ST PETESBURG, June 20 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak, when speaking at a roundtable meeting held within the scope of the St.Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) here on Thursday, said he believes that gas hydrates are a promising resource but that their prime cost is high so far.
"Gas hydrates, in my view, are indeed a resource for the future. I cannot say when this will be the case but a relevant (production) technology is sure to appear," the Minister maintains.
Novak recalled that such technologies are already in existence, in Japan, in particular. That country succeded in producing gas hydrates from an offshore platform. "So far, (their) prime cost is high. However, it will get lower sometime in the future when new modern technologies are developed," the RF Energy Minister said.