Whether the statement:
“Burning methane gas produced from methane hydrate releases up to 5 times less carbon dioxide compared to burning coal”
Would it lead to the reduction in the number of new coal mines and its associated average coal production capacity per annum - globally?
Natural gas can generate the same energy equivalents like coal with a much less generation of greenhouse gases and contaminants which are concern such as particulates metals and even radioactivity are damaging.
In addition the natural gas option does not have as huge waste generation and disposal issues as fly ash represents from coal. Natural gas is also potential very competitive to coal in cost.
The point is this if natural gas use will be used to reduce coal dependency is still one of political contention. I think this makes all the sense in the World and is proven technology which is economically competitive.
Where natural gas has been substituted for coal the air quality has improved markedly and the price and consistency of energy has not be affected in any negative way.
From my personal viewpoint the substitution of natural gas for coal is a major strategy for negotiating a new era with other developing options such as biomass, wind, solar, micro hydroelectric and a new generation of safer cheaper nuclear energy that does not generate weapons materials are developed and implement.