Hazards of uncontrolled methane release from clathrates analyse and environmental evaluation of extraction methods

Abstract

Uncontrolled methane release from clathrates may intensify global warming, causes deoxygenation and changes of pH of oceanic water, prompt tsunami and other hazards. On the other hand, it can be a great source of unconventional fossil fuels in the future, when conventional sources will be depleted and renewable sources not enough developed. The problem is how to ensure its safe exploitation. Methane clathrate breakdown, environmental impacts and feedback between them are presented and possible commercial methods of methane exploitation are compared. Finally, a selected method of methane clathrate exploitation that minimalizes environmental hazards is proposed. Among possible methods such as thermal stimulation, depressurization, inhibitor injection and gas exchange, only the latter one is ecologically friendly and can diminish climate warming with simultaneous CO 2 sequestration.