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.