China’s marine flammable ice survey achieved four major breakthroughs

After a decade of deep investigations and research on marine combustible ice resources in China, we have achieved breakthrough results in four major areas and will complete the study in the first half of 2011. This reporter learned from the special concluding meeting of the China Geological Survey recently held in Guangzhou.

Combustible ice is a popular name for natural gas hydrates. It is a new type of clean energy discovered in the oceans and permafrost in the past 20 years. It can be used as a substitute for traditional energy sources such as petroleum and carbon. It is estimated that the total amount of organic carbon contained in flammable ice in the world is equivalent to twice the global known coal, oil and natural gas.

Under the organization and deployment of the China Geological Survey, China began to conduct substantive investigations and studies on combustible ice since 1999. With the official approval of the state, China has officially launched a special survey and research on flammable ice resources in China's sea areas since 2002. The implementation time is from 2002 to 2010. The special project consists of four projects, including the investigation and evaluation of flammable ice resources in China's sea areas, exploration and development technologies, and environmental effects. The project is under the charge of the Ministry of Land and Resources and organized and implemented by the China Geological Survey. The Ministry of Land and Resources, the Guangzhou Ocean Geological Survey, the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, and the State Oceanic Administration are responsible for the project.

In the past 10 years, the Guangzhou Ocean Geological Survey as a specific implementation unit has used four research vessels and organized 25 voyages. There are four sea areas in the northern slopes of the South China Sea, especially Xisha Trough, Shenhu, Dongsha and Qiongdongnan. The investigation and evaluation of flammable ice resources were carried out in a focused and hierarchical manner.

At present, the survey team has achieved breakthrough results in the following four areas:

- The favorable area for flammable ice on the northern slope of the South China Sea was discovered. In the sea areas of the Xisha Trough, Dongsha, Shenhu, and Qiongdongnan, the deep-shallow-surface geophysics, geochemistry, geology, and biology of the combustible ice have been discovered.

- Evaluation of the potential of flammable ice resources on the northern slopes of the South China Sea. The scope of its anomaly distribution has been tentatively delineated, and the prospects for the thickness of flammable ice layer and hydrate resources have been predicted, and the potential of combustible ice resources in this area has been evaluated.

—— Two key targets for combustible ice are identified: Dongsha and Shenhu. The most favorable target area for the prospect of combustible ice on the northern slope of the South China Sea was delineated, providing a target target for the implementation of combustible ice drilling verification.

- Confirmed the existence of flammable ice resources in the South China Sea. From April to June of 2007, a foreign drilling vessel was hired to conduct a drilling project in Shenhu Sea Area and successfully obtained samples of combustible ice. This made our country the fourth country after the United States, Japan, and India to obtain physical samples of combustible ice on the seafloor through national R&D programs.

Experts attending the Guangzhou special event deployment meeting believe that China should establish a new investigation special item on the basis of major breakthroughs to ensure that the investigation and evaluation of China’s flammable ice resources will continue to expand in the next 10 to 20 years. As soon as possible, resources make practical contributions to the national energy security. (Liang Ganghua)