# Japan Says It's Successfully Tapped Into Seabed Methane Hydrate Deposits



## PhantomPholly (Aug 20, 2008)

Wondered when this would happen. Nearly unlimited natural gas without fracking, and no need of refining.

We will definitely need to figure out ways to offset if we seriously tap into these frozen ponds of energy.


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## Salty9 (Jul 13, 2009)

We really don't have to worry about tapping the hydrates. They are self-tapping in the arctic.

Since I learned about methane hydrates some years back I have been wondering why they are shipping methane as CNG at high pressures and low temperatures when they could form the hydrate at higher temps and lower pressures and use the evaporate as fuel to power the turbines of the vessels used to transport it.


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## PhantomPholly (Aug 20, 2008)

Salty9 said:


> We really don't have to worry about tapping the hydrates. They are self-tapping in the arctic.
> 
> Since I learned about methane hydrates some years back I have been wondering why they are shipping methane as CNG at high pressures and low temperatures when they could form the hydrate at higher temps and lower pressures and use the evaporate as fuel to power the turbines of the vessels used to transport it.


lol why wonder? It's more expensive.... 

Still, long term hydrates might be a way to store CNG short term (pun intended). Pressure vessels just don't seem like a smart way to transport fuel for the masses, even if they don't really explode when hit by stray bullets like in Hollywood.


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