Gas hydrate investigation and research in China: Present status and progress

Abstract：The gas hydrate-related activities may largely go through four development stages: laboratory curiosity, pipe clogging and its prevention and control, resource investigation and exploitation and utilization. At present China is in the early phase of the resource investigation stage. Since 1999, scientists of China have carried out gas hydrate investigations and research in the South China Sea, East China Sea, offshore permafrost zones and international sea-floor areas and found a number of geological, geophysical and geochemical anomalies of gas hydrate and successfully collected samples of gas hydrate in the Shenhu area in the northern South China Sea. Then a major breakthrough was made in mineral exploration and good prospects are shown in the area. However, at present there are still some problems such as a lower exploration level and relatively backward exploration techniques and equipment. With more importance attached to gas hydrate by China, gas hydrate investigation and research in China will be further accelerated and in the near term the stage of resource investigation will pass into the stage of trial production and the stage of commercial production.