The Gas hydrates are solid methane-rich water compounds that form under extreme natural environments. The most common form, methane clathrate, exists under seabeds and permafrost layers. These hydrates form when methane gas is trapped inside frozen water cages due to high pressure and low temperature. The resource is abundantly found in continental slopes of oceans and Arctic frozen expanses. Because a small volume of hydrate can contain massive methane quantities, gas hydrates are often labeled as one of the richest unconventional hydrocarbon deposits on Earth.

Although gas hydrates are promising for future energy supply, their destabilization can pose climate and geological risks. Methane hydrates melting could lead to methane gas release, contributing heavily to greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere. Hydrates are also infamous for forming plugs in gas transmission pipelines, especially underwater gas networks where temperatures encourage hydrate formation. To avoid industrial hydrate disruptions, energy operators use chemical inhibitors, regulate line temperature, or stabilize operating pressure. Research into extraction includes warming hydrate beds, reducing field pressure, or exchanging methane with CO₂ to trap emissions. Hydrates continue to shape both energy strategy debates and climate safety research.