A GLOBAL OUTLOOK on METHANE GAS HYDRATES VOLUME TWO Beaudoin, Y

FROZEN HEAT A GLOBAL OUTLOOK ON METHANE GAS HYDRATES VOLUME TWO Beaudoin, Y. C., Dallimore, S. R., and Boswell, R. (eds), 2014. Frozen Heat: A UNEP Global Outlook on Methane Gas Hydrates. Volume 2. United Nations Environment Programme, GRID-Arendal. © United Nations Environment Programme, 2014 ISBN: 978-92-807-3319-8 Job No: DEW/1633/NO This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. Applications for such permission, with a statement of purpose and intent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Division of Communications and Public Information (DCPI), UNEP, P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi 00100, Kenya. The use of information from this publication concerning proprietary products for publicity or advertising is not permitted. DISCLAIMERS The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP or contributory organizations and neither do they imply any endorsement. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP concerning the legal status of any country, territory or city or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. UNEP promotes Mention of a commercial company or product in this publication does not environmentally sound practices imply endorsement by UNEP. globally and in its own activities. This Edited by Yannick Beaudoin, GRID-Arendal publication is printed on fully recycled paper, Guest Editors: Scott Dallimore, Geological Survey of Canada – Natural FSC certified, post-consumer waste and chlorine- Resources Canada free. Inks are vegetable-based and coatings are Ray Boswell, US Department of Energy Design and layout by GRID-Arendal water-based. UNEP’s distribution policy aims to reduce Printed by Birkeland Trykkeri A/S, Norway its carbon footprints. FROZEN HEAT A GLOBAL OUTLOOK ON METHANE GAS HYDRATES VOLUME TWO GUEST EDITORS Scott Dallimore and Ray Boswell Canadian Polar Commission Commission canadienne des affaires polaires CONTENTS Chapter 1 9 Potential Implications For Future Energy Systems 10 1.1 Introduction 12 1.2 Global Energy Resources and Gas Hydrates 16 1.3 Evolution of the Global Energy System 18 1.4 Energy Scenarios and the Role of Gas in Sustainable Development 21 1.5 Implications of Developing Gas Hydrates 24 1.6 Considerations and Conclusions Chapter 2 27 Gas Hydrates as a Global Resource for Natural Gas 28 2.1 Introduction 32 2.2 What are the Most Promising Accumulations for Production? 34 2.3 Gas Hydrate Exploration 38 2.4 Where and How Much? 40 2.5 Case Studies of Gas Hydrate Occurrences 53 2.6 Summary Chapter 3 59 Technologies for the Development of Natural Gas Hydrate Resources 60 3.1 Introduction 62 3.2 Establishing Safe Site Conditions 63 3.3 Drilling a Gas Hydrate Production Well 68 3.4 Gas Hydrate Production 76 3.5 Time Frame for Gas Hydrate Development Chapter 4 83 Society, Policy, and Perspectives 84 4.1 Introduction 88 4.2 Gas Hydrates and Society 90 4.3 Policy Issues and Options FOREWORD Growing energy demands, uncertainty about supplies, and a rigorous assessment process designed to ensure the the urgent need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases availability of scientifically credible and policy-relevant mean that the world faces an uncertain energy future. Many information. This assessment format brings together countries have begun to explore alternative energy sources, diverse strands of knowledge and is a key mechanism including so-called unconventional fossil fuels such as through which science informs decision-making. natural gas hydrates. This report provides a basis for understanding how gas Gas hydrates generally occur in relatively inaccessible polar hydrates occur and the emerging science and knowledge and marine environments, which is why they have not been as to their potential environmental, economic, and social extensively studied until recently. Research about naturally consequences of their use. The intention of this publication occurring gas hydrates has increased markedly over the is to enable sound policy discourse and choices that take into past two decades, however, and understanding about where account a number of important perspectives. hydrates occur and how they might be exploited is growing rapidly. Japan has recently tested offshore production of natural gas from a hydrate reservoir located more than 1,300 metres below the sea’s surface and other countries are also actively exploring production potentials. Achim Steiner Continuing a tradition of identifying emerging issues, the UN