Green Options - Fuel - Frozen Gas

Frozen Gas

Green Options is NBR's continuing series examining the latest eco-friendly advancements and their economic impact. In this report filed under the Fuel category, reporter Lucy Craft examines Japan's efforts to get a potential energy source -- methane hydrate -- out of the ground.

Want more Green Options?

Visit the "Green Options" home

External Links/Articles*

• National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)
  The NETL is owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy. This links to information about "The National Methane Hydrates R&D Program." Some researchers from Japan are involved in the program.
• Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)
  IODP is an international marine research program. One of the program's faculty, Ryo Matsumoto, is interviewed in Lucy Craft's report. Ryo Matsumoto is also a faculty member at the University of Tokyo.
• Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation
  The Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation is dedicated to seeking a stable supply of natural resources for Japan. One of the company's researchers, Sadao Nagakubo, is interviewed in Lucy Craft's report. This links to the "Promoting the Development of Methane Hydrates" section of the company's website.
• University of Hawaii
  This links to information about "Methane Hydrates Research" from the Hawaii Naturual Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The information includes a discussion of the environmental concerns about mining methane hydrates from the sea floor.
• U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
  This links to a U.S. Naval Research Laboratory report titled, "Ocean Floor Methane Gase Hydrate Exploration."

*Clicking these external links will take you off the NBR web site on PBS.org. NBR has no affiliation with these sites.