First gas hydrates production test by 2010

India is likely to do its first gas hydrates production test by 2010. Official sources revealed that commercial production for exploiting huge gas hydrates reserves in the country would be possible only after the test by Indian National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) is set for the purpose. So far US, Japan and India have joined the league for exploration and production of gas hydrates. The estimated gas hydrate reserves across the globe are about twice the known oil and gas reserves. The technology for commercial production of gas hydrates is still at its infancy. Even if the technology is available for commercial production by 2010 anywhere in the world, it would take at least three to four years to start commercial production after successful production testing of gas hydrates in the country, official sources said gas hydrate is a naturally occurring ‘ice like’ combination of natural gas and water that has the potential to be a abundant new source of energy from the world’s oceans and Polar Regions. It is an environment-friendly fuel. One cubic meter of gas hydrates is converted into 164 cubic meter of gas under atmospheric conditions.

The report of first advanced gas hydrate exploration programme conducted on the offshore of India by NGHP under the name of Expedition 01, reveals the availability of reserves in India. One of the richest marine gas hydrates accumulation ever discovered has been delineated and sampled in the Krishna-Godavari basin. One of the thickest and deepest gas hydrate occurrences yet known has been discovered off the shores of Andaman Islands and has revealed gas hydrate bearing volcanic ash layers as deep as 600 meters below the sea floor.

Speaking on the sidelines the International Conference on Gas Hydrates at Noida, director general hydrocarbons, V K Sibal said, “It is estimated that there is around 2,000 trillion cubic feet of prognostic reserves of gas hydrates off the country’s east coast. Sizable reserves of good quality gas hydrates in KG basin have been found during test drilling. We have the thickest gas hydrates in the world. “ He further added that, “In the first phase we have done drilling 20 sites. Gas hydrates were are found at 11 sites in the east coast. In the second phase, NGHP will conduct seismic surveys to map the hydrate pools. In the first phase, $37 million dollars spent to explore the availability of gas hydrates.”