The demand for flammable ice (natural gas hydrate) continues to grow and my country has huge resource reserves

Flammable ice, also known as natural gas hydrate, refers to the crystallized substance formed by the combination of water and methane under low pressure and high temperature conditions. Combustible ice is an organic compound with a white solid appearance. It has the advantages of good flammability, high purity, high energy density, large specific surface area, green environmental protection, and good low-temperature stability. It is widely used in industrial production, power systems, new energy, and thermal power. It is widely used in many fields such as systems.

Our country has a vast territory and huge reserves of combustible ice resources. The proven reserves currently reach nearly 40 trillion cubic meters, ranking first in the world. In terms of technology, my country’s combustible ice industry will enter the trial production stage in 2022, and the construction of offshore combustible ice drilling platforms such as Blue Whale 1 and Blue Whale 2 has been completed. However, currently, my country’s combustible ice mining volume cannot meet the needs of downstream applications, and the industry is still There is huge room for development.

Compared with oil and natural gas, flammable ice has the advantages of green environmental protection, high utilization rate, strong combustion power, and high resource reserves. When 1 cubic meter of combustible ice is ignited, it can release nearly 160 times its own volume of methane gas. At present, China, Japan, the United States, India and other countries around the world have laid out the development and application tracks of combustible ice. It is expected that the prosperity of the combustible ice industry will further improve in the coming period.

According to the “2023 Global and Chinese Combustible Ice (Natural Gas Hydrate) Industry In-Depth Research Report released by the Industrial Research Center, flammable ice Ice is a clean energy source with broad application prospects in many fields. In industrial production, combustible ice can be used as industrial raw materials or fuel, which can replace traditional petrochemical fuels; in power systems, combustible ice can be used in thermal power plants; in the field of new energy, combustible ice can be used in hydrogen production. In recent years, driven by the national “double carbon” goal, my country’s demand for combustible ice has continued to grow. In 2022, my country’s demand for combustible ice will reach 100 million cubic meters. In the future, as research continues to deepen, the application scope of combustible ice will be further expanded, and its industry development speed will be accelerated.

​​​​​my country’s flammable ice market participants include PetroChina, Sinopec, China National Offshore Oilfield Services, Tongyuan Petroleum, Guangzhou Development, Zhunyou Co., Ltd., Hengtai Aipu, etc. At present, my country’s combustible ice industry is highly concentrated, with large state-owned enterprises occupying a large share of the market. In August 2023, the Ministry of Land and Resources, the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and PetroChina reached a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly promote the construction of a pilot test zone for natural gas hydrate exploration and mining in the Shenhu Sea Area of ​​the South China Sea. In the future, as the government and local enterprises continue to make efforts, the amount of combustible ice mining in my country is expected to increase.

          Industry analysts said that as a clean energy source, flammable ice is widely used in many fields and has good prospects for industry development. Benefiting from national policy support and technological progress, my country’s combustible ice mining volume continues to grow, but it is still unable to meet the needs of downstream applications. Local companies urgently need to increase investment in research and development to enhance my country’s technological advantages in combustible ice mining.