"Fire in Ice: Implications for Energy Development and the Carbon Cycle?"
Gas Hydrates Workshop

Agenda

Wednesday, November 12

8:30am - Arrival and Light Breakfast

9:00-9:10am - Welcome & Participant Introductions
Amy Myers Jaffe, Shell Center for Sustainability and James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy

9:10-9:20am - Opening Remarks
Dr. George Hirasaki, Rice University

Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change
Session Chair: Dr. Gerald Dickens

9:20-9:35am - Interdisciplinary Research on Gas Hydrates and Climate Change: Introductory Remarks
Dr. Gerald Dickens, Rice University

9:35-9:55am -

"Overview on How Gas Hydrates Form in Nature"

9:55-10:15am - Discussion

10:15-10:35am -

"Methane Production and Consumption in Marine Sediments"

10:35-10:55am - Discussion

10:55-11:10am - Coffee Break

11:10am -12:00pm - Discussion on Future Research on Gas Hydrates Systems and Climate Change*

12:00-1:00pm - LUNCH

Exploration and Production: First Efforts and Technical Issues
Session Chair: Dr. George Hirasaki

1:30-1:40pm - Opening Remarks
George Hirasaki

1:40-2: 00pm -

"Production Scenarios"

"Presentation Summary"

2:00-2:10pm - Discussion

2:10-2:30pm -

"Assessment of the Resource Potential of Methane Hydrate in   the Nankai Trough, offshore Central Japan"

2:30-2:40pm - Discussion

2:40-3:10pm -

"Resource Potential in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Slope of   Alaska"

"Methane Hydrate Research Alignment and Interaction"

"Presentation Summary"

3:10 - 3:20pm - Discussion

3:20- 3:40pm - Flow Assurance
Dr. Ajay Mehta, Shell

3:40-3:50pm - Discussion

3:50-4:00pm - Coffee Break

4:00-5:00pm- Discussion on Production Research*

Thursday, November 13, 2003

Production Challenges and Kinetics
Session Chair: Dr. G.J. Moridis

8:30am - Arrival and Light Breakfast

9:00-9:10am - Opening Remarks
Dr. Walter Chapman, Rice University

9:10 - 9:30am -

"Production Challenges"

9:30-9:50am - Discussion

9:50-10:10am -

"Kinetics"

10:10-10:30am- Discussion

10:30-10:50am - Seafloor Stability
Sivakumar Subramanian, ChevronTexaco

10:50-11:10am- Discussion

11:10-12:00pm - Discussion on Future Research*

12:00pm - Closing Remarks
Amy Myers Jaffe, Shell Center for Sustainability and James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy

Questions

The goal of this workshop is to identify and discuss the key research challenges for gas hydrates in the areas of global climate change, exploration and production of gas hydrates as an energy resource, transportation of hydrocarbon, and seafloor stability. The charge of the discussion leaders in each session is to direct the discussion to the identification of these key research challenges. Below are several questions which may serve as a framework for guiding this unique dialogue.

Carbon Cycle & Climate Change

1. Can large quantities of gas escape gas hydrate systems in the past or in the future?
   
2. Given one-to-many sediment columns with a known distribution of gas hydrate and known sediment properties, how will a thermal perturbation in bottom water dissociate hydrate in the sediment column?
   
3. Once dissociated, can sufficient free gas be generated to create overpressure and release gas to the ocean or atmosphere?
   
4. How are gas hydrate systems linked to the global carbon cycle?
   
5. How do gas hydrate systems form?

Energy Exploration and Production Issues

1. What is the estimated resource size?
   
2. What do we expect to learn from hands-on production experience?
   
3. What are the obstacles, technical and otherwise, to developing successful hydrate reservoir production techniques?
   
4. What are the key issues in exploration or discovery of gas hydrates?
   
5. Do the production challenges for hydrate vary in different locations - such as the arctic and deep ocean?
   
6. What will be the cost involved in exploration and production?
   
7. Is it possible to quantify the amount of free gas below the hydrate zone? What are the estimates?
   
8. Is it possible to extract any methane from hydrates without releasing contiguous free gas?
   
9. How sensitive is the free gas to temperature change?
   
10. Do we need to reassess the hydrate resource size taking into account better data on associated free gas?
    
11. Would free gas be produced through primary depletion, geothermal heat, or some other method?
    
12. What is lacking in our understanding of hydrates kinetics?

Participants

*We request that all workshop participants be prepared to present their ideas and research during these general future research discussion sessions.

1. Ajay Mehta, Shell International EP
2. Alexei Milkov, BP
3. Amy Myers Jaffe, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University
4. Anne Davis, Champion Technology
5. Brandon Dugan, United States Geological Survey and Rice University
6. Carolyn Ruppel, National Science Foundation and Georgia Tech University
7. Catie Donohue, Rice University
8. David Valentine, University of California, Santa Barbara
9. Dinesha Weeratunga, University of Houston
10. Ed Billups, Rice University
11. G.J. Moridis, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
12. George Claypool,
13. George Hirasaki, Rice University
14. Gerald Dickens, Rice University
15. Glen Snyder, Rice University
16. Grace Castelini, Rice University
17. Hiroshi Mitsuish, Japan National Oil Corporation
18. Jillene Connors, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University
19. Kalachand Sain, Rice University
20. Keshawa Shukla, Technip Offshore Incorporated
21. Kishore Mohanty, University of Houston
22. Kyoo Song, Rice University
23. Matt Yarrison, Rice University
24. Neal Lane, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University
25. Raj Bishnoi, University of Calgary
26. Rama Alapati, Champion Technology
27. Rick Colwell, Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Laboratory
28. Shiqiang Gao, Rice University
29. Taras Makogon, BP
30. Vaithilingam Panchalingam, Champion Technology
31. Walter Chapman, Rice University
32. Waylon House, Texas Tech University
33. William Gwilliam, National Energy Technology Laboratory
34. Xuefei Sun, University of Houston
35. Yildiz Bayazitoglu, Rice University
36. Yoram Shoham, Shell International EP
37. Yoshihiro Tsuji, Japan National Oil Corporation
38. Yuri Makogon, Texas A&M University