现有资料表明，全球石油和天然气的后备资源还能维持40余年，因此科技专家将天然气水合物列为未来的新能源。在世界各海域目前已发现天然气水合物矿区82处，据地质学家估算，各海区天然气水合物中甲烷的碳总量是全球所有石油、天然气和煤的碳总量的2倍。

广州海洋地质局对南海北部陆坡区开展了天然气水合物的调査，高分辨率地震调査资料显示，在南海北部陆坡区存在天然气水合物明显的地球物理标志。

After nearly 30 years investigation, 82 gas hydrate mineral fields have been discovered in different oceans in the world. It is estimated by the geo - scientists that the bearing amount of carbon in methane in gas hydrate is twice of that in all cruel oil, natural gas and coal in the world. The reserve resources of petrolem and natural gas, may exist at most several decades in the future. Thus the scientists have regard gas hydrate as a new future energy. According to the result of the investigation by high - resolution seismic methods, the continental slope area in northern South China Sea demonstrates obvious geophysical mark of bearing gas hydrate.