The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the Chevron Petroleum Technology Company hosted the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Hydrates R&D Planning Workshop on August 9-10, 2000. The purpose was to gather stakeholder input on the opportunities and challenges for hydrate research and development (R&D) needs in the areas of drilling safely, seafloor stability, resource characterization, and production technology for the GOM. These workshop proceedings include all of the speaker presentations, question and answer documentation, and three appendices for the breakout session products, the participant list, and the poster session. The proceedings are publicly available at the NETL website: www.netl.doe.gov, where CD-ROM ordering is also available. During the workshop, participants actively shared ideas through facilitated sessions. Structured brainstorming and critical analysis were used to identify barriers and technology opportunities and to build consensus on collaborative actions. The workshop is expected to enhance dialog with industry on how to develop strategic alliances among industry, academia, and government.