Question

Why is methane so expensive to harvest as a nonrenewable energy source?

Methane is found deep in the Earth's crust, which makes it difficult to harvest.
Methane is found only in the Mediterranean Sea which makes it expensive to transport.
Methane is stable because it is found in sand, but must be filtered and that is expensive.
Methane is unstable, so harvesting it has to be done carefully, which is expensive.

Answer 1

Methane is unstable, so harvesting it has to be done carefully, which is expensive.

Step-by-step explanation:

Methane hydrates are like fossil fuel's evil cousin. They form after bacteria breaks down organic debris, which then crystalizes under the high pressure and low temps at the bottom of the ocean. Similar to fossil fuels, these crystals burn easily, meaning they're an efficient source of energy. However, unlike fossil fuels, collecting these crystals can be tricky, and deadly, due to one small problem. They kind of explode when disturbed. That's not a big deal, right? Oh, they also easily disintegrate, causing the seafloor to become unstable and collapse, which can cause landslides. Like I said, evil cousin.

Answer 2

Methane is found deep in the Earth's crust, which makes it difficult to harvest

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the Scientific American: "With drillers tapping into massive stores of natural gas across the United States, scientists are researching ways to capture it more effectively". On the same article, you can find that: "Energy companies are looking for a cheap way to separate these gases to yield a pure methane stream". So it is hard and expensive to harvest methane, even though drillers keep finding it.