Method for recovering gas from clathrate hydrate through application of electromagnetic radiation at a frequency ranging from direct current to visible light at energy levels sufficient to allow dissociation and evolution of gas

摘要

his invention relates to a method of dissociating gas hydrates, specifically natural gas and other hydrate-forming gases, into their constituent chemical species, namely the hydrate-forming gas and water, and apparatus thereof. Gas hydrate is a special type of inclusion compound which forms when light hydrocarbon (C1-C4) constituents and other light gases (CO2, H2S, N2, etc) physically react with water at elevated pressures and low temperatures. Gas is recovered from a clathrate hydrate (100) by providing the clathrate hydrate (100) within an occupying zone (102), positioning a source of electromagnetic radiation (200) within the clathrate hydrate occupying zone (102), and applying electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source (200) to the clathrate hydrate (100) at a frequency within the range of from direct current to visible light at an energy density sufficient to dissociate the clathrate hydrate (100) and to evolve its constituent gas (402).