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Gas-hydrates are crystalline substances composed of water and gas, mainly methane, in which a solid water lattice accommodates gas molecules in a cage like structure. Large methane-gas hydrate reservoirs have been found on the North Slope of Alaska that can be exploited as a future energy source. Depressurization, thermal stimulation, and inhibitor injection are the methods being evaluated for commercial production of natural gas from hydrate-bearing geologic formations.

An alternative method of gas hydrate production using CO₂ is under investigation. This process conducts injection of CO₂ in the form of microemulsion. This concept has several attractive features: 1) CO₂ is thermodynamically favored over CH₄ in hydrate, 2) the heat released by formation of CO₂ hydrate is 20% greater than the heat needed for dissociation of CH₄ hydrate, 3) refilling pore space with CO₂ hydrate is expected to …