日本成功分離可燃冰 或化解能源危機

Japan said Tuesday it had successfully extracted methane hydrate, known as "fire ice", from its seabed, possibly unlocking many years' worth of gas for the resource-starved country.

日本週二宣佈，已經成功地從日本海底提取出甲烷水合物，俗稱“可燃冰”，此舉可能將給這個資源貧乏的國家開啓可延續多年的燃氣資源寶藏。

In what they are claiming as a world first, a consortium is drilling for the hydrate, a fossil fuel that looks like ice but consists of very densely-packed methane surrounded by water Molecules, one kilometre (3,300 feet) below sea level.

一個開採聯盟從海平面下1公里處（3300英尺）鑽探出這種甲烷水合物，這是一種外表像冰但含有被水分子包圍的結構十分緊密的甲烷的一種礦物燃料。據稱這是世界上首次提取出這種燃料。

The solid white substance burns with a pale flame, leaving nothing but water. One of it is estimated to contain many times the equivalent volume of methane in gas form.

這種白色固體物質燃燒時發出蒼白色的火焰，燃盡後只留下水。據估計1立方米的可燃冰含有數倍於同體積甲烷氣體的能量。

The consortium, led by Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, began initial work in February last year and on Tuesday started a two-week experimental production, an economy, trade and industry ministry official said.

經濟、貿易和工業部的一名官員稱，由日本石油天然氣金屬礦產資源機構帶領的這一聯盟於去年二月份開始前期工作，本週二開始進行爲期兩週的試驗性生產。

"It is the world's first offshore experiment producing gas from methane hydrate," the official said, adding that the team successfully collected methane gas extracted from the half-frozen substance.

該官員稱：“這是世界上首個從甲烷水合物中提取天然氣的離岸實驗。”他還說，該團隊成功地收集了從這一半冰凍狀態的物質中提取出的甲烷氣體。

Under the government-led project, the consortium is to separate methane -- the primary component of natural gas -- from the solid clathrate compound under the seabed using the high pressures available at depth, officials said.

據官員稱，在這一政府領頭的工程中，該聯盟將把甲烷（天然氣的主要成分）通過在海洋深處才能達到的高壓從海底的固體水合物中分離出來。

A huge layer of methane hydrate containing 1.1 trillion cubic metres (38.5 trillion cubic feet) in natural gas -- equivalent to Japan's consumption of the gas for 11 years -- is believed to lie in the ocean floor off the coast of Shikoku island, western Japan, the officials said.

官員稱，據認爲日本西部四國島海岸附近的大洋底部有一片面積巨大的甲烷水合物，這些甲烷水合物中含有1.1萬億立方米（38.5萬億立方英尺）天然氣——相當於日本11年的天然氣消費量。

"We aim to establish methane hydrate production technologies for practical use by the fiscal 2018 year" ending March 2019, a consortium official said.

聯盟的一名官員說：“我們的目標是在2018財政年度結束前研發出可供實際應用的甲烷水合物生產技術。”2018財政年度截止於2019年3月。

"We want to consolidate technologies for its commercialisation," economy, trade and industry minister Toshimitsu Motegi also told a news conference, according to Jiji Press.

時事通訊社的消息稱，日本經濟、貿易和工業部部長茂木敏充還在新聞發佈會上表示：“我們要加強以商業化爲目的的技術。”

"I hope we can make use of resources surrounding our country as soon as possible by clearing hurdles one by one," he added.

他還說：“我希望我們能一個一個地掃清障礙，從而儘快實現對我國周邊地區資源的利用。”

The move comes as resource-poor Japan has struck out in search of new energy supplies after it shut down its stable of nuclear reactors in the wake of 2011's tsunami-sparked nuclear crisis.

2011年海嘯引發核危機之後日本就關閉了核電站，從那以後資源貧乏的日本就一直在奮力尋求新的能源供給來源。