China is about to exploit ice in the South China Sea

China plans to exploit fire ice, an energy source that can extract natural gas, in the South China Sea in 2017.

The information was released yesterday during an international press conference on hydrate in the capital, Beijing, China. Accordingly, the initial plans of Chinese exploitation will begin in the next three years.

"China is one of the few countries in the world that has the potential to exploit this resource," CRI quoted Zhang Haiqi, head of the Geological Survey. According to Zhang, there are about 10 billion tons of oil exchanged on both land and sea, equivalent to China's total natural gas and oil resources.

The methane gas burns after being released from the burned fire.(Photo: Inhabitat)

Burning ice , also known as methane hydrate , is made up of compressed methane gas in the ice below the sea floor or permanently frozen. Initially, this source of energy is thought to exist only outside the solar system. Scientists then discovered ice in the deep sea.

One cubic meter of burning ice has the energy equivalent to 160 cubic meters of natural gas. With a reserves three times larger than the known fossil energy reserves, fire ice is now considered the future energy source of mankind.

According to Beijing's estimates, there are about 30 billion barrels of oil and a large amount of natural gas at the bottom of the East Sea, besides thousands of tons of precious metals and minerals that have been discovered. In addition, the country has found a large amount of fire ice that can develop into an alternative energy source in the future.

Experts say that in order to achieve this "gold mine" , China has been using its power to gain control of disputed waters, claiming claims in the South China Sea.

In March 2013, Japan became the first country in the world to exploit natural gas from the Pacific Ocean ice sheet, off the central coast.