Under-Secretary General Global Outlook on Methane Gas Hydrates is the result of and Executive Director of UNEP PREFACE This is the second volume of Frozen Heat: A global outlook summary of current issues in global gas hydrate research on methane gas hydrates, a two-volume examination of the and development. The first volume of Frozen Heat covered nature and energy potential of gas hydrates. UNEP’s purpose the science of gas hydrates and their role in natural systems. in preparing this report is to inform the global discussion This volume examines the potential impact of gas hydrates as about this potential resource by compiling a comprehensive a possible new and global energy resource. Figure i.1: Natural gas infrastructure in northern Russia. (Courtesy of Lawrence Hislop, GRID-Arendal) 6 FROZEN HEAT Figure i.2: Japan, Canada, China, S. Korea, India, the U.S., Germany, Norway and other nations have made significant scientific and technical advances with respect to gas hydrates. (Photo left courtesy of JOGMEC: Photo of operations of the Drill Ship Chikyu in the Nankai Trough, 2013; Photo right courtesy of KIGAM: Scientific party with hydrate recovered from UBGH01 (Ulleng Basin Gas Hydrate 01) Expedition in Ulleung Basin, East sea, Korea, 2007). Methane gas hydrates – the most common kind of gas hydrate methane – a relatively clean-burning fuel – locked in natural – are solid, ice-like combinations of methane and water that gas hydrates. are stable under conditions of relatively high pressure and low temperature. Found mainly in relatively harsh and remote The result has been significantly increased research into gas polar and marine environments, gas hydrates occur most hydrates over the past two decades. Several countries have commonly beneath terrestrial permafrost and in marine sedi- developed national gas hydrate research programs, and the ments along or near continental margins. Naturally occurring pace of scientific discovery about the nature and extent of gas gas hydrates contain most of the world’s methane and account hydrate deposits is accelerating. Industry is beginning to in- for roughly a third of the world’s mobile organic carbon. vest in understanding the hazards that naturally occurring gas hydrates pose to deep-water and Arctic energy develop- Gas hydrates were not studied extensively until fairly recently. ment. Academia is making significant progress in under- In the 1930s, they were recognized as an industrial hazard standing the basic physics and chemistry of gas hydrates, that can form blockages in oil and gas pipelines. In the late their impact on the physical properties of sediments, and the 1970s and early 1980s, a series of deep-ocean scientific drilling role of gas hydrates in global environmental processes. How- expeditions confirmed their existence in nature and revealed ever, the primary driver for much of the current interest is their abundance. Growing energy demands and climate the potential contribution to energy security that gas hydrates concerns have focused the attention of both industry and na- offer to a world with steadily increasing energy demands and tional governments on the potentially immense quantity of uncertain future energy supplies. A GLOBAL OUTLOOK ON METHANE GAS HYDRATES 7 This volume of Frozen Heat examines the current state of production is already planned and/or underway and in areas knowledge about the distribution and availability of gas hy- with strong societal motivations for developing domestic en- drates, the status of recovery technology, the potential environ- ergy resources. However, the commercial viability and envi- mental impacts of gas hydrate development, and the potential ronmental impacts of gas hydrate development are still very role of methane from gas hydrates in a future energy system, poorly known. Substantial additional basic science, engineer- particularly as part of the necessary transition to low-carbon ing, and technology development will be needed to enable and, ultimately, no-carbon energy sources. It also looks at the well-informed decisions. role gas hydrates might play in future economic development worldwide – especially in the development of greener, more Although commercial production of methane from gas sustainable and environmentally friendly economies. hydrates is still in the future, that future is moving closer. Ultimately, a combination of technological advances and fa- The central message in Volume 2 is that gas hydrates could vourable global/regional

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