Metastable self-preservation of methane hydrates at atmospheric pressure has been reported by a number of researchers. It is suggested that this property could be utilized to transport stranded natural gas at higher temperatures and lower pressures compared to conventional liquefied natural gas methods. In previous papers, a number of factors, such as the influence of the preservation pressure (in addition to the atmospheric pressure) and of the gas concentration in the hydrate, have not been considered. The experimental work, carried out with the help of a reaction calorimeter on samples with different gas (and ice) contents, has revealed that the dissociation rate of the hydrates with high gas contents is higher than that of hydrates with less gas. The influence of pressure and temperature in the ranges of 0.1-0.3 MPa and -4 to - 1 degreesC, respectively, has also been studied, together with the effect of previous subcooling. For the practical and economical application of the self-preservation property to gas storage and transportation, the gas hydrates should be prepared at relatively moderate conditions and stored at pressures (e.g., 0.3 MPa) higher than the atmospheric pressure. Under such conditions, a further cooling of the obtained hydrate is not necessary.