Prospect evaluation of natural gas hydrate resources on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has harsh natural conditions and on it the largest permafrost region in China is distributed and Meso-Cenozoic marine strata and marine and terrestrial basins are well devel-oped,which provides advantageous conditions for forming natural gas hydrate accumulations on the plateau.Based on the formation conditions of terrestrial natural gas hydrates,the paper discusses from several aspects the possibility of forming hydrates and the favorable locations where natural gas hydrate accumulations are most likely to occur.Finally the authors indicate that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has good conditions for forming natural gas hydrate accumulations and that the most favorable area is the outcrop area of accumula-tions of petroleum-bearing basins in northern Tibet.The study of natural gas hydrate accumulations has not only significance of resources but also great environmental significance.