Methane from gas hydrates in the Black Sea

Abstract

Gas hydrates are crystalline solids that form from mixtures of water and light natural gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, ethane, propane, and butane. The Black Sea is the world's most isolated sea. Methane exists as gas hydrates or methane clathrate form in the Black Sea. Gas hydrates potential in the Black Sea is investigated as a source of methane. Methane gas hydrate is a solid combination of methane and ice. It is found under continental shelves and on land under permafrost and can contain from 80-99.9% of methane. Gas hydrate is found in sub-oceanic sediments and in continental slope sediments, where pressure and temperature conditions combine to make it stable. Natural gas hydrate contains highly concentrated methane, which is important both as an energy resource and as a factor in global climate change. The difficulty with recovering this source of energy is that the fuel is in solid form and is not amenable to conventional gas and oil recovery techniques.