What is fire-ice and where is it found?

In a methane hydrate, ice crystals trap natural gas and hold it basically forever unless something intervenes. Like shale oil, this natural gas is held in place. But if you could cut a cube of oil shale out of the ground, the oil would still be in there. Methane hydrate begins to melt as soon as you move it from its frozen origin place, so extracting it is both financially and environmentally risky.