6. Conclusion

For two centuries now, methane hydrates have been a constant source of interest.

It wasn't until the 1970s, when their presence in large quantities in deep marine sediments and Arctic zones came to light, that they really became a subject of study, often in direct relation to current world events.

This topic raises many questions, in a variety of areas.

Scientific field: to understand the role of these hydrates in the methane cycle and, more generally, in the carbon cycle. These studies have been boosted by the growing interest of the entire scientific community in environmental and climate issues, as the role of methane as a greenhouse gas is increasingly well established.

Technical field: the development of hydrocarbon production in the deep offshore and Arctic zones has revived studies...