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Natural gas is a fossil fuel. Like other fossil fuels such equally coal and oil, natural gas forms from the plants, animals, and microorganisms that lived millions of years ago.

There are several different theories to explicate how fossil fuels are formed. The most prevalent theory is that they form underground, under intense conditions. As plants, animals, and microorganisms decompose, they are gradually covered by layers of soil, sediment, and sometimes rock. Over millions of years, the organic matter is compressed. As the organic matter moves deeper into Earth's crust, it encounters higher and higher temperatures.

The combination of compression and high temperature causes the carbon bonds in the organic matter to suspension downwards. This molecular breakdown produces thermogenic marsh gas—natural gas. Methane, probably the well-nigh arable organic compound on World, is made of carbon and hydrogen (CH4).

Natural gas deposits are often found most oil deposits. Deposits of natural gas shut to the Earth'due south surface are usually dwarfed by nearby oil deposits. Deeper deposits—formed at higher temperatures and under more than force per unit area—have more than natural gas than oil. The deepest deposits can be made upward of pure natural gas.

Natural gas does not have to be formed deep undercover, all the same. Information technology can also exist formed by tiny microorganisms called methanogens. Methanogens live in the intestines of animals (including humans) and in low-oxygen areas virtually the surface of the Earth. Landfills, for example, are full of decomposing matter that methanogens break down into a type of methane chosen biogenic methane. The process of methanogens creating natural gas (methyl hydride) is chosen methanogenesis.

Although most biogenic methane escapes into the atmosphere, there are new technologies existence created to contain and harvest this potential free energy source.

Thermogenic methane—the natural gas formed deep below the Globe's surface—can also escape into the atmosphere. Some of the gas is able to rise through permeable matter, such as porous stone, and eventually dissipate into the temper.

However, about thermogenic methane that rises toward the surface encounters geological formations that are as well impermeable for it to escape. These rock formations are called sedimentary basins.

Sedimentary basins trap huge reservoirs of natural gas. In order to gain admission to these natural gas reservoirs, a pigsty (sometimes chosen a well) must be drilled through the rock to let the gas to escape and be harvested.

Sedimentary basins rich in natural gas are plant all over the earth. The deserts of Saudi Arabia, the boiling tropics of Venezuela, and the freezing Chill of the U.S. land of Alaska are all sources of natural gas. In the United States outside Alaska, basins are primarily around usa adjoining the Gulf of Mexico, including Texas and Louisiana. Recently, the northern states of N Dakota, Southward Dakota, and Montana have adult significant drilling facilities in sedimentary basins.

Types of Natural Gas

Natural gas that is economical to extract and easily attainable is considered "conventional." Conventional gas is trapped in permeable material beneath impermeable stone.

Natural gas found in other geological settings is not ever so easy or practical to extract. This gas is chosen "unconventional." New technologies and processes are e'er existence developed to make this unconventional gas more attainable and economically viable. Over time, gas that was considered "unconventional" can become conventional.

Biogas is a type of gas that is produced when organic matter decomposes without oxygen being nowadays. This process is called anaerobic decomposition, and information technology takes place in landfills or where organic textile such as animal waste, sewage, or industrial byproducts are decomposing.

Biogas is biological matter that comes from plants or animals, which tin can be living or non-living. This material, such equally forest residues, can be combusted to create a renewable energy source.

Biogas contains less methane than natural gas, merely can be refined and used as an energy source.

Deep Natural Gas
Deep natural gas is an unconventional gas. While almost conventional gas can exist plant merely a few thousand meters deep, deep natural gas is located in deposits at least four,500 meters (15,000 feet) below the surface of the Earth. Drilling for deep natural gas is not always economically applied, although techniques to extract information technology have been developed and improved.

Shale
Shale gas is another type of unconventional deposit. Shale is a fine-grained, sedimentary stone that does not disintegrate in water. Some scientists say shale is so impermeable that marble is considered "spongy" in comparison. Thick sheets of this impermeable rock tin can "sandwich" a layer of natural gas between them.

Shale gas is considered an unconventional source considering of the hard processes necessary to admission information technology: hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) and horizontal drilling. Fracking is a process that splits open rock with a loftier-pressure stream of water, and so "props" it open up with tiny grains of sand, glass, or silica. This allows gas to flow more freely out of the well. Horizontal drilling is a process of drilling straight down into the footing, and so drilling sideways, or parallel, to the World's surface.

Tight Gas
Tight gas is an unconventional natural gas trapped secret in an impermeable rock formation that makes information technology extremely difficult to extract. Extracting gas from "tight" rock formations commonly requires expensive and difficult methods, such as fracking and acidizing.

Acidizing is similar to fracking. An acid (usually muriatic acid) is injected into the natural gas well. The acid dissolves the tight rock that is blocking the flow of gas.

