There is exciting news on Gas Hydrate extraction by Japan. From The New York Times article:
Japan said Tuesday that it had extracted gas from offshore deposits of methane hydrate — sometimes called “flammable ice” — a breakthrough that officials and experts said could be a step toward tapping a promising but still little-understood energy source.
The gas, whose extraction from the undersea hydrate reservoir was thought to be a world first, could provide an alternative source of energy to known oil and gas reserves. That could be crucial especially for Japan, which is the world’s biggest importer of liquefied natural gas and is engaged in a public debate about whether to resume the country’s heavy reliance on nuclear power.
Aurora Research Institute is involved in the Mallik Gas Hydrate Production Research Program funded byJapan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and Natural Resources Canada.