New Scientist: Natural gas locked up in water crystals could be a source of enormous amounts of energy âEUR” and if a new technology delivers what scientists are claiming, then it could be even be emissions-free too. To the naked eye, clathrate hydrate looks like regular ice. However, while it is made up partly of water, the water molecules are organised into “cages”, which trap individual molecules of methane inside them. Compared to other fossil fuels, methane âEUR” also known as natural …