China has the largest reserves of combustible ice in the world, and it is very difficult to exploit and utilize. Can it replace oil in the future?

We know that oil is a non-renewable resource. The development of science and technology in the world consumes a lot of oil energy, which will be used up in the near future. With the increasing scarcity of energy in the world, combustible ice, a new type of energy, is gradually becoming a focus of attention around the world.

The data shows that the worldwide reserves of combustible ice have reached 1.5×10^16 cubic meters, and the heat released is several times that of natural gas. According to the data, if combustible ice can be exploited commercially, only 15% of the reserves can supply global energy consumption for 200 years. From this point of view, combustible ice does have the potential to replace oil. Because the current information shows that there is a large amount of combustible ice here, 2x1016 cubic meters of combustible ice have been found, which can supply the needs of mankind for a thousand years.

So, what is combustible ice?

Combustible ice, also known as gas hydrate, forms at a low temperature with high pressure, during which both natural gas and water are transformed into crystals. You know, the name combustible ice is sometimes mistaken for "ice cubes", in fact, it just looks no different from ice. But not ice.

Combustible ice can not only burn directly like alcohol, but also generate a lot of energy. In fact, this thing is similar to the natural gas we use, the only difference is that it is denser and more "pure". In this case, "clean efficiency" can be achieved.

It can be seen that combustible ice is a rare good thing. Does China have combustible ice?

Relevant information shows that China's reserves of combustible ice are quite rich, ranking first in the world. Most of the combustible ice in China is concentrated in the tundra of the East China Sea and the South China Sea and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and in the permafrost region of the Northeast, there are also flammable ices. As early as 2017, China started its exploration of combustible ice in the South China Sea. As of 2018, all discovered combustible ice totaled 84 trillion cubic meters, of which 65 trillion cubic meters were found in the Central South China Sea.

Until 2020, China has conducted another exploration of combustible ice in the South China Sea and broke two world records.

Combustible ice is so useful and the reserves are so abundant, why don't you see any use in life?

First of all, the collection and storage technology of combustible ice is not perfect. Flammable ice is formed under high pressure and low temperature, and its stability is very poor at normal temperature.

Technically, our country has carried out two trials of combustible ice at sea and sampling in the permafrost area of ​​Qilian Mountains, but the technology is not yet fully mature. Not only China, but the world is exploring the exploitation of combustible ice.

At present, the commonly used mining methods are: decompression mining method, chemical reagent mining method, thermal injection mining method, etc. The decompression mining method is used in China. This method mainly uses compressed air to decompose combustible ice. Although it is feasible in practice, it may also affect the release of gas due to the sand in seawater. Problems encountered in Japan's previous mining.

Secondly, it is the cost of mining. The reserves and advantages of combustible ice really make us urgently need to develop. However, it is still in the early stage of development in China, and the cost of mining is very high. According to statistics, 1 cubic meter of flammable ice costs about 1,300 yuan.

In addition, when combustible ice is mined, due to its instability, it will cause various accidents, and these instability will cause the leakage of methane and affect the ecology of the earth. The power of methane is much greater than that of carbon dioxide. Accidentally exploited, methane can make the planet's greenhouse effect worse. Therefore, it will take some time for the large-scale use of combustible ice.