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China will be mining combustible ice by drilling holes in the frozen tundra for an alternative energy source.
Methane gas hydrate, commonly known as "combustible ice" has been found in enormous quantities in the south Chinese Sea bed. Combustible ice is a kind of natural gas hydrate found in the tundra region in northwest China.
"We do not need to drill very deep to get the flammable frozen compound from tundra here in Muli prefecture in Qinghai province," said Wen Huaijun, chief engineer of the project.
China National Administration of Coal Geology is reported to carry out research to make sure the utilization of the frozen natural gas does not cause environmental problems.
One cubic metre of combustible ice can release 164 cubic metres of natural gas and thus is regarded as a possible source of alternative energy to coal and oil.
The land resources ministry said on Friday that the estimated quantity of natural gas hydrate in the Tundra region is equivalent to 35 billion tonnes of oil.
The first discovery of combustible ice under the bed of the South China Sea was announced by China in May 2007.
Although it was told that, the environmental threats from the use of the compound are huge, as it releases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.
"The plateau (Tundra) region is very sensitive to environmental changes. The biological conditions here are vulnerable.
"Combustible ice usually exists under the seabed or tundra areas (two mediums having the strong pressure and low temperature necessary to its stability). It can be lit up like solid ethanol, which is why it has the name 'combustible ice'," he said.
Since 2004, the project has been carried out in Muli Prefecture, 4,100 metres above the sea level.
"It will still take time and a huge amount of research to realise the dream of exploiting the resource, while ensuring the (safety of the) environment," he said.
At present, the total focus is on establishing the locations of the deposits, and to carry out a viability study to extract the resource, said, Wang Jianbin, the deputy director of the Qinghai Bureau of Land Resources.
