The success of the nation's first methane hydrate extraction experiment from the deep seafloor off the coast of Aichi Prefecture is a milestone on the way to commercial production of the resource.

The world's first extraction of natural gas from the seafloor prompted expectations for production of a purely homegrown energy source. The next task is finding a way to extract gas from methane hydrate in an efficient and stable manner.

The operation was conducted by Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), an independent administrative institution contracted by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry. Methane gas was successfully extracted from a well created by the deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu about 1,000 meters to 1,300 meters below the ocean's surface.

Methane hydrate, known as "burnable ice," exists in a solid state in low-temperature, high-pressure environments such as the seafloor and underground permafrost. Reserves of the resource are believed to be distributed across the world. Mainly composed of methane gas and water, the substance is primarily produced by bacterial degradation of organic matter in a low-oxygen environment.