partially within the stability zone 12 and partially below the base 14 below the base 14 the reservoir comprises free gas 22 and above it comprises clathrate 28 as illustrated in fig2 the free gas can generally be produced in a conventional manner by drilling 40 into the free gas region as gas is removed the resulting reduction in pressure at the base of the clathrate 28 allows changes in the lattice structure to free at least a portion of the gas trapped in the clathrate 28 to recharge the free gas reservoir for continued conventional production likewise heat e g a heated fluid may be added to the clathrate from external sources or from the heat of the deeper hotter free gas and or chemical clathrate inhibitors can be injected to increase the dissociation rate of the clathrate in a similar region overlapping the base a class ii reservoir 30 is shown in fig1 in the class ii reservoir 30 the clathrate 28 is underlain not by a free gas reservoir but rather by an aquifer 32 that includes water that is generally mobile as illustrated in fig3 production attempts could proceed by drilling 42 into the aquifer or 44 into the clathrate in either case attempts to reduce pressure.