Review of Gas Hydrate Research in India: Status and Future Directions
Hari Prakash Veluswamy, Nupoor Upadhye
Abstract
Gas hydrates have been an intense area of research during the past two decadesowing to their characteristic advantages and utilization potential in several applications. Methane hydrates carve a niche among gas hydrates owing to their immense energy potential─they are available as an energy resource as well as catering to a plethora of applications including energy (gas) storage, gas separation/enrichment, etc. This Review attempts to put forth the status of gas hydrate research in India─it includes a summary of exploration and research efforts by several agencies and academic groups in India. The National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP), initiated in 1997, has conducted two successful expeditions, NGHP-01 and NGHP-02, in 2006 and 2015, respectively. Salient findings and analysis results from these expeditions along with fostered international collaboration are presented as well. Research efforts put forth by various academic groups in India are reviewed and discussed based on hydrate applications. Future directions for gas hydrate research in India are also outlined in this Review.