National Academies Press: OpenBook
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
×

Realizing the ENERGY POTENTIAL of METHANE HYDRATE for the United States

Committee on Assessment of the Department of Energy’s Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program: Evaluating Methane Hydrate as a Future Energy Resource

Committee on Earth Resources

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources

Division on Earth and Life Studies

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations contained in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Energy. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. government. Supported by the Department of the Energy, under Award No. DE-AT01-08FE0053.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-14889-4

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-14889-8

Additional copies of this report are available from the

National Academies Press,

500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet http://www.nap.edu

Cover: The backdrop is a three-dimensional rendering of the “structure 1” or s1 methane hydrate in which methane molecules (represented by spheres) are trapped inside hydrogen-bonded water cages. The images embedded within the cages include a hand-held methane hydrate-bearing sediment sample from the Mt. Elbert well at Milne Point, Alaska (upper left), prepared drillcores from the Department of Energy/Joint Industry Project Gulf of Mexico methane hydrate cruise (middle), and the Doyon 14 drill rig at the Mount Elbert test site, Milne Point, Alaska (lower middle). Images courtesy of: M. R. Walsh, Colorado School of Mines (three-dimensional si methane hydrate structure); Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Research Team (both the Mt. Elbert hand-held core sample and drill rig); Gulf of Mexico Department of Energy/ Joint Industry Project Research Team (prepared drill cores).

Designed by Michael Dudzik.

Copyright 2010 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine


The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.


The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.


The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.


www.national.academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
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COMMITTEE ON ASSESSMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: EVALUATING METHANE HYDRATE AS A FUTURE ENERGY RESOURCE

CHARLES PAULL (Chair1),

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California

WILLIAM S. REEBURGH (Chair2),

University of California, Irvine (Retired)

SCOTT R. DALLIMORE,

Geological Survey of Canada, Sidney, British Columbia

GONZALO ENCISO, Oil and Gas Exploration Consultant,3

Houston, Texas

SIDNEY GREEN,

University of Utah, Salt Lake City

CAROLYN A. KOH,

Colorado School of Mines, Golden

KEITH A. KVENVOLDEN,

U.S. Geological Survey (Retired), Palo Alto, California

CHARLES MANKIN,

Oklahoma Geological Survey (Retired), Norman

MICHAEL RIEDEL,

Geological Survey of Canada, Sidney, British Columbia4

National Research Council Staff

ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Study Director

DEBORAH GLICKSON, Program Officer

NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate

COURTNEY R. GIBBS, Program Associate

1

August 7, 2009, to present.

2

June 26, 2008, to August 7, 2009.

3

Shell Exploration and Production Company until March 2010.

3

McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada until May 2009.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
×

COMMITTEE ON EARTH RESOURCES

CLAYTON R. NICHOLS (Chair1),

Department of Energy, Idaho

Operations Office (Retired),

Ocean Park, Washington

MURRAY W. HITZMAN (Chair2),

Colorado School of Mines, Golden

JAMES A. BRIERLEY,

Brierley Consultancy LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colorado

WILLIAM S. CONDIT, Independent Consultant,

Santa Fe, New Mexico

ELAINE T. CULLEN,

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Spokane Research Laboratory (Retired), Chattaroy, Washington

GONZALO ENCISO, Oil and Gas Exploration Consultant,

Houston, Texas

MICHELLE MICHOT FOSS,

University of Texas, Austin

DONALD JUCKETT,

American Association for Petroleum Geologists (Retired), Springfield, Virginia

ANN S. MAEST,

Stratus Consulting, Boulder, Colorado

LELAND L. MINK,

U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Program (Retired), Worley, Idaho

MARY M. POULTON,

University of Arizona, Tucson

NORMAN H. SLEEP,

Stanford University, Stanford, California

RICHARD J. SWEIGARD,

University of Kentucky, Lexington

SAMUEL J. TRAINA,

University of California, Merced

National Research Council Staff

ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Senior Program Officer

ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant

NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate

1

From 2010.

2

Through 2009.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
×

BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES

CORALE L. BRIERLEY (Chair),

Brierley Consultancy, LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colorado

KEITH C. CLARKE,

University of California, Santa Barbara

DAVID J. COWEN,

University of South Carolina, Columbia

WILLIAM E. DIETRICH,

University of California, Berkeley

ROGER M. DOWNS,

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

JEFF DOZIER,

University of California, Santa Barbara

KATHERINE H. FREEMAN,

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

WILLIAM L. GRAF,

University of South Carolina, Columbia

RUSSELL J. HEMLEY,

Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C.

