Context: Recently, Bangladesh has discovered huge potential natural gas hydrate deposits of 0.11 to 0.73 trillion cubic feet (TCF) in its exclusive economic zone area. It is equivalent to 17-103 TCF of natural gas reserves.

Background

• The study undertaken over the last three years was conducted by the Petrobangla, Bapex, local experts and the National Oceanography centre in Southampton, UK. 
• The study has come up with the preliminary idea about the location and nature of the gas hydrate discovery. 

Key Findings

• The finding of the huge reservoir of the natural gas hydrate is a landmark event in resolving the energy crisis in future. 
• The results of the study will be forwarded to the Energy and mineral resources division to conduct a seismic survey to determine the quantity and presence of actual reserves.
• The production technology of methane gas from the hydrates  is fundamentally different from the extraction of oil and natural gas which flows naturally through the pores of the reservoirs to the well. 
• Hydrates are solids and need to be dissociated through techniques like hot water pumping, depressurisation and Carbon Dioxide injection to release the methane gas from the hydrates. 
• Work is going on in the world to develop economically viable technology to extract gas from the hydrates.  

About Gas hydrates 

• They are crystalline form of methane and water, and exist in shallow sediments of outer continental margins. They are envisaged as a viable major energy resource for future.
• By nature, Gas hydrates are mostly methane (CH4). Methane gas hydrate is most stable at the seafloor at water depths which is below about 500 meters.
• The amount of gas within the world’s gas hydrate accumulations is estimated to greatly exceed the volume of all known conventional gas resources.

Availability in India

• Gas hydrate resources in India are estimated at 1,894 trillion cubic meters
• Deposits occur in Western, Eastern and Andaman offshore areas
• Two promising sites of 100 km x 100 km in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) and the Mahanadi basins have been identified and surveyed.
• Recently large reserves of highly enriched accumulations of natural gas hydrate an icy form of the fuel are discovered in the Bay of Bengal.

Importance

• They occur in abundance in the outer continental margins and permafrost regions.
• According to some surveys, gas hydrate deposits along ocean margins are estimated to exceed known petroleum reserves by about a factor of three.
• Huge energy potential of gas hydrates can be used as a viable major energy resource of future.
• If India produces only 10% from this gigantic treasure, it can meet India’s overwhelming energy requirement for about 100 years.
• India will not have to depend on other countries for energy resources and would be able to save billions of hard earned rupees.
• It will save much more revenue to invest on infrastructure or other programs for social benefit.
• India’s popular initiatives like Make in India will be requiring cheaper and constant supply of electricity for industrial promotion which gas hydrate source may fulfill.
• If technology for it’s safe exploitation is developed, It will facilitate environmental protection by reducing methane leakage/escape from continental shelf by extracting it beforehand.