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Article

A Review of Potential Geological Hazards and Precautions in the Mining of Submarine Natural Gas Hydrate

1
School of Maritime Law and Transportation Management, Guangzhou Maritime University, Guangzhou 510725, China
2
School of Tourism and Historical Culture, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330038, China
3
Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
4
Research Center for Strategy of Global Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Processes 2025, 13(6), 1669; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061669
Submission received: 11 March 2025 / Revised: 7 May 2025 / Accepted: 12 May 2025 / Published: 26 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Production of Energy-Efficient Natural Gas Hydrate)

Abstract

Natural gas hydrate (NGH hereafter), commonly known as combustible ice ((CH4)n·mH2O), is an abundant non-conventional clean energy resource. It is mainly located in permafrost areas and submarine sediment layers at depths of 0–200 m and 300~3000 m underwater. Submarine NGH accounts for about 97%. Its commercial mining may be a solution to mankind’s future energy problems, as well as the beginning of a series of geological risks. These risks can be divided into two categories: natural geological hazards and secondary geological accidents. Based on the viewpoints of Earth system science researchers, this paper discusses the main potential geo-hazards of submarine NGH mining: stratum subsidence, seafloor landslides, the greenhouse effect, sand piping, well blowout, and wellbore instability. To minimize the potential catastrophic impacts on the Earth’s ecosystem or mechanical accidents, corresponding technical precautions and policy suggestions have been put forward. Hopefully, this paper will provide a useful reference for the commercial mining of NGH.
Keywords: NGH; geological risks; precautionary measures; commercial mining NGH; geological risks; precautionary measures; commercial mining

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ye, Z.; Hu, W.; Yan, Q. A Review of Potential Geological Hazards and Precautions in the Mining of Submarine Natural Gas Hydrate. Processes 2025, 13, 1669. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061669

AMA Style

Ye Z, Hu W, Yan Q. A Review of Potential Geological Hazards and Precautions in the Mining of Submarine Natural Gas Hydrate. Processes. 2025; 13(6):1669. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061669

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ye, Zhanghuang, Wenqi Hu, and Qiang Yan. 2025. "A Review of Potential Geological Hazards and Precautions in the Mining of Submarine Natural Gas Hydrate" Processes 13, no. 6: 1669. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061669

APA Style

Ye, Z., Hu, W., & Yan, Q. (2025). A Review of Potential Geological Hazards and Precautions in the Mining of Submarine Natural Gas Hydrate. Processes, 13(6), 1669. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061669

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