At the beginning of the 21st century, with the rapid rise of global energy demand, the exploration and development of energy in various countries has entered a new stage. In particular, clean energy, mainly natural gas, has become an important player in the international energy market because of its environmentally friendly and high-efficiency characteristics. In this context, a new energy source called "combustible ice" has surfaced, which has attracted global attention. Combustible ice, or natural gas hydrate, is a solid compound formed in a specific low-temperature and high-pressure environment, and its energy density is much higher than that of traditional coal and natural gas, and is known as the "energy of the future".
On a cold winter day in 1934, a Soviet repair team was carrying out emergency work on a gas pipeline in Siberia. As the team members dismantled the broken pipe, a peculiar white solid substance caught their attention. When an engineer named Alexander tried to get a closer look with a lighter, the solid substance instantly burst into blue flames that lasted for several minutes.
"What the hell is this?" Alexander looked at the captain Ivan in surprise.
Ivan frowned and replied, "I don't know, but it could be a big discovery." "
They quickly sent the samples back to Moscow for analysis. After research by scientists, it was confirmed that this substance was a solid substance formed by water molecules and natural gas under extreme conditions, which was later named gas hydrate, which is what we call "combustible ice".
With the discovery made public, scientists across the globe began to study combustible ice in depth. Since combustible ice can release a large amount of methane gas in a standard state, its potential energy value has attracted great attention from various countries.
In 1971, American geologist Hammer Schmidt accidentally discovered a rich deposit of combustible ice while conducting geological exploration in Alaska. The U.S. government then invested heavily in a series of mining experiments. This process is fraught with challenges, especially in the safe and efficient extraction and transfer of this highly flammable substance.
In 2012, the United States partnered with Japan to conduct a historic combustible ice mining in northern Alaska. Using the carbon dioxide displacement method, they successfully extracted combustible ice from the bottom of the deep ocean and achieved gas production for 30 consecutive days.
Japan is not far behind. In 2013, Japan's deep-sea exploration ship "Earth" discovered a large amount of combustible ice resources in its territorial waters. Despite both technical and environmental challenges, Japanese scientists have persevered in their research and experimentation in the hope of translating this potential clean energy into tangible economic benefits.
In China, in 2007, the Geological Survey organized an unprecedented expedition to the South China Sea. Using the Dutch Bavenit probe equipment, they discovered abundant combustible ice resources in the waters near the Spratly Islands. This discovery immediately attracted the attention of the Chinese government. China then set up a dedicated combustible ice development team and invested a lot of manpower and material resources to conduct in-depth mining research.
"We must seize this opportunity," project leader Dr. Li stressed at the team meeting, "This is not only an issue of energy security, but also a matter of long-term development of the country." "
After years of technology accumulation and unremitting efforts, China successfully realized the trial mining of combustible ice in the South China Sea in 2017, which marks that China is at the forefront of global combustible ice development.
With the successful commercial use of combustible ice, the global energy landscape has begun to change subtly. Countries are stepping up research and development efforts on combustible ice, hoping to reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels through this new energy source. Although the mining and application of combustible ice still faces many technical and environmental challenges, its great potential as a future energy source has been widely recognized by the international community.
The discovery of combustible ice is undoubtedly a great leap forward in humanity's relentless quest for cleaner and more efficient energy. It not only heralds the advent of a new energy era, but also a profound manifestation of human wisdom and courage. Just like the unexpected discoveries on that cold winter day, history always surprises us inadvertently. We will continue to explore more unknown possibilities under the guidance of science and technology, lead the transformation of life with scientific and technological innovation, and jointly welcome a greener and more sustainable tomorrow.