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Japan looks to methane under sea floor
Cosmos Online ^ | 15 Aug 2012 | Achim Eberhart

Posted on 08/16/2012 6:17:34 PM PDT by rjbemsha

Large quantities of methane gas are stored as ice-like gas hydrates below the ocean floor and these could be used as an energy source, a Japanese geologist said....“One cubic metre of gas hydrate contains 164 cubic metres of methane,” said Ryo Matsumoto from the University of Tokyo, who presented his research at the 34th International Geological Congress in Brisbane, Australia. “Gas hydrates are very effective containers of methane.”....estimates suggest that the total amount of carbon contained in gas hydrates could match or even exceed that bound in fossil fuels.

(Excerpt) Read more at cosmosmagazine.com ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: anwr; gashydrates; japan; keystonexl; methane; opec
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Burning ice. I wonder if methane released during earthquakes in Japan could account for the sightings of flames on approaching tsunamis.
1 posted on 08/16/2012 6:17:38 PM PDT by rjbemsha
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To: rjbemsha

Algore will not be happy

TT


2 posted on 08/16/2012 6:21:47 PM PDT by TexasTransplant (Radical islam is islam. Moderate islam is the Trojan Horse.)
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To: TexasTransplant

Fracking the water.


3 posted on 08/16/2012 6:29:42 PM PDT by Paladin2
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Are they getting John Ross and Christopher from Ewing Energy to exploit the methane?


4 posted on 08/16/2012 6:32:36 PM PDT by Reaganez
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To: Paladin2
A gas company is fracking under my property... Every so often, I take a cigarette lighter to the tap and run some water to check for gas in my water.

No luck yet. If it ever does happen, I've got a separator already built, and am ready to plumb the gas into my oven and heaters.

/johnny

5 posted on 08/16/2012 6:35:43 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Apparently Diesels can be modified to run well on natural gas.


6 posted on 08/16/2012 6:38:54 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Paladin2

Gasoline engines are even easier to modify to run on NG. Diesels require a bit more work because they ignite from compression.


7 posted on 08/16/2012 6:42:33 PM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: rjbemsha
I wonder what the Japanese is for “There’s something down there...and it’s farting.”
8 posted on 08/16/2012 6:42:58 PM PDT by RichInOC (Palin 2012: The Perfect Storm.)
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To: Lurker

I’m all for energy independence as soon as possible. SA needs to go down.


9 posted on 08/16/2012 6:47:08 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: RichInOC

soko no shita ni nanika ga onara shite imasu .


10 posted on 08/16/2012 6:49:44 PM PDT by sushiman
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To: JRandomFreeper

If they pull any gas from underneath your property do you have any rights to it?


11 posted on 08/16/2012 6:51:44 PM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Lurker
Yep. I just inherited this place from the family estate. Dad was big on keeping mineral rights. We're collecting small royalties on properties I never heard of, and we don't own any more.

/johnny

12 posted on 08/16/2012 6:55:19 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Your dad was a smart man. I hope they find more gas than you can shake your backside at underneath your property, sir.


13 posted on 08/16/2012 6:58:35 PM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: rjbemsha

The trouble is that mining methane ice is very risky, as it is close to the temperature of sublimation, and the entire methane ice field could have a chain reaction, resulting in an immense release of methane all at once. This would be bad.

One suggestion was that it would be robotically mined in an artificial Carbon Dioxide atmosphere. As it was removed, it would be replaced with supercooled water that would quickly turn to ice when sprayed into a gap where methane ice had been. This would also help to structurally support the mined area.


14 posted on 08/16/2012 7:17:48 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: JRandomFreeper

What a coincidence. I’m working on a gas ran toaster right now.


15 posted on 08/16/2012 7:19:02 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Biden: "HOPE and CHAINS for all 57 states".)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks rjbemsha. There’s roughly (and at least) 7000 years worth of hydrocarbon use on the ocean floor in these forms (assuming current consumption).


16 posted on 08/16/2012 7:25:10 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: BipolarBob
I make toast on a comal, so any kind of fuel works for that. ;)

/johnny

17 posted on 08/16/2012 7:30:04 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: rjbemsha
Well, Well, Well, Almost daily we get reports about the almost limitless supply of energy available to be exploited right here on the Earth. Yet, we are constantly harassed by chicken little wackos who preach about limited energy and gush ovr false ‘renewable’ energy.
18 posted on 08/16/2012 8:23:43 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: sushiman

“soko no shita ni nanika ga onara shite imasu .”

Honma ni machigai nai.


19 posted on 08/16/2012 9:02:53 PM PDT by Islander2
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To: rjbemsha

Godzilla farts.


20 posted on 08/16/2012 9:11:16 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Obama, what's your plan man?)
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