Crop?image_url=http%3a%2f%2fs3.amazonaws.com%2fproduction.calumet.good.is%2fbookmarks%2fphotos%2f000%2f189%2f841%2foriginal%2fa-japanese-deep-sea-drilling-vesselnbspin-the-pacific-after-extracting-gas-from-methane-hydrate

Flammable Ice: New Sustainable Energy Tech/Source for Japan?

On Tuesday, Japan became the first country to ever successfully extract natural gas from underwater deposits of methane hydrate, a frozen gas sometimes referred to as "flammable ice." The breakthrough could be a boon to the energy-poor nation, which imports almost all of its energy. And if the technology proves commercially viable, it could benefit other countries — including Canada, the U.S., Norway, and China — that are also seeking to exploit methane hydrate deposits.