GSPD

Gas Supply Projects Division

GWP

Greenhouse Warming Potential

HQ

Headquarters (DOE)

HYACE

Hydrate Autoclave Coring Equipment

ICC

Interagency Coordinating Committee

INEEL

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

IODP

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program

IR

infrared

JIP

Joint Industry Project

JOI

Joint Oceanographic Institutions

JOIDES

Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling

LBNL

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LNG

liquefied natural gas

LWD

logging-while-drilling

MC

Mississippi Blocks

MBARI

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

MHAC

Methane Hydrate Advisory Committee

MMS

Minerals Management Service

NETL

National Energy Technology Laboratory

NGSA

Natural Gas Supply Association

NMR

nuclear magnetic resonance

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NRC

National Research Council

NRL

Naval Research Laboratory

NSF

National Science Foundation

ODP

Ocean Drilling Program

OOI

Ocean Observatories Initiative

ORION

Ocean Research Interactive Observatory Network

ORNL

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

OST

Office of Science and Technology (NETL)

Front Matter (R1-R16)

Executive Summary (1-14)

1 Introduction (15-22)

2 Why Study Gas Hydrate? (23-42)

3 A Review of Methane Hydrate Research and Development Projects to Date (43-72)

4 Directions for Program Emphasis, Research, and Resource Development (73-82)

5 Scientific Oversight of the DOE Methane Hydrate R&D Program (83-92)

6 Summary of Findings and Recommendations (93-104)

References (105-116)

Appendix A: Committee and Staff Biographies (117-122)

Appendix B: Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 (123-128)

Appendix C: Speakers and Presentation Titles from Meetings of the NRC Committee to Review the Activities Authorized Under the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 (129-130)

Appendix D: Committee Summary and Observations of the DOE Conference/JIP Workshop Held September 30 to October 1, 2003 in Westminster, Colorado (131-134)

Appendix E: Acronyms (135-138)

Appendix F: Project Summaries (139-150)

Appendix G: Projects Funded by DOE Under the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program (151-176)

Appendix H: Letters from the Methane Hydrate Advisory Committee (2001 and 2002) to DOE Secretary Spencer Abraham (177-190)

Appendix I: Membership of the Interagency Coordinating Committee and the Technical Coordinating Team (191-192)

Color Plates (193-196)