China has extracted about 235,000 cubic meters of the combustible ice from the South China Sea, beating previous expectations for the mining operation.

Wednesday afternoon marked six weeks of an ongoing mining operation in waters near the Pearl River estuary, without being disrupted by this year’s second typhoon Merbok, according to operators of the trial mining site in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea.

“China has beaten expectations in completing the trial explorations of combustible ice using local innovations in technology and engineering. It marks a historic breakthrough,” according to a statement released by the mining site.

Combustible ice usually exists in seabed or tundra 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 or flammable ice.

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

China declared its first success in collecting samples of combustible ice in the South China Sea on May 18 after discovering the substance in the South China Sea in 2007.

21 June 2017

*Lucas says failing to take meaningful action on climate is a ‘near-criminal act of political vandalism’
*Lucas:”The overall picture is one of a Government which has run out of steam, and a Prime Minister who has lost authority”

Caroline Lucas, the co-leader of the Green Party, has slammed the ‘hollowed out’ Government’s ‘stunning lack of ambition’ in their Queen’s speech today.

In a Queen’s Speech dominated by Brexit the Government failed to propose any meaningful plan on tackling climate change, refused to end the NHS pay cap and proposed a clampdown on migration.

Caroline Lucas has tabled two amendments to the Queen’s Speech. The first calls for an Environmental Protection Act to strengthen green laws in the Brexit process, and the second seeks to immediately protect EU Nationals’ rights.

Responding to the Queen’s Speech, Lucas said:

“This hollowed out Government has produced a stunningly unambitious Queen’s speech at a time when Britain desperately needs a change of direction. Failing to propose any meaningful plans to tackle climate change is a near-criminal act of political vandalism, and refusing to give our hard pressed NHS workers the pay rise they deserve reveals a Government utterly out of touch. The proposed immigration clampdown sees an increasingly hardline Government doubling down on plans they know will wreck our economy.

“Though climate-deniers in the DUP might be celebrating this Queen’s Speech, it simply isn’t a serious programme of Government. This speech should have included an Environmental Protection Act and a guarantee for EU Nationals that their rights would be protected, but these basic Brexit laws were nowhere to be seen.

“While some proposals in the Queen’s speech deserve praise – in particular plans to help people suffering from mental health problems – the overall picture is one of a Government which has run out of steam, and a Prime Minister who has lost authority.”

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