.K. Paull W. Ussler SuffixIII W.P. Dillon (2000) Natural Gas Hydrate in Oceanic and Permafost Environments, vol. 5 Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht 149

    Google Scholar 

  8. Collett T.S., Dallimore S.R., Anonymous. Annual Meeting Expanded Abstracts – American Association of Petroleum Geologists 2000, 30

  9. Kennett J.P., Cannariato K.G., Hendy I.L., Behl R.J. (2003). Methane Hydrates in Quaternary Climate Change – The Clathrate Gun Hypothesis. American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C. 216

  10. Makogon Y.F. (1981). Hydrates of Natural Gas PennWell, Tulsa, Translated by W.J. Cieslewicz

  11. Holder G.D., Angert P.F., John V.T., Yen S. J. Pet. Technol. (May 1982), 1127

  12. P.L. McGuire, Recovery of gas from hydrate deposits using conventional technology, Paper SPE 10832 presented at the 1982 Unconventional Gas Recovery Symposium, Pittsburgh, May 16–18, 1982

  13. V.A. Kamath and S.P. Godbole, J. Pet. Technol. (November, 1987) 1379

  14. W.J. Winters, in: Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, eds. C.K. Paull, R. Matsumoto, P.J. Wallace and W.P. Dillon, 164 (2000) 421

  15. R. Barrett, B. Kaulich, M. Salomé and J. Susini, in: Proc. of the 6th Internat. Conf. On X-ray microscopy (Berkley, CA, August 1–6, 1999)

  16. Y.F. Makogon F.A. Trebin A.A. Trofimuk V.P. Tsarev N.V. Cherskiy (1971) ArticleTitleDoklady Academy of Sciences U.S.S.R. Earth Science Section 196 197

    Google Scholar 

  17. N.V. Cherskiy Y.F. Makogon (1970) ArticleTitleSolid Gas-World Reserves are Enormous Oil and Gas International. 10 IssueID8 82–419

    Google Scholar 

  18. K.A. Kvenvolden and T. Lorenson, U.S. Geological Survey website: http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/globalhydrate

  19. K.A. Kvenvolden, and T.D. Lorenson in: Geophysical Monographs, vol. 124, eds. C.K. Paull and W.P. Dillon, (Am. Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., 2001) 3

  20. W.P. Dillon, M.D. Max, in: Proceedings – Offshore Technology Conference, 33, Vol. 1, (2001) 835

  21. E.D. Sloan, Jr., ed., in reference 1, 705

  22. T.S. Collett, and S.R. Dallimore, in: Coastal Systems and Continental Margins – Natural Gas Hydrate in Oceanic and Permafrost Environments, 5, ed. M. Max, (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands., 2000) 43

  23. S.R. Dallimore, T. Uchida, and T.S. Collett, Scientific Results From JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38 Gas Hydrate Research Well, Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada, Bulletin 544, Geological Survey of Canada. (1999) 403

  24. Dallimore S.R., Collett T.S., Uchida T., Weber M., Takahashi H., Mallik. (2002). Gas Hydrate Research Team, Fourth Int. Conf. on Gas Hydrates. Yokohama, Japan, Cherskiy. 36

  25. B.U. Haq, Geological Society Special Publications 137 (1998) 303

    Google Scholar 

  26. Paull C.K., Matsumoto R., Wallace P.J., Black N.R., Borowski W.S., Collett T.S., Damuth J.E., Dickens G.R., Egeberg P.K., Goodman K., Hesse R.F., Hiroki Y., Holbrook W.S., Hoskins H., Ladd J., Lodolo E., Lorenson T.D., Musgrave R.J., Naehr T.H., Okada H., Pierre C., Ruppel C.D., Satoh M., Thiery R., Watanabe Y., Wehner H., Winters W.J., Wood W.T. (2000). Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program. Scientific Results. 164: 3

  27. T. Inamori M. Hato (2004) Resource Geol 54 IssueID1 99

    Google Scholar 

  28. R. Matsumoto H. Tomaru H. Lu (2004) Resource Geol. 54 IssueID1 53

    Google Scholar 

  29. M.W. Lee and T.S. Collett Bulletin – Geological Survey of Canada Report: 544 (1999) 313

  30. Y.F. Makogon S. Holditch (2001) Oil & Gas J. 99 IssueID6 47

    Google Scholar 

  31. Y.F. Makogon S. Holditch (2001) Oil & Gas J. 99 IssueID7 45

    Google Scholar 

  32. J.S. Parent P.R. Bishnoi (1996) ArticleTitleChem Eng. Commun. (CEC). 144 51

    Google Scholar 

  33. V. Natarajan P.R. Bishnoi N. Kalogerakis (1994) ArticleTitleChem Eng. Sci. 49 IssueID13 2075

    Google Scholar 

  34. P. Englezos N. Kalogerakis P.D. Dholabhai P.R. Bishnoi (1987) ArticleTitleChem Eng. Sci. 42 IssueID11 2647

    Google Scholar 

  35. P. Servio P. Englezos (2001) Fluid Phase Equilib. 190 127

    Google Scholar 

  36. P. Servio P. Englezos (2002) ArticleTitleJ. Chem Eng. Data. 47 IssueID1 87

    Google Scholar 

  37. H.C. Kim P.R. Bishnoi R.A. Heidemann S.S.H. Rizvi (1987) ArticleTitleChem Eng. Sci. 42 IssueID7 1645

    Google Scholar 

  38. Y.F. Makogon, Hydrates of Hydrocarbons (Pennwell Publishers, 1997)

  39. C. Ji G. Ahmadi D.H. Smith (2001) ArticleTitleChem Eng. Sci. 56 5801

    Google Scholar 

  40. N. Goel M. Wiggins S. Shah (2001) ArticleTitleJ. Pet Sci. Eng. 29 115

    Google Scholar 

  41. Y.F. Makogon, Hydrates of Natural Gas, (Translated form Russian by Cieslesicz, W.J. 1974.), Penn Well, Tulsa, OK

  42. Yousif M.H., Abass M.H., Selim M.S., Sloan E.D. (1991). SPE Reservoir Eng. February 69

  43. J.E. Wegrzyn D.M. Mahajan (1999) ArticleTitleGuervich Catal Today. 50 97

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Phillip Servio

    Present address: Energy Sciences and Technology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, 11973-5000, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Sciences and Technology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, 11973-5000, USA

    Devinder Mahajan

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794, USA

    Michael W. Eaton & Devinder Mahajan

  3. U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA

    William J. Winters

Authors
  1. Phillip Servio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael W. Eaton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Devinder Mahajan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. William J. Winters
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Devinder Mahajan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Servio, P., Eaton, M.W., Mahajan, D. et al. Fundamental challenges to methane recovery from gas hydrates. Top Catal 32, 101–104 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-005-2881-x

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-005-2881-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation