From Breaking Energy: Methane hydrates are getting increased attention as a major new source of clean hydrocarbon energy. These enormous deposits of natural gas have never been developed commercially, but research and development has been promising, and expectations are that the gas could begin coming to market within a decade. Known as flammable ice, methane hydrates are molecules of gas contained in an ice matrix found in… Read more »
From The Island University news: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Researcher Shares Renewable Energy Expertise at International Fiery Ice Workshop CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – An Island University professor recently returned from India where he coordinated and co-organized the 2014 Fiery Ice, 9th International Methane Hydrate R&D Workshop. Dr. Richard Coffin, Chair of the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, was in Hyderabad, India,… Read more »
The majority of coastal sediment carbon cycling studies have focused on contributions from autochthonous photosynthetic marine and allocthonous terrigenous inputs. However, hydrocarbons produced within deep sediment through thermochemical and microbiological conversions can significantly contribute to cycling of carbon, especially in shallower sediments and water column. Stable carbon isotope ratios indicative of petroleum and methane (CH4) origins are found in bacterioplankton biomarkers. In a related study in… Read more »
Strategic Carbon met with geohazard specialists at Shell International Exploration and Production (www.shell.us) in Houston, Texas. An initial discussion and presentation focused on SC’s ability to apply geochemical assessment of mining system platform stability and environmental impacts. A November meeting is planned to further discuss application of the SC approach for geochemical surveys. SC also met in October with geological and geochemical experts at Anadarko (www.anadarko.com)… Read more »
Strategic Carbon-developed plans for the exploration of methane hydrate resources off the south coast of China led to a series of meetings with senior management and technical experts from the Chinese National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) (www.cnoocltd.com), one of the world’s 50 largest oil companies. The initial meeting was held in Anchorage, Alaska with SC Founder Dr. Richard Coffin and included an organizing representative ShuQi Zhang… Read more »
An expedition conducted on the USCG Polar Sea during August of 2009 explored the Alaskan Shelf of the Beaufort Sea to address the sediment methane sources, the potential for contribution to climate change and possible locations for energy exploration. MITAS, lead by Dr. Richard Coffin, focused on spatial variation of methane in shallow sediments, the water column and flux to the atmosphere. Scientists from the United States, Germany, and… Read more »
There is a strong national and financial rational for development of liquid natural gas (LNG) in China. Transition to LNG, moving away from burning coal and oil, has potential to result in significantly less environmental impact. Success on undertaking a $40 billion investment with a natural gas LNG project with Australia does entail a requirement to address a large range of potential changes in the environment. … Read more »
For Chinese exploration of potential methane hydrate loading in their coastal region Strategic Carbon (SC) LLC will provide methane hydrate site assessment prior to deep hydrate well drilling and logging. This activity optimizes drill site selection and provides significant cost savings. Typical borehole drilling and well logging costs 10-20 million USD. An expedition that utilizes geochemical, geological, and geophysical analyses to guide borehole site selection can… Read more »
Future plans for Chinese sediment methane hydrate and petroleum mining, as well as carbon dioxide sequestration, require credible environmental assessments to confirm that anthropogenic compounds released to shallow sediment and the water column during mining will not adversely affect food chain cycling. These seeps could also cause gradual geothermal warming and have a subsequent impact on platform or coastal stability. Conversely, it is necessary to determine that… Read more »
In The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2013 By T. Boyd Carbon dioxide radiocarbon analysis has proved extremely useful in demonstrating on-site fossil fuel-derived contaminant remediation to a non-toxic end-product (CO2). At the North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego, CA (USA) fuel groundwater contamination assessed for source(s) and natural degradation with radiocarbon and stable carbon isotope analysis in 16 wells across a underground fuel contamination zone…. Read more »