Potential of gas hydrates outlined

This paper reports on large volumes of natural gas, composed mainly of methane, which can occur in sediments as gas hydrates. These substances are solids, composed of rigid cages of water molecules that trap molecules of gas. At standard conditions (STP), 1 cu ft of methane hydrate will contain as much as 180 cu ft of methane; because of this large gas storage capacity, gas hydrates may represent an important source of natural gas. Cold surface temperatures at high latitudes are conducive to the development of onshore permafrost and gas hydrate in the subsurface. The combined information from Arctic gas hydrate studies shows that in permafrost regions gas hydrates may exist at subsurface depths ranging from about 130-2,000 m. The amount of gas sequestered in gas hydrates is probably enormous, but estimates are highly speculative. For example, worldwide estimates of the amount of gas within continental gas hydrates range from 500 trillion to 1,200,000 trillion cu ft.