S. Rept. 106-33 - Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 1999, 1999-03-22

Date22 March 1999
Type of DocumentHouse Report
IssuerCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources
69–010
Calendar No. 71
106
TH
C
ONGRESS
R
EPORT
"!
SENATE
1st Session 106–33
METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT
OF 1999
M
ARCH
22, 1999.—Ordered to be printed
Mr. M
URKOWSKI
, from the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources, submitted the following
REPORT
[To accompany S. 330]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 330) to promote the research, identification, as-
sessment, exploration, and development of methane hydrate
sources, and for other purposes, having considered the same, re-
ports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that
the bill do pass.
P
URPOSE OF THE
M
EASURE
The purpose of S. 330, as ordered reported, is to direct the Sec-
retary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense
and the Interior, and the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion, to commence a program of methane hydrate research and de-
velopment
B
ACKGROUND AND
N
EED
Methane hydrates are molecules of natural gas trapped inside
the crystalline cages formed by frozen water molecules. They exist
where low temperatures and high pressures squeeze water and
methane into a solid form. Methane hydrates are found in many
areas throughout the world. Preliminary studies by the U.S. Geo-
logical Survey indicate the presence of enormous quantities of
methane hydrates along the Eastern seaboard of the United States,
under the permafrost and off the coast of Alaska, and in the Gulf
of Mexico. It is estimated that methane hydrates located in the
United States contain about 300,000 trillion cubic feet of natural

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