Natural Gas
Natural Gas is a vital component of the world's supply of energy. It is one of the cleanest, safest,
and most useful of all energy sources. Despite its importance, however, there are many misconceptions about natural gas.
For instance, the word 'gas' itself has a variety of different uses, and meanings.
When we fuel our car, we put 'gas' in it. However, the gasoline that goes into your vehicle, while a fossil fuel, is very different
from natural gas. The 'gas' in the common barbecue is actually propane, which, while closely associated and commonly found
in natural gas, is itself not really natural gas itself. While commonly grouped in with other fossil fuels and sources of energy,
there are many characteristics of natural gas that make it unique. Below is a bit of background information about natural gas,
what exactly it is, how it is formed, and how it is found in nature.
What Is Natural Gas?
Natural gas, in itself, might be considered a very uninteresting gas - it is colorless, shapeless,
and odorless in its pure form. Quite uninteresting - except that natural gas is combustible, and when
burned it gives off a great deal of energy. Unlike other fossil fuels, however, natural gas is clean
burning and emits lower levels of potentially harmful byproducts into the air. We require energy constantly,
to heat our homes, cook our food, and generate our electricity. It is this need for energy that has elevated
natural gas to such a level of importance in our society, and in our lives. Natural gas is a combustible
mixture of hydrocarbon gases. While natural gas is formed primarily of methane, it can also include ethane,
propane, butane and pentane. The composition of natural gas can vary widely, but below 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. Methane is a molecule made up of one carbon
atom and four hydrogen atoms, and is referred to as CH4.
More On Natural Gas
Natural gas has many uses, residentially, commercially, and industrially. Found in reservoirs underneath
the earth, natural gas is commonly associated with oil deposits. Production companies search for evidence
of these reservoirs by using sophisticated technology that helps to find the location of the natural gas,
and drill wells in the earth where it is likely to be found. Once brought from underground, the natural gas
is refined to remove impurities like water, other gases, sand, and other compounds. Some hydrocarbons are
removed and sold separately, including propane and butane. Other impurities are also removed, like hydrogen
sulfide (the refining of which can produce sulfur, which is then also sold separately).
After refining, the
clean natural gas is transmitted through a network of pipelines, thousands of miles of which exist in the
United States alone. From these pipelines, natural gas is delivered to its point of use. Natural gas can be
measured in a number of different ways. As a gas it can be measured by the volume it takes up at normal
temperatures and pressures, and is commonly expressed in cubic feet or Gigajoules (GJ). Production and
distribution companies commonly measure natural gas in thousands of cubic feet (Mcf), millions of cubic
feet (MMcf), or trillions of cubic feet (Tcf). While measuring by volume is useful, natural gas can also be
measured as a source of energy. Like other forms of energy, natural gas is commonly measured and expressed in
British thermal units (Btu). One Btu is the amount of natural gas that will produce enough energy to heat one
pound of water by one degree at normal pressure. To give an idea, one cubic foot of natural gas contains about 1,027 Btu's. When natural gas is delivered to a
residence, it is measured by the gas utility in 'therms' for
billing purposes. A therm is equivalent to 100,000 Btu's, or just over 97 cubic feet, of natural gas.