PROGRESS IN RESEARCHING NATURAL GAS STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION IN HYDRATE FORM

Although a long time has past since the natural gas hydrate has been discovered,the research has been confined to the prevention and inhibition of the hydrate formation all along.Because the hydrate has a peculiar cagelike crystal structure,1 m 3 of hydrate can envelop 150～200 m 3 of natural gas.The new method for natural gas storage and transportation in hydrate form has the advantages of safety,reliability and low cost and can replace the conventional methods for natural gas storage and transportation—the method by pipeline and that by liquefaction,and especially it is suitable for developing offshore gas fields and the small gas fields in remote area,giving rise to scientists' attention.In this paper,the feasibility for the gas storage and transportation in hydrate form,the progress in the research on this technique in Norway and USA and two typical technological processes are introduced,which have a very good reference value in the research on the hydrate in China.