The 8th ICGH was held at the National Convention Center Beijing 29 July-1 August. The international conference was jointly organized by China geological Survey and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

With the theme Opportunity and Challenge-Development and Utilization of Gas Hydrates, the 8th ICGH program conducted discussions on all facets of gas hydrate, including fundamentals, natural systems, energy, environmental impacts, and flow assurance, demonstrated the latest progress and achievements.

The conference was the first one of ICGH which took place in the developing countries, the largest one in the history of ICGH, with more than 700 representatives and experts from 28 countries, and over 620 papers collected. within the four days, 1 keynote speech, 5 plenary sessions, 112 special reports, and hundreds of posters demonstrating the research results of the participants were presented, in addition to which ten brilliant college students from Singapore, Canada, Russia, India and China were sponsored by organizers for attendance.

The event has fully demonstrated the comprehensive technical power and overall technological state of gas hydrate of China, and provided a platform for in-depth discussion and communication concerning the relevant issues, and an opportunity to keep updated of the drilling and trail production techniques of foreign countries, which would be a driving force for promoting the work in China in the future.

Person responsible for the relevant work in China Geological Survey stated that China would continue its efforts in investigation and evaluation of gas hydrate in the sea area and land-based permafrost zone in the coming years. Priorities will be given to gas hydrate forming theories, prospecting technologies, environmental impacts and development of production test technologies, etc. All the efforts will push forward the prospecting and development process for the early production and utilization of this new type of energy in China.