Combustible ice could become a popular fuel in the future

Japan and China have successfully exploited combustible ice under the seabed, opening up hope of turning it into a popular fuel in the future.

Gas leaks from a flammable ice drilling rig in the South China Sea. Photo: AP.

Commercial exploitation of giant fossil fuel reserves known as flammable ice has moved closer to reality after Japan and China successfully extracted the material from the seabed, according to the Bangkok Post.

Combustible ice is a frozen mixture of water and dense natural gas. Technically known as methane hydrate, it can be burned in its frozen state. It is one of the most abundant fossil fuels in the world.

China successfully extracted combustible ice from the bottom of the South China Sea on May 18, Xinhua News Agency reported. Jiang Daming, China's Minister of Land and Resources, declared the event a breakthrough moment that will lead to a global energy revolution in the future.

Japan also reported successful extraction of combustible ice two weeks earlier, on May 4 along the Shima Peninsula.

For Japan, methane hydrate offers an opportunity to reduce its heavy dependence on imported fuel. In China, it is a cleaner alternative to coal-fired power plants and steel mills, helping to reduce the country’s air pollution.

Methane hydrate is found mainly on the seafloor. It is also deep within the Arctic permafrost and beneath the Antarctic ice sheet.

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), estimated world reserves of combustible ice range from 280 trillion to 2,800 trillion m³Meanwhile, the total world natural gas production in 2015 was only 3.5 billion m³This means that methane hydrate could meet global gas needs for 80 to 800 years at current consumption rates.

The high cost of extraction and profit factors have prevented private and state energy companies from investing in the extraction of combustible ice for decades. Extraction requires the use of large amounts of water or carbon dioxide (CO₂) to flood the methane hydrate reservoir, causing the fuel to be released and brought to the surface.

Scientists say it will be years before we can produce flammable ice on a large scale. If not mined properly, the material will flood the Earth’s atmosphere with greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change.

"The climate impacts of methane hydrate production are complex, with potential benefits but also significant risks," said David Sandalow, a fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University in New York.

According to VNE