Environmental Risk of Gas Hydrates Exploitation in Tibetan Plateau Permafrost

Abstract

Gas hydrate samples were collected in Muli area (Qinghai Province, China) of Tibetan Plateau permafrost, which is the first discovery of gas hydrate in Chinese permafrost and in the low to middle latitude permafrost of the world. Although the exploitation of gas hydrate in Tibetan Plateau permafrost has lots of important significance, environmental risks including permafrost and alpine meadow ecosystem degeneration, global climate influence, and environmental pollution would take place in the exploitation process. In order to avoid or decrease the risk, safe and dependable exploitation technique, carbon capture and storage technology, engineering process control, legislation and emergency preparatory scheme should be put into practice.