A Reuters report on Tuesday stated that since 2001, several hundred million dollars have been invested in developing technology to tap methane hydrate reserves, estimated to equate to about 11 years of gas consumption, off Japan’s coast.
State-run JOGMEC said the gas was tapped from deposits of methane hydrate, a frozen gas known as "flammable ice", near Japan's central coast.
Japan imports almost all of its energy needs and is the world's top importer of liquefied natural gas.
