Gas Hydrates are nonstoichiometric crystalline compounds that belong to the inclusion group known as Clathrates. Hydrates occur when water molecules attach themselves together through hydrogen bonding and form cavities which can be
occupied by a single gas or volatile liquid molecule. The presence of a gas or volatile liquid inside the water network thermodynamically stabilizes the structure through physical bonding via weak van der Waals forces.
Instability in oil production and the inevitable depletion of fossil fuels is forcing scientists to find new resources and develop new technologies to keep pace with elevating energy demands. Currently, hydrate research is recognized as an important field due to the possibilities that gas hydrates pose in potentially alleviating this ongoing energy problem. Naturally occurring hydrates, containing mostly methane, exist in vast quantities within and below the permafrost zone and in sub-sea sediments. At present the amount of organic carbon trapped in hydrate exceeds all other reserves (fossil fuels, soil, peat, and living organisms). The amount of naturally available gas hydrate could also be potentially hazardous because of global warming. If the atmospheric temperature continues to rise it will inevitably decompose some of these methane hydrates in the earth causing them to dissociate into pure water and methane gas. Methane is one of the most harmful greenhouse gases and this effect could be potentially threatening. Complications arising from hydrate formation also occur on a frequent basis in the oil and gas industry, specifically, in the transportation of natural gas where hydrates can interrupt the flow. As an example, British Petroleum's disastrous oil leak in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico where their containment dome was hindered by the formation of gas hydrates.

Not all hydrate research is focused on extracting methane for energy purposes or preventing their formation in oil recovery. Significant effort is also being put forth in technologies that can utilize the properties of hydrates for carbon capture and energy storage and transportation. Hydrate technologies
could potentially be used to capture carbon dioxide during composition processes and transport/store methane and hydrogen. This talk will focus on the challenges and benefits that hydrates pose and also touch upon their kinetic, equilibrium and morphological properties.