Understanding the Formation and Thermal Dissociation of Methane Hydrates

The continuously increasing demand for fuel has called upon the utilization of unconventional sources of natural gas. Locked inside the earth’s crust in permafrost and sub-ocean floors in the form of methane hydrates, is about 1000 times more natural gas than what is present on earth today. Methane hydrates are solid, non-stoichiometric crystalline cage-like structures. They are formed when water molecules under high pressures and low temperatures entrap individual gas molecules. Conditions ideal for natural methane hydrate formation are created. An in-situ thermal simulation is used for the dissociation of hydrates. It is seen that there is a high efficiency, between 75-92% in extracting the methane when there is higher thermal input (about 50 W) for a 50% saturation of methane hydrates.