?Canada is well positioned to be a global leader in exploration, research and development and eventual production of natural gas from gas hydrate.

That’s the conclusion of a 13-member panel appointed by the Council of Canadian Academies. However, given the need for further research to better quantify the large Canadian gas hydrate resource and the economic, environmental and technical uncertainties involved, commercial production is not likely to take place within Canada for at least two decades.

The panel, composed of experts in geophysics, geology, chemistry, engineering, biology, economics, political science, safety and social impacts, prepared its report in response to a question posed by Natural Resources Canada: What are the challenges for an acceptable operational extraction of gas hydrates in Canada?

“Complex issues would need to be addressed if gas hydrate were to become a part of our energy future,” says the chair of the panel, Dr. John Grace, professor of chemical and biological engineering and Canada research chair in clean energy processes at the University of British Columbia. “The panel has focused on identifying and assessing the science and technology needs for the production of natural gas from gas hydrate in Canada, and analyzing the potential jurisdictional, community impact, safety and environmental issues.”

Gas hydrates form under conditions of high pressure and low temperature when water combines with gas—largely methane—to form an ice-like solid substance in regions of permafrost and in sub-seafloor sediments on continental margins. Gas hydrates are abundant worldwide.

Some estimates suggest that the total amount of gas bound in hydrate form may exceed all conventional gas resources, or even the amount of all hydrocarbon energy—coal, oil and gas combined.

Grace says Canada has some of the world’s most favorable conditions for the occurrence of gas hydrate on its continental margins and under Arctic permafrost. Canadian scientists and engineers have led fundamental pioneering efforts in gas hydrate properties, exploration, modeling and extraction testing.

A joint Canadian-Japanese team has had successful results in experimental production of methane gas by injecting hot water into a borehole in the Mackenzie Delta in the arctic region of Canada. Located about 80 miles north of the community of Inuvik, the test drilling has been completed and researchers said gas is flowing freely—but not commercially.

“While long-term production experience is needed to better understand the potential problems associated with producing gas from gas hydrate, these issues are not expected to be technically insurmountable,” Grace says. “The profitability of gas production from gas hydrate will depend on further development of efficient means to extract the gas component, as well as on many of the same unpredictable market factors that will govern the future profitability of conventional natural gas.”

Most of the environmental, safety, regulatory and social considerations related to gas hydrate exploitation appear to be similar to those associated with conventional gas production in frontier areas, he adds. Although it is a concern that once produced, gas from gas hydrate would lead to the emission of carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas—when used as fuel, gas from gas hydrate would produce less carbon dioxide per unit of energy than coal or oil.

“We believe that this report will serve as a valuable comprehensive resource for those interested in understanding the current state of knowledge on gas hydrate in Canada, together with the opportunities and challenges related to its potential development,” Grace says. He adds that the full report will be released before the end of the summer.

He adds that although scientists have known about gas hydrates for almost 200 years, the oil and gas industry only began to take an interest in the 1930s.

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