Coalbed Methane
Coalbed methyl hydride is another type of anarchistic natural gas. As its name implies, coalbed marsh gas is commonly establish along seams of coal that run underground. Historically, when coal was mined, the natural gas was intentionally vented out of the mine and into the atmosphere as a waste matter production. Today, coalbed marsh gas is collected and is a popular energy source.

Gas in Geopressurized Zones
Another source of unconventional natural gas is geopressurized zones. Geopressurized zones form 3,000-seven,600 meters (10,000-25,000 feet) below the Earth's surface.

These zones course when layers of clay rapidly accumulate and meaty on top of material that is more porous, such every bit sand or silt. Because the natural gas is forced out of the compressed clay, information technology is deposited under very high pressure into the sand, silt, or other absorptive material below.

Geopressurized zones are very difficult to mine, only they may contain a very high amount of natural gas. In the United States, almost geopressurized zones accept been found in the Gulf Declension region.

Methyl hydride Hydrates
Methane hydrates are another type of unconventional natural gas. Marsh gas hydrates were discovered only recently in bounding main sediments and permafrost areas of the Arctic. Methane hydrates form at low temperatures (effectually 0°C, or 32°F) and under high force per unit area. When environmental weather change, methane hydrates are released into the temper.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that marsh gas hydrates could contain twice the amount of carbon than all of the coal, oil, and conventional natural gas in the world, combined.

In bounding main sediments, methyl hydride hydrates form on the continental slope as bacteria and other microorganisms sink to the ocean floor and decompose in the silt. Methane, trapped within the sediments, has the ability to "cement" the loose sediments into place and proceed the continental shelf stable. Even so, if the water becomes warmer, the methane hydrates break downwards. This causes causes underwater landslides, and releases natural gas.

In permafrost ecosystems, marsh gas hydrates form as bodies of water freeze and water molecules create individual "cages" around each methane molecule. The gas, trapped in a frozen lattice of h2o, is contained at a much higher density than it would be in its gaseous state. Equally the ice cages thaw, the methyl hydride escapes.

Global warming, the current period of climate change, influences the release of methane hydrates from both permafrost and ocean sediment layers.

There is a vast corporeality of potential energy stored in methyl hydride hydrates. Withal, because they are such frail geological formations—capable of breaking down and disrupting the ecology conditions around them—methods for extracting them are developed with extreme circumspection.

Drilling and Transportation

Natural gas is measured in normal cubic meters or standard cubic feet. In 2009, the United states of america Free energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated that the world'southward proven natural gas reserves are around half-dozen,289 trillion cubic feet (tcf).

Most of the reserves are in the Centre East, with 2,686 tcf in 2011, or 40 percent of full world reserves. Russia has the second-highest amount of proven reserves, with one,680 tcf in 2011. The U.s. contains only over 4 percent of the world's natural gas reserves. <

Co-ordinate to the Eia, total globe consumption of dry natural gas in 2010 was 112,920 billion cubic feet (bcf). That year, the Us consumed a lilliputian more than 24,000 bcf, the most of any nation.

Natural gas is most commonly extracted by drilling vertically from the Globe's surface. From a single vertical drill, the well is limited to the gas reserves it encounters.

Hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, and acidizing are processes to aggrandize the amount of gas that a well tin access, and thus increase its productivity. However, these practices tin can take negative environmental consequences.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process that splits open stone formations with high-pressure level streams of water, chemicals, and sand. The sand props open the rocks, which allows gas to escape and be stored or transported. However, fracking requires huge quantities of water, which can radically reduce an area'due south h2o table and negatively impact aquatic habitats. The process produces highly toxic and frequently radioactive wastewater that, if mismanaged, can leak and contaminate secret water sources used for drinking, hygiene, and industrial and agronomical use.

In add-on, fracking can cause micro-earthquakes. Most of these temblors are far too tiny to be felt on the surface, just some geologists and environmentalists warn that the quakes may crusade structural harm to buildings or underground networks of pipes and cables.

Due to these negative ecology effects, fracking has been criticized and banned in some areas. In other areas, fracking is a lucrative economic opportunity and providing a reliable source of energy.

Horizontal drilling is a way of increasing the area of a well without creating multiple expensive and environmentally sensitive drilling sites. Later drilling straight downward from the Earth'due south surface, drilling tin can be directed to go sideways—horizontally. This broadens the well'due south productivity without requiring multiple drilling sites on the surface.

Acidizing is a procedure of dissolving acidic components and inserting them into the natural gas well, which dissolves stone that may be blocking the flow of gas.

Afterward natural gas is extracted, it is most oft transported through pipelines that can be from 2 to 60 inches in diameter.

The continental U.s.a. has more than 210 pipeline systems that are made up of 490,850 kilometers (305,000 miles) of manual pipelines that transfer gas to all 48 states. This system requires more than 1,400 compressor stations to ensure that the gas continues on its path, 400 clandestine storage facilities, eