Japan taps gas from methane hydrate

12 March 2013 Last update on 05: 53 ET

Methane hydrate is also known as flammable or flammable ice

Japan says that it has successfully extracted natural gas of frozen methane hydrate for its central coast, in a world first.

Methane hydrates, clathrates, or are a type of frozen "cage" of molecules of methane and water.

The gas field is about 50 km from the main island of Japan, in the Nankai Trough.

Researchers say it could provide an alternative energy source for Japan which imports its energy needs.

Other countries including Canada, the US and China are looking into ways of exploiting methane hydrate deposits also.

Pilot projects in recent years, using methane hydrates found under land ice, have shown that methane from the deposits can be extracted.

Offshore deposits, present a potentially huge source of methane but also any environmental concerns, because the underwater geology with them in many places unstable.

"It is the world's first offshore producing gas from methane hydrate experiment," said an official from the Ministry of economy, trade and industry the news agency AFP.

A survey of the gas field is run by State-owned Japan oil, Gas and metals National Corporation (JOGMEC).

Engineers used a depressurisation method that methane hydrate in methane gas changes. Production tests are expected to continue for about two weeks.

Government officials have said that they intended to technologies for the production of methane hydrate for practical use within five years.

A Japanese study estimated that at least 1.1 tn cubic meters of methane hydrate existence in offshore deposits, the equivalent of more than a decade of Japan's gas consumption.

Japan has few natural resources and the cost of fuel import is increased after a backlash against nuclear power the Fukushima nuclear disaster after two years ago.