Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

China to explore, utilize new energy resources


It has been predicted that the "burning mixture" reserve in the world is twice the combined deposit amount of coal, petroleum and natural gas, which can satisfy the demand of human consumption of energy for approximately 1,000 years.

Hydrates can be formed in systems of water and small molecules. When the small molecules are gaseous at ambient conditions we are speaking of gas hydrates. These small molecules, e.g. methane (CH4), propane (C3H8), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2) but also fluoroform (CHF3) are enclosed in cavities formed by the hydrogen bonded water molecules. The specific conformations of the framework of hydrogen bonded water molecules can exist because of the enclosed molecules in the cavities, i.e., they stabilise the whole structure. Wouldn't the small molecules be present and the conditions be suitable (i.e., temperature < 0 °C) than the framework of hydrogen bonded water molecules would prefer the conformation of ice, which is not able to accommodate other molecules as a guest. Gas hydrates are ice-like inclusion components that are regularly built and can store large amounts of guest molecules. Albeit they look like ice, gas hydrates can exist at temperatures higher than the freezing point of water and elevated pressures, because of the stabilisation by the enclosed guest molecules. When these guest molecules are flammable the gas hydrates can be ignited and you get burning ice.
http://www.dct.tudelft.nl/ttf/hydrate.htm

-Am

China to explore, utilize new energy resources

www.chinaview.cn 2004-09-27 16:46:17

by Ding Qilin, Yao Jianfeng

SHENYANG, Sept. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Huge consumption, exploration and use of energy resources have led to the depletion of resources and deterioration environment, which oblige China to explore and utilize new energy sources for its sustainable economic growth.

"China's gross domestic product has increased by more than 10 fold since the founding of new China in 1949, but its energy consumption rose some 40 fold during the period. Huge consumption of energy has resulted in energy shortage and worsening of environment," said Shi Jinfeng, president of Liaoning Polytechnic Engineering University.

Wang Laigui, a professor of Liaoning Polytechnic Engineering University, noted China has a potential to explore new energy resource such as coal bed methane, a clean and non-polluted gas, which can be used as fuel in home life, electric-power generating,industries and as chemical raw materials.

In recent years, China has made progress in exploration and utilization of coal bed methane which has been incorporated into the future plan of China's energy development. According to statistics, Coal bed methane reserves in China reach 30 trillion cubic meters.

"It is both economical and safe to tap coal bed methane," acknowledged Wang, "which can also help ease energy shortage in east China and stabilize the prices of petroleum and natural gas."

Besides coal bed methane, China has begun tapping on a trial basis the "burning mixture of natural gas and water", or "burning ice", which also constitutes a kind of clean and non-polluted energy resource.

The Guangzhou Maritime Geological Bureau in southern China confirmed five years ago that China had a "burning mixture of natural gas and water". Later, exploration indicated that the country is abundant in reserves of the "burning mixture".

It has been predicted that the "burning mixture" reserve in theworld is twice the combined deposit amount of coal, petroleum and natural gas, which can satisfy the demand of human consumption of energy for approximately 1,000 years. Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-09/27/content_2029162.htm


Excerpt: #msg-3760127

India, Russia To Undertake Research On Gas Hydrates

SUDHIR CHOWDHARY
Posted online: Monday, August 09, 2004 at 0000 hours IST

NEW DELHI: A programme on gas hydrate research has been initiated by the government to identify an alternative source of energy. As part of this, an Indo-Russian Science and Technology Centre for gas hydrate studies has been set up in the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) campus at Chennai.

This centre will take up detailed investigations on gas hydrates, as a joint research programme between India and Russia, department of ocean development secretary Harsh K Gupta said. “Gas hydrates are ice-like crystalline accumulations formed from methane and water. It is a newly discovered mineral deposit that occurs in ocean sediments. One cubic meter of gas hydrate, when brought to the surface, is expected to yield 164 cubic meters of natural gas. This can be utilised as a future resource,” Dr Gupta told eFE.
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=65438