MURRAY W. HITZMAN,

Colorado School of Mines, Golden

EDWARD KAVAZANJIAN, JR.,

Arizona State University, Tempe

LOUISE H. KELLOGG,

University of California, Davis

ROBERT B. MCMASTER,

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

CLAUDIA INÉS MORA,

Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico

BRIJ M. MOUDGIL,

University of Florida, Gainesville

CLAYTON R. NICHOLS,

Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (Retired), Ocean Park, Washington

JOAQUIN RUIZ,

University of Arizona, Tucson

PETER M. SHEARER,

University of California, San Diego

REGINAL SPILLER,

Allied Energy, Houston, Texas

RUSSELL E. STANDS-OVER-BULL,

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Denver, Colorado

TERRY C. WALLACE, JR.,

Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico

HERMAN B. ZIMMERMAN,

National Science Foundation (Retired), Portland, Oregon

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National Research Council Staff

ANTHONY R. DE SOUZA, Director

ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Senior Program Officer

DAVID A. FEARY, Senior Program Officer

ANNE M. LINN, Senior Program Officer

SAMMANTHA L. MAGSINO, Program Officer

MARK D. LANGE, Associate Program Officer

LEA A. SHANLEY, Postdoctoral Fellow

JENNIFER T. ESTEP, Financial and Administrative Associate

NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate

COURTNEY R. GIBBS, Program Associate

JASON R. ORTEGO, Research Associate

ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant

TONYA E. FONG YEE, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
×

OCEAN STUDIES BOARD

DONALD F. BOESCH (Chair),

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge

EDWARD A. BOYLE,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

JORGE E. CORREDOR,

University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

KEITH R. CRIDDLE,

University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau

JODY W. DEMING,

University of Washington

MARY (MISSY) H. FEELEY,

ExxonMobil Exploration Company, Houston, Texas

ROBERT HALLBERG,

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

DEBRA HERNANDEZ,

Hernandez and Company, Isle of Palms, South Carolina

ROBERT A. HOLMAN,

Oregon State University, Corvallis

KIHO KIM,

American University, Washington, D.C.

BARBARA A. KNUTH,

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

ROBERT A. LAWSON,

Science Applications International Corporation, San Diego, California

GEORGE I. MATSUMOTO,

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California

JAY S. PEARLMAN,

The Boeing Company, Port Angeles, Washington

ANDREW A. ROSENBERG,

University of New Hampshire, Durham

DANIEL L. RUDNICK,

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

ROBERT J. SERAFIN,

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

ANNE M. TREHU,

Oregon State University, Corvallis

PETER L. TYACK,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

DAWN J. WRIGHT,

Oregon State University, Corvallis

JAMES A. YODER,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
×

National Research Council Staff

SUSAN ROBERTS, Director

CLAUDIA MENGELT, Senior Program Officer

DEBORAH GLICKSON, Program Officer

JODI BOSTROM, Associate Program Officer

SHUBHA BANSKOTA, Financial Associate

PAMELA LEWIS, Administrative Coordinator

HEATHER CHIARELLO, Senior Program Assistant

JEREMY JUSTICE, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
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Preface

The United States is at an important juncture as it considers future, long-term directions for supplying its own energy needs while also reducing the impact on the global environment. Consideration of the greenhouse gas contribution to the atmosphere of each energy source relative to its energy efficiency is a key part of this discussion. Natural gas, and particularly methane, because of its relatively clean environmental footprint—when combusted, natural gas produces less carbon dioxide per energy unit than do other fossil fuels—has emerged as a central piece in planning and implementing the nation’s transition to a future with cleaner, more efficient energy use. Whereas the current estimates of the nation’s undiscovered, conventional natural gas endowment on- and offshore are fairly substantial, the extent and accessibility of alternative sources of natural gas from “unconventional” (more technically challenging) sources are of increasing interest to policy makers, industry, and the public.

Methane hydrate, a solid form of methane and water that is widespread in Arctic permafrost areas of the Alaska North Slope and along most of the U.S. offshore continental margins, is an unconventional source of a potentially enormous volume of methane. Although the scientific, engineering, and environmental questions associated with exploration and potential commercial production of methane from methane hydrate are challenging, research programs around the world, including the United States, have made recent, substantial progress in understanding the behavior and extent of the resource and in performing drilling and production tests to extract methane from it. The results of these research endeavors provide the input to gauge the next steps toward realizing sustained, economically and environmentally viable production of methane from methane hydrate. The coming decade will prove pivotal as various nations attempt to make the transition from successful basic research and development programs to full-scale production of methane from methane hydrate in commercially

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
×

supported operations. The United States is one of the international leaders in this field by virtue of the excellence of the research its scientists have conducted and the rich natural endowment of methane hydrate offshore and associated with permafrost in Alaska. Our challenge is to realize this resource in a safe and environmentally sound manner.

In 2005, Congress reauthorized the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program, initially established in the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 (Appendix A), focused on stimulating advancements in the understanding of methane hydrate. The Program’s goals involve generating the needed scientific and technical knowledge to produce methane from methane hydrate as an energy resource in an environmentally sound manner. The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the National Energy Technology Laboratory, has managed this Program through support to about 40 new and continuing projects between fiscal years 2006 and 2009. These projects range in size and scale from large field programs involving multiple institutions focused on drilling into methane hydrate deposits, to single-institution laboratory and modeling studies.

The Act also mandates that a National Research Council (NRC) study be conducted to evaluate the progress that the Program is making toward achieving its goals and to make recommendations about future research and development needs. This report is the product of a committee convened by the NRC for this purpose. The members of this review committee represent a range of expertise including geochemistry, geology, oceanography, geophysics, petroleum engineering, risk assessment, and chemical engineering from industry, academia, government, and nonprofit research foundations (Appendix B). The committee met as a whole four times (twice each in Washington, D.C., and Golden, Colorado) to hear invited presentations and review available materials associated with the Program (Appendix C).

In this report, the committee has tried to provide an overview for the interested nonspecialist on the present state of knowledge in this field, an assessment of the impact the Program has made on the field, and recommendations as to what the technical emphasis of the continuing program

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ought to be over the next several years. The committee has made these recommendations in the context of a long-term goal for the Program and for many in the U.S. methane hydrate research community: to contribute research appropriate toward demonstration of environmentally and economically sustainable production of methane from methane hydrate by 2025. The committee realizes, however, that other factors, including regulatory issues and market economics, will also affect the ability of and timing for the nation to achieve this production aim. Overall, the committee has been impressed with both the quality of the work the Program has enabled and the progress that has been made toward this long-term goal. The committee’s research and development recommendations are thus intentionally high level, but specific with respect to the kind of technical and scientific emphasis we think necessary for the nation to attain this goal.


Charlie Paull

Chair

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Acknowledgments

In addition to its own expertise, the committee relied on input from numerous external professionals with extensive experience in various aspects of methane hydrate research. These individuals provided presentations, data, perspectives, and illustrative figures and images which assisted the committee in understanding the scope of domestic and international research in the field and the role played by the Department of Energy Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program and other federal agencies to advance the field. This information was extremely important to the committee in formulating its report, and we would like to express our appreciation to the many highly qualified individuals who provided advice and assistance during the course of the study. In particular, the committee would like to thank the following individuals for their very thorough and helpful responses to our inquiries at all stages of the study: Edith Allison, Ray Boswell, Rick Coffin, Tim Collett, Helen Farrell, Robert Fisk, Matt Frye, Bob Hardage, James Howard, Robert Hunter, Emrys Jones, Tim Kneafsey, Debbie Hutchinson, Yoshihiro Masuda, Ian MacDonald, Kenji Ohno, Brenda Pierce, Kimberly Puglise, Kelly Rose, Carolyn Ruppel, Carlos Santamarina, Dendy Sloan, Bob Swenson, and Scott Wilson.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12831.
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Amos A. Avidan, Bechtel Corporation, Houston, Texas

Nathan L.B. Bangs, University of Texas, Austin

Inez Y. Fung, University of California, Berkeley

Steven H. Hancock, RPS Energy Canada, Calgary, Alberta

Kenneth C. Janda, University of California, Irvine

Joel E. Johnson, University of New Hampshire, Durham

Salomon Levy, Levy & Associates, Campbell, California

John R.A. Pearson, Schlumberger Cambridge Research, United Kingdom

Mehran Pooladi-Darvish, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Vladimir E. Romanovsky, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Terry E. Whitledge, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Charles G. Groat, University of Texas, Austin, who was appointed by the NRC and was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

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Natural gas, composed mostly of methane, is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels, emitting 25-50% less carbon dioxide than either oil or coal for each unit of energy produced. In recent years, natural gas supplied approximately 20-25% of all energy consumed in the United States. Methane hydrate is a potentially enormous and as yet untapped source of methane. The Department of Energy's Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program has been tasked since 2000 to implement and coordinate a national methane hydrate research effort to stimulate the development of knowledge and technology necessary for commercial production of methane from methane hydrate in a safe and environmentally responsible way.

Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States evaluates the program's research projects and management processes since its congressional re-authorization in 2005, and presents recommendations for its future research and development initiatives.

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