China has explored about 210,000 cubic meters of the combustible¹ ice in the South China Sea, a local geological bureau said on Saturday.

 

中国已在南海开采大约21万立方米可燃冰。

 

A month has passed since the test on the extraction of combustible ice started in waters near the Pearl River estuary², said Guangzhou Marine³ Geological Bureau. 

 

By Saturday afternoon, its daily production is 6,800 cubic meters, the bureau said. 

 

"The process of gas production is smooth, and we are laying foundation for the next step," the statement said. 

 

Combustible ice usually exists in seabed or tundra⁴ areas, which have the strong pressure and low temperature necessary for its stability. It can be ignited like solid ethanol, which is why it is called "combustible ice." 

 

One cubic meter of "combustible ice", a kind of natural gas hydrate, is equal to 164 cubic meters of regular natural gas. 

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