Natural+Gas

Natural Gas Information


 * Methane || CH4 || 70-90% ||
 * Ethane || C2H6 ||  ||
 * Propane || C3H8 || 0-20% ||
 * Butane || C4H10 ||  ||
 * Carbon Dioxide || CO2 || 0-8% ||
 * Oxygen || O2 || 0-0.2% ||
 * Nitrogen || N2 || 0-5% ||
 * Hydrogen sulphide || H2S || 0-5% ||
 * Rare gases || A, He, Ne, Xe || trace ||

What is Natural Gas?

Natural gas is a colorless, shapeless, and odorless in its pure form. Quite uninteresting - except that natural gas is combustible, abundant in the United States and when burned it gives off a great deal of energy and few emissions. Unlike other fossil fuels, natural gases burn cleanly and emit lower levels of potentially harmful byproducts into the air. We require energy constantly, to heat our homes, cook our food, and generate our electricity. Natural gases are a combustible mixture of hydrocarbon gases. While natural gases are formed primarily of methane, it can also include ethane, propane, butane and pentane. The composition of natural gas can vary widely, but above is a chart outlining the typical makeup of natural gas before it is refined. In its purest form, such as the natural gas that is delivered to your home, it is almost pure methane. The distinctive “rotten egg” smell that we often associate with natural gas is actually an odorant called mercaptan that is added to the gas before it is delivered to the end-user. Mercaptan aids in detecting any leaks. Ethane, propane, and the other hydrocarbons commonly associated with natural gas have slightly different chemical formulas. Natural gas is considered 'dry' when it is almost pure methane, having had most of the other commonly associated hydrocarbons removed. When other hydrocarbons are present, the natural gas is 'wet'.

The Formation of Natural Gas

Natural gas is a fossil fuel. Like oil and coal, this means that it is, essentially, the remains of plants and animals and microorganisms that lived millions and millions of years ago. There are many different theories as to the origins of fossil fuels. The most widely accepted theory says that fossil fuels are formed when organic matter (such as the remains of a plant or animal) is compressed under the earth, at very high pressure for a very long time. This is referred to as thermogenic methane. Similar to the formation of oil, thermogenic methane is formed from organic particles that are covered in mud and other sediment. Over time, more and more sediment and mud and other debris are piled on top of the organic matter. This sediment and debris puts a great deal of pressure on the organic matter, which compresses it. This compression, combined with high temperatures found deep underneath the earth, breaks down the carbon bonds in the organic matter. As one gets deeper and deeper under the earth’s crust, the temperature gets higher and higher. At low temperatures (shallower deposits), more oil is produced relative to natural gas. At higher temperatures, however, more natural gas is created, as opposed to oil. That is why natural gas is usually associated with oil in deposits that are 1 to 2 miles below the earth's crust. Deeper deposits, very far underground, usually contain primarily natural gas, and in many cases, pure methane.

Natural gases under the earth

Although there are several ways that methane, and thus natural gas, may be formed, it is usually found underneath the surface of the earth. As natural gas has a low density, once formed it will rise toward the surface of the earth through loose, shale type rock and other material. Some of this methane will simply rise to the surface and dissipate into the air. However, a great deal of this methane will rise up into geological formations that 'trap' the gas under the ground. These formations are made up of layers of porous, sedimentary rock impermeable layer of rock on top. This impermeable rock traps the natural gas under the ground. If these formations are large enough, they can trap a great deal of natural gas underground, in what is known as a reservoir. There are a number of different types of these formations, but the most common is created when the impermeable sedimentary rock forms a 'dome' shape, like an umbrella that catches all of the natural gas that is floating to the surface. There are a number of ways that this sort of 'dome' may be formed. For instance, faults are a common location for oil and natural gas deposits to exist. A fault occurs when the normal sedimentary layers 'split' vertically, so that impermeable rock shifts down to trap natural gas in the more permeable limestone or sandstone layers. The picture above shows how natural gas and oil can be trapped under impermeable sedimentary rock, in what is known as an anticlinal formation. To successfully bring these fossil fuels to the surface, a hole must be drilled through the impermeable rock to release the fossil fuels under pressure. Note that in reservoirs that contain oil and gas, the gas, being the least dense, is found closest to the surface, with the oil beneath it, typicall followed by a certain amount of water. With natural gas trapped under the earth in this fashion, it can be recovered by drilling a hole through the impermeable rock. Gas in these reservoirs is typically under pressure, allowing it to escape from the reservoir on its own.

Natural gas supplies about 23 percent of all energy used in the United States.
 * How much of our country’s energy needs are served by natural gas? **

Where in the United States is natural gas located?
Natural gas is found in 33 states. The ** dark blue ** states on this map show you where large amounts of natural gas are extracted. In the ** medium blue ** states, moderate amounts of natural gas are extracted. And in the ** light blue ** states, just a little natural gas is extracted. Natural gas is not extracted at all in the states that are ** white **.

Are more homes heated by natural gas or electricity?
Nearly 70 percent of single family homes completed in 2001 use natural gas heating, followed by 27 percent that use electric heat, and 3 percent that use heating oil. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)


 * Furnaces
 * Pool and Spa Heaters
 * Clothes Dryers
 * Outdoor Lights
 * Barbecues
 * Water Heaters
 * Stoves/Ranges
 * Fireplace Logs
 * Patio Heaters and Fire Pits


 * How much natural gas is produced in the world? **
 * ** United States ** || 22.5 % ||
 * ** Canada ** || 7.0 % ||
 * ** Mexico ** || 1.4 % ||
 * ** Central and South America ** || 4.0 % ||
 * ** Europe ** || 11.9 % ||
 * ** Former Soviet Union ** || 27.5 % ||
 * ** Middle East ** || 9.3 % ||
 * ** Africa ** || 5.0 % ||
 * ** Asian and Pacific Countries ** || 11.4 % ||


 * How much natural gas do we use? **
 * ** United States ** || 25.6 % ||
 * ** Canada ** || 3.0 % ||
 * ** Mexico ** || 1.4 % ||
 * ** Central and South America ** || 4.0 % ||
 * ** Europe ** || 19.5 % ||
 * ** Former Soviet Union ** || 22.8 % ||
 * ** Middle East ** || 8.4 % ||
 * ** Africa ** || 2.5 % ||
 * ** Asian and Pacific Countries ** || 12.7 % ||

Where Does CO Come From?
CO is a dangerous gas that you can’t smell or see. It is produced when people use natural gas or other fuels (such as gasoline, propane, fuel oil, and wood) without enough oxygen. Common sources of CO include gasoline engines running in closed garages, fuel-burning space heaters or water heaters with improper venting, and blocked chimneys or vent pipes.


 * The amount of energy of natural gas can be converted from Btu per cubic feet to Joules per cubic meter. If 1 Btu equals 1055.1 J and 1 ft3 equals 0.028316 m3, then 1000 Btu/ft3 multiplied by 1055.1 J and divided by 0.028316 m3 equals 37 MJ/m3, which is the average energy content of natural gas. **