Vast amounts of methane hydrates trapped under the world's oceans have proved a tempting target for Asian countries eager for greater energy independence. From India to Japan, countries have kicked off national research programs -- often with cooperation from the US Department of Energy. So news that South Korea's Ministry of Knowledge Economy would begin a hydrates drilling project off its east coast in April wasn't surprising. The Korean government's apparent goal is to begin commercial production of hydrates by 2015, mirroring Japanese aspirations. The prize: 600 million tons of gas, or enough to meet South Korean natural gas demand for 30 years. If Asian nations are successful, it would turn the global gas market on its ear, says SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Energy Research analyst Cameron Horwitz. "If their forecast is accurate, this could be a game-changer, since the estimates of gas hydrate reserves is many times that of all the shale gas estimates." Tom Haywood, Houston