A huge layer of methane hydrate containing 1.1 trillion cubic metres (38.5 trillion cubic feet) in natural gas -- equivalent to Japan's consumption of the gas for 11 years -- is believed to lie in the ocean floor off the coast of Shikoku island, western Japan, the officials said.

"We aim to establish methane hydrate production technologies for practical use by the fiscal 2018 year" ending March 2019, a consortium official said.

"We want to consolidate technologies for its commercialisation," economy, trade and industry minister Toshimitsu Motegi also told a news conference, according to Jiji Press.

"I hope we can make use of resources surrounding our country as soon as possible by clearing hurdles one by one," he added.

The move comes as resource-poor Japan has struck out in search of new energy supplies after it shut down its stable of nuclear reactors in the wake of 2011's tsunami-sparked nuclear crisis.

(Read by Brian Salter. Brian Salter is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

双语资讯

(Source: Yahoo)

日本周二宣布，已经成功地从日本海底提取出甲烷水合物，俗称“可燃冰”，此举可能将给这个资源贫乏的国家开启可延续多年的燃气资源宝藏。

一个开采联盟从海平面下1公里处

这种白色固体物质燃烧时发出苍白色的火焰，燃尽后只留下水。据估计1立方米的可燃冰含有数倍于同体积甲烷气体的能量。

【日本成功分离可燃冰 或化解能源危机】相关文章：

★ 双语：中国人均寿命增速有点慢

★ 阿里巴巴业绩大幅增长

★ 埃及总统扩权反对派上街抗议

★ 2012年最佳与最差广告创意

★ “跳水沙皇”萨乌丁：北京奥运会没有遗憾

★ 埃及政治僵局或将危及经济前景

★ 海尔柯贝斯2

★ 美国流行文化垄断面临挑战

★ 中国将加大可再生能源发展

★ 我的推荐：节庆汽酒25款