Gas Hydrates in China

Gas hydrate is a kind of potential new energy with large reserves. It is bound to be one of the best substitutes of traditional energy in the post petroleum era due to its extensive distribution, huge reserve, small burial depth, high energy efficiency and low pollution. Many countries, especially those lacking resources, pay much attention to the investigation and study of gas hydrates, and their key concerns are shifting from resource prospecting to exploiting. China is in the investigation and trial production stage and has discovered 3 deposits in the sea and land permafrost areas. The permafrost gas hydrate trial production has been successful in the Qilian Mountain and the marine gas hydrate production test is under planning and will be implemented in 2017. With the technical progress in prospecting and exploiting of gas hydrates and the implementation of supporting policies, commercial development and industrial production of gas hydrates will be achieved in China as has already been achieved in developed countries.