Prevention of Potential Hazards Associated with Marine Gas Hydrate Exploitation: A Review

Fangtian Wang, Bin Zhao and Gang Li
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Fangtian Wang: State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Bin Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Gang Li: State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-19

Abstract: Marine gas hydrates (MGHs), which have great potential for exploitation and utilization, account for around 99% of all global natural gas hydrate resources under current prospecting technique. However, there are several potential hazards associated with their production and development. These are classified into four categories by this paper: marine geohazards, greenhouse gas emissions, marine ecological hazards, and marine engineering hazards. In order to prevent these risks from occurring, the concept of “lifecycle management of hazards prevention” during the development and production from MGHs is proposed and divided into three stages: preparation, production control, and post-production protection. Of these stages, economic evaluation of the resource is the foundation; gas production methods are the key; with monitoring, assessment, and early warning as the guarantee. A production test in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea shows that MGH exploration and development can be planned using the “three-steps” methodology: commercializing and developing research ideas in the short term, maintaining economic levels of production in the medium term, and forming a global forum to discuss effective MGH development in the long term. When increasing MGH development is combined with the lifecycle management of hazards prevention system, and technological innovations are combined with global cooperation to solve the risks associated with MGH development, then safe access to a new source of clean energy may be obtained.

Keywords: marine gas hydrate; submarine landslide; greenhouse gas emission; lifecycle management; hazard prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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