During the reported year we have enhanced our knowledge on and gained considerable experience in assessment of the gas hydrate resources in the offshore environments. Specifically, we have learned and gained experience in the following: Efficiently locating data sources, including published literature and unpublished information. We have established personal communication extremely critical in data accessability and acquisition. We have updated information pertinent to gas hydrate knowledge, also based on thorough study and evaluation of most Russian literature and additional publications in languages other than English. Besides critical evaluation of widely spread literature, in many cases our reports include previously unpublished information (e.g. BSRs from the Gulf of Mexico). The assessment of the gas resources potential associated with the gas hydrates, although in most cases at a low level of confidence, appears also very encouraging for further, more detailed, study. We are also confident that, because of the present reports' format, new data and a concept-oriented approach, the result of our study will be of strong interest to various industries, research institutions and numerous governmental agencies.
