Japanese drilling rig, offshore by 80 km, in 1000m ocean depth, has tapped methane hydrates from 300m below ocean floor. Japan currently buys 70% of methane(LNG) output from Australia currently developing $175B of projects. Japanese reserves are big, enough for 10 to 100years of demand. Hydrates trap methane in frozen water molecules. Heat and/or reduced pressure are needed to release methane, not easy at 1300m below ocean surface, less easy again when you remember deep water drilling disasters like our own Montara and BP’s Deep Water Horizon.

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