Flammable ice a hot prospect for future energy

Scientists predict China will become one of the first countries to begin production of gas hydrates, an enormous untapped energy source.

Production of gas hydrates, also known as flammable ice, will begin in China's tundras around 2020 and underwater after 2030, scientists predicted.

"In the next decade, scientists will probe the reserves of gas hydrates," said Zhang Hongtao, chief geologist with the Ministry of Land and Resources.