Methane hydrate-bearing sand - An energy resource?

Methane hydrates, being solid ice-like compounds of methane and water, form naturally at high pressures and low temperature. They are considered as a potential future energy resource but also as a considerable geo-hazard. Methane hydrate dissociation during borehole drilling and production process (by heat or depressurization methods) may reduce the strength of hydrate-bearing sediment and cause failure. This study addresses the role of methane hydrates, presents existing methods to extract methane hydrates in sediments and discusses their corresponding effects on the mechanical behavior of methane hydrate-bearing sediments.