Gas hydrate accumulations in continental shelf sediments are considered a promising resource for future gas supply by several non-COST countries (e.g. USA, Japan, China, India, South Korea, and Taiwan). In 2013, the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (MH21) produced gas during a successful offshore field test. In Europe, as elsewhere, demand for natural gas is continuously increasing. This COST Action is designed to integrate the expertise of a large number of European research groups and industrial players to promote the development of multidisciplinary knowledge on the potential of gas hydrates as an economically feasible and environmentally sound energy resource. In particular, MIGRATE aims to determine the European potential inventory of exploitable gas hydrates, to assess current technologies for their production, and to evaluate the associated risks. National efforts will be coordinated through Working Groups focusing on 1) resource assessment, 2) exploration, production, and monitoring technologies, 3) environmental challenges, 4) integration, public perception, and dissemination. Study areas will span the European continental margins, including the Black Sea, the Nordic Seas, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Gas hydrate - natural gas - energy resources - exploration and production technologies - environmental risk assessment
