Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico - 1980-2023 Current Status of Methane Hydrate Development

Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico - 1980-2023 Current Status of Methane Hydrate Development

In the United States, vast reserves of methane hydrate are found in the permafrost of northern Alaska, in the Gulf of Mexico, and on the continental slope off the East Coast. More than 85 trillion cubic meters of reserves have been confirmed in the North Slope of Alaska, and test mining in 2007 succeeded in producing 5,000 cubic meters of gas per day, and in 2012, 6,000 cubic meters of gas. 2023, in cooperation with Japan's JOGMEC, a long-term production test will begin in Alaska, with an annual production of The goal is to produce 300,000 cubic meters of gas per year. On the other hand, extraction costs are high, ranging from approximately $50 to $100 per cubic meter, and environmental risks such as methane leakage and undersea landslides are also an issue. Efforts toward commercialization are continuing through technological innovation and international cooperation.