Extracting gas hydrates from marine sediments

A process for extracting hydrocarbon gases from marine sediment hydrates, which process comprises:

• drilling a well from a sea floor into a hydrate rich subsea sediment to form at least one opening therein including a primary well;
• inserting electrical resistance heaters into said hydrate rich subsea sediment through said well into at least one opening, wherein said heaters are connected by cable to an electrical power supply or to electrical generators at sea surface level;
• heating said hydrate rich subsea sediment with said electrical heaters in order to release hydrocarbon gas therefrom;
• allowing said hydrocarbon gas to flow through said well into an overhead receiver, wherein said hydrocarbon gas forms hydrates again through cold seawater;
• collecting said re-formed hydrates in said overhead receiver open to sea water;
• raising said overhead receiver with said re-formed hydrates herein to a sea depth where pressure and temperature permit dissociation of said accumulated hydrates into hydrocarbon gas;
• gathering said hydrocarbon gas from a top of said overhead receiver;
• and delivering said hydrocarbon gas from said top of said overhead receiver to a vessel at sea level.