天然气将是21世纪的主要能源品种,作为非常规天然气资源的天然气水合物被誉为21世纪的新能源,它的研究受到世界上许多国家的高度重视。青藏高原羌塘盆地多年冻土区具备形成重烃类天然气水合物的温度和压力条件,同时可能存在由“自保护效应”引起的轻烃类天然气水合物。开展青藏高原多年冻土区天然气水合物研究,对我国宏观能源战略决策、开拓新学科领域和保持人类社会可持续发展均有重要理论意义和广阔的应用前景。从目前人才结构、资料积累和技术装备来看,完全有条件迅速组织一支开展青藏高原天然气水合物研究的专业队伍。研究工作宜分三步进行:在羌塘盆地寻找天然气水合物,如确实存在,则研究其分布规律和基本性质;估算储量和研究开发前景;研究开采工艺和环境保护问题。

 The natural gaseswill be the principal type energy resources in the next century.The natural gas hydrates as a kind of abnormal resources are famed forthe newenergyresources ofthe 21st centurybecause its prospective reserves are approximately two times as many as those of the known combustible minerals.Many countries in the world pay great attention to investigation of the gas hydrates.
According to Russia and American scientists estimation,about 90% of ocean area and 27% continental areawhich is mainly related to the permafrost regions on the Earth are of the conditions of temperature and pressure for the existence of gas hydrates.
Compared with the characteristics of the polar permafrost,the alpine permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is of higher ground temperature and thinner thickness.Therefore,the main variety of gas hydrates may be the heavy hydrocarbon gases,such asH2S,C2H6and C3H8and ifthere exists the methane hydrate,itwill be preserved by itself protective effect.
The investigation ofthe gas hydrates in alpine permafrostregions on theQinghai-TibetPlateau is ofgreatsignificance for our government tomake amacroscopic strategic decision on the energyresources andmaybe possiblyto be divided into three steps:the first is looking for the gas hydrates in the Qiangtang basin and the second is to study its principle properties and distribution, if it really exists, the third is to estimate its prospective reserves and exploitation technique.