Gas hydrates
Also called: Methane hydrates · Topic: Energy Resources of India: Conventional and Non-conventional · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Gas hydrates are ice-like solids in which methane gas is locked inside frozen water. They form where pressure is high and temperature is low, such as in seabed mud along continental margins. A small amount of hydrate can hold a large amount of gas. This makes them a possible fuel for the future. But taking the gas out safely is hard, so they are not yet mined for sale.
Example
India's expeditions NGHP-01 (2006) and NGHP-02 (2015) found rich gas hydrate deposits in the Krishna-Godavari basin off the Andhra Pradesh coast.
Don't confuse with
- Coal-bed methane: methane drawn out of coal seams on land, as at Raniganj. Gas hydrates are frozen solids under the seabed.