Four scientists from Germany and Britain visited Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion (GIEC) and Guangzhou Center for Gas Hydrate Research (GCGHR) on Feb. 25 and 26. A joint workshop about natural gas hydrate exploration and exploitation was carried out in GIEC.

During the visit, Mr. Erwin Suess, professor of the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR)，introduced current status and research needs of marine cold seeps; professor Klaus Wallmann presented a introduction of marine carbon capture and sequestration and German gas hydrate project SUGAR; professor Ian Wright, from the National Oceanography Centre, Southamptonthe, talked about methane hydrate research at NOCS. Meanwhile, Dr. Matthias Haeckel, assistant of Professor Klaus Wallmann, gave a presentation with topic of hydrate exploitation techniques, modeling and laboratory experiments in Germany.

Professor Wu Nengyou, from GCGHR, gave a general overview of GCGHR to the visitors; Professor Chen Dufu talked about research progress of cold seep in the Northern Slope of South China Sea (SCS); Professor Li Xiaosen introduced investigations into carbon oxidization capture capture via hydrate crystalization and natural gas hydrate production with two presentations; Professor Liang Deqing’s topic is replacement of methane from hydrate with carbon dioxide; finally, Dr. Su Zheng gave a presentation edtitled numerical investigation of gas production strategy for hydrate deposits in Shenhu Area, south china sea.

The guests also looked aroung some equipment and devices self-designed by GCGHR.

At the end of the workshop, two sides established arrangement to hold a joint academic symposium in Germany in 2011, with entering into cooperation in the fields of marine carbon dioxide capture and sequestration, experimental and numerical simulations of natural gas hydrate production, and joint graduate program.