A group of scientists from Russia, Japan and South Korea will depart on Tuesday from Vladivostok to the Sea of Okhotsk in search of methane deposits, head of the expedition Anatoly Obzhirov said.
“The group of Russian scientists will depart on board the Academician Lavrentyev research ship,” Obzhirov said. “They will be joined later by eight Japanese and two S. Korean experts in the port of Korsakov on the Island of Sakhalin.”
The expedition will explore the fields of underwater permafrost, which traps methane, and study methane emissions in the water and the atmosphere.
In addition to the Sea of Okhotsk, the scientists will search for the first time for methane fields in the northern part of the Sea of Japan.
“It is important for us to know if there are methane fields in this area as methane could be used in chemistry - to produce methanol - and in energy industry,” the Russian scientist said.
It is also important to pinpoint the location of massive methane deposits to ensure the safety of the future geological exploration of the region, Obzhirov added
The expedition will continue until the end of August and will be followed by a thorough study of the collected data.
