Combustible ice - Vietnam's new energy prospect

As traditional energy sources such as coal, peat, oil and gas, etc. are increasingly depleted, methane hydrate, with reserves more than twice as large as fossil energy reserves, is considered a highly efficient, clean energy source and a potential alternative energy in the future.

Mining methane hydrate on the ocean floor. Illustration photo. (Source: soundwaves.usgs.gov)

Therefore, flammable ice has attracted the attention of many maritime and island nations in the world.

Currently, more than 90 countries in the world have conducted research programs to investigate combustible ice at different levels. According to scientists' calculations, the entire East Sea region ranks 5th in Asia in terms of combustible ice and Vietnam is considered a country with a fairly large reserve of combustible ice.

Therefore, in recent years, domestic scientists have begun to pay attention to the issue of investigating and researching combustible ice on the continental shelf of Vietnam.

Energy of the future

Combustible ice is a type of gas hydrate (gas hydrate, methane hydrate) that exists as a solid mixture, looks like ice or dry alcohol, can be transparent or opaque, white, gray or yellow crystals.

Combustible ice consists of hydrocarbon gas (mainly methane) and water, formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature. Just raise the temperature or lower the pressure and the combustible ice will decompose: 1m3 of this substance when decomposed produces 164m3 of methane gas and 0.8m3 of water (2-5 times the energy of natural gas).

Fire ice has the ability to evaporate under normal conditions like mothballs, so without detailed research and perfect exploitation technology, fire ice can be a factor contributing to global climate change due to its ability to "self-evaporate" under normal temperature and pressure conditions.

Combustible ice is a new energy source that many countries are interested in because of its huge reserves and its ability to impact global climate change.

This new energy mineral is predicted to be three times larger than the total known fossil energy resources worldwide. However, it is also considered a potential risk causing environmental disasters.

International organizations have warned that the above will happen in the future if countries act irresponsibly by using outdated technology in searching, exploring, exploiting, preserving and using flammable ice.

Prospects of combustible ice in Vietnam

Vietnam is considered to have a large reserve of combustible ice. Since 2007, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has organized a scientific conference on combustible ice. The Government has also issued many decisions and programs to research and evaluate combustible ice resources such as Decision 796 issued on June 3, 2010 by the Prime Minister approving the "Program for basic research and investigation on gas hydrate potential in Vietnam's seas and continental shelves."

Accordingly, after the research phase (2007-2015) ended the technology approach and research phase, in the 2015-2020 phase, we will begin to evaluate and explore combustible ice in prospective sea and continental shelf areas.

In a recent research topic on combustible ice, scientists from the Center for Marine Geology and Minerals (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) and the Vietnam Geological Society assessed that the East Sea area under Vietnam's sovereignty meets all the conditions for the formation of combustible ice such as seabed depth, geomorphological characteristics, seabed temperature, sediments, gas sources, geochemical and geophysical signs, etc.

Especially the geological structure, geological context and one of the prerequisites is the appearance of the oil and gas reservoirs of Song Hong, Phu Khanh, Tu Chinh-Vung May, Nam Con Son, Hoang Sa and Truong Sa basin groups.

Scientists from the two units have assessed the prospect of combustible ice on the continental shelf of South Vietnam based on comparison with the continental shelf of Sakhalin Island (Russian Federation), an area where the accumulation of combustible ice has been verified.

Through analysis and comparison of tectonic structure characteristics, formation mechanism and gas hydrate expression of Sakhalin Island continental shelf with South Vietnam continental shelf, it can be assessed that South Vietnam continental shelf has gas hydrate prospect.

From there, scientists have proposed four forecast areas to assess the potential for combustible ice, namely Hoang Sa archipelago and adjacent areas, Phu Khanh, Tu Chinh-Vung May and Truong Sa archipelago and adjacent areas.

Associate Professor Dr. Phung Van Phach, Director of the Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, said that in researching combustible ice, it is necessary to understand and correctly place this issue in terms of its historical role and the ability to exploit and use it in the context of the level of Vietnam's economy.

Indulging in or investing massively in research while Vietnam's scientific and technological level and qualified human resources cannot meet the requirements may not be very effective.

Furthermore, Vietnam needs to have a reasonable strategy on marine energy minerals, to be consistent with the Strategy for sustainable development of seas and islands to 2020, vision 2030./.

According to VNA