Home›Open Questions›When, if ever, will methane hydrates become an economically viable commercial energy source?Open QuestionsWhen, if ever, will methane hydrates become an economically viable commercial energy source?Citation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextEnergy Atlas. "When, if ever, will methane hydrates become an economically viable commercial energy source?." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://energy.interactiveatlas.org/open-questions-index/openq-methane-hydrates-commercial-timeline.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextEnergy Atlas. (n.d.). When, if ever, will methane hydrates become an economically viable commercial energy source?. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://energy.interactiveatlas.org/open-questions-index/openq-methane-hydrates-commercial-timelineCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{energyatlas-when-if-ever-will-methane-hydrates-becom, author = {Energy Atlas}, title = {When, if ever, will methane hydrates become an economically viable commercial energy source?}, year = {2026}, url = {https://energy.interactiveatlas.org/open-questions-index/openq-methane-hydrates-commercial-timeline}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXReference and ClassificationDevelopingFactsOpen QuestionCross-Tradition ConnectionsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)FactsWhy It Is OpenWell-attestedField trials in Japan (2013, 2017), a joint US-Japan trial in Alaska, and a South China Sea trial (2020) have all proven that gas CAN be produced from methane hydrate deposits, but none has run at commercial scale or duration. The US Department of Energy's own account of its Alaska field trial calls the result "proof-of-concept" and "just the beginning," explicitly comparing the remaining path to how long shale gas took to become commercial after its own 1970s-1980s research phase. 1What Would Resolve ThisWell-attestedA named methane hydrate operation delivering gas to market on ordinary commercial terms over a sustained period (not a short field trial), or an authoritative body such as the USGS or a national energy department concluding commercial methane hydrate production is or is not achievable within a stated decade. 1Discipline NeededWell-attestedPetroleum and gas-hydrate engineering 1Question KindWell-attestedMechanism 1Question StatusWell-attestedOpen 1Reader FacingWell-attestedYes 1Open QuestionField trials in Japan (2013, 2017), a joint US-Japan trial in Alaska, and a South China Sea trial (2020) have all proven that gas CAN be produced from methane hydrate deposits, but none has run at commercial scale or duration. The US Department of Energy's own account of its Alaska field trial calls the result "proof-of-concept" and "just the beginning," explicitly comparing the remaining path to how long shale gas took to become commercial after its own 1970s-1980s research phase.What would resolve this A named methane hydrate operation delivering gas to market on ordinary commercial terms over a sustained period (not a short field trial), or an authoritative body such as the USGS or a national energy department concluding commercial methane hydrate production is or is not achievable within a stated decade.OpenPetroleum and gas-hydrate engineeringUnited States Department of Energy Official SiteCross-Tradition ConnectionsQuestion OnMethane Hydrates, Energy Sources Well-attested Source United States Department of Energy Official SiteSources1. United States Department of Energy Official SiteUS Department of EnergyUS and Japan Complete Successful Field Trial of Methane Hydrate Production TechnologiesView the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year