China's first domestically developed combustible ice fidelity sampler has been successfully deployed in Guangzhou, marking a significant breakthrough in deep-sea resource exploration. Recently, the equipment underwent sea trials in the northern South China Sea, and the results showed that its core performance metrics have reached international leading standards. This development is a major step forward in China’s efforts to explore and utilize natural gas hydrates, also known as combustible ice.
Natural gas hydrates are a newly discovered clean energy source found in ocean sediments and permafrost regions over the past two decades. They can serve as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels like oil and coal. It is estimated that the global reserves of combustible ice contain about twice the amount of organic carbon found in all known coal, oil, and natural gas resources combined. Their potential as a future energy source is immense, but extracting them remains a technical challenge.
One of the main difficulties in studying combustible ice is obtaining undisturbed samples from the seafloor. Traditional sampling methods often fail because they cannot maintain the high pressure and low temperature conditions required to keep the hydrates stable. As a result, the hydrates tend to decompose during the sampling process, making it hard to study their true properties.
To address this issue, China has developed its first deep-water shallow-hole combustible ice fidelity sampler. The project was supervised by the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey Bureau under the Ministry of Natural Resources and designed and built by the Marine Technology and Engineering Center at Zhejiang University and the State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power Transmission. The device uses a gravity piston sampling structure, allowing it to be directly inserted into the seabed for sample collection while maintaining pressure and insulation.
The sampler weighs 1.3 tons and measures just 11.2 meters in length. It can collect samples up to 10 meters deep, which is 2 to 5 times deeper than existing deep-sea sediment samplers. Its maximum operating depth reaches 3,000 meters, and its performance metrics are among the best in the world.
In May of this year, the device was tested aboard the research vessel China Ocean No. 4 during its second sea trial in the northern South China Sea. During the test, it successfully collected 9.15 meters of deep-sea sediment samples at a depth of 1,940 meters. After returning to the ship, on-site pressure-holding tests confirmed that all technical specifications were met. Initial analysis using a gas chromatograph revealed that the gas inside the sample was primarily methane, confirming the presence of combustible ice.
This achievement not only highlights China’s growing capabilities in marine technology but also paves the way for more efficient and accurate exploration of natural gas hydrates, a key resource for the future energy landscape.
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