World's largest gas deposit found off New Caledonia
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What is believed to be the
world’s largest gas deposit
has been found off New Caledonia’s coasts by French oceanographic research vessel Atalante, daily newspaper Les nouvelles Caledoniennes reported mid-November.
The deposit, which is estimated to be as much as 80,000 square kilometre-rich, is lying underwater at a depth of some 600 meters, 240 kilometres off New Caledonia.
The deposit consists of gas hydrate, a
mix of water and methane, and was initially located by a joint French-Australian research mission last year under a so-called ZONECO programme, purporting to scan New Caledonia’s exclusive economic zone and assess its marine and mineral resources
potential.
The gas deposit also signal the potential presence of oil at an estimated depth of 2,000 metres underwater, ZONECO mission leader, geologist Jean-Marc Auzende said.
Scientists in Noumea believe the oil deposit could also be “huge” and “potentially interesting” for future exploitation by oil companies.
The deposit, which is located near Australian territorial waters, is “technically exploitable”, scientists said.
“The conditions are very similar to what you can find in the Mexican Gulf, where exploitation had been going full swing for years,” Auzende noted. (PINA Nius Online) ■