What is so special about clathrate hydrate crystals found on the bottom of Lake Baikal in Russia?
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin plunged into the depths of Lake Baikal aboard a mini-submersible on Saturday in a mission that adds a new dimension to his macho image. Putin, a judo black belt who has flown in a fighter aircraft and shot a Siberian tiger in the wild, descended 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) below the surface of the world’s deepest lake to inspect potentially valuable gas crystals. “I haven’t seen anything like that in my whole life. This is a very special feeling,” Putin told reporters on emerging from the deep-sea craft looking pale and a bit dizzy after spending more than 4.5 hours underwater. Asked if he planned to travel in space after his supersonic flight and deep-sea dive, Putin, dressed in blue overalls, said, “No, there is enough work here on earth.” Hidden on Lake Baikal’s largely unexplored floor are large deposits of clathrate hydrate, crystals packed with one of Russia’s most lucrative exports: natural gas. Scientists estimate Baikal hydrates contain over 1
Scientists estimate Baikal hydrates contain over 1 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, an amount comparable with the world’s largest discovered gas fields. Mineral extraction is banned in Lake Baikal which is a nature reserve. Scientists are studying the formation of hydrate masses deep beneath the lake and searching for economically viable ways to extract trapped gas from the crystals since existing technologies are too expensive. “In 50 years, when other energy sources end, people will have to look into gas extraction from hydrates,” said Oleg Khlystov, a scientist with the Lake Studies Institute, who said his team had found a cheaper method and applied for a patent. Khlystov said Russian gas firm Gazprom was not interested in the new technology but that he had hopes for it in the future. “If Putin is interested, we will tell him (about it),” he said. Khlystov’s $8.5 million two-year mission studying the lake’s depths has performed 96 dives. Last year, it set a world record for fre
Clathrate hydrate crystals are packed with natural gas, one of Russia’s most important exports. Scientists estimate Baikal hydrates contain over 1 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, an amount comparable with the world’s largest discovered gas fields. Mineral extraction is banned in Lake Baikal which is a nature reserve. Recently Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin descended 4,600 feet to the bottom of Lake Baikal in a submersible to see the deposits first hand. Sources: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/08/01/world/international-us-russia-lake-putin.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin plunged into the depths of Lake Baikal aboard a mini-submersible on Saturday in a mission that adds a new dimension to his macho image. Putin, a judo black belt who has flown in a fighter aircraft and shot a Siberian tiger in the wild, descended 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) below the surface of the world’s deepest lake to inspect potentially valuable gas crystals. “I haven’t seen anything like that in my whole life. This is a very special feeling,” Putin told reporters on emerging from the deep-sea craft looking pale and a bit dizzy after spending more than 4.5 hours underwater. Asked if he planned to travel in space after his supersonic flight and deep-sea dive, Putin, dressed in blue overalls, said, “No, there is enough work here on earth.” Hidden on Lake Baikal’s largely unexplored floor are large deposits of clathrate hydrate, crystals packed with one of Russia’s most lucrative exports: natural gas. Scientists estimate Baikal hydrates contain over 1
Scientists estimate Baikal hydrates contain over 1 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, an amount comparable with the world’s largest discovered gas fields. Mineral extraction is banned in Lake Baikal which is a nature reserve. Scientists are studying the formation of hydrate masses deep beneath the lake and searching for economically viable ways to extract trapped gas from the crystals since existing technologies are too expensive. “In 50 years, when other energy sources end, people will have to look into gas extraction from hydrates,” said Oleg Khlystov, a scientist with the Lake Studies Institute, who said his team had found a cheaper method and applied for a patent. Khlystov said Russian gas firm Gazprom was not interested in the new technology but that he had hopes for it in the future. “If Putin is interested, we will tell him (about it),” he said. Khlystov’s $8.5 million two-year mission studying the lake’s depths has performed 96 dives. Last year, it set a world record for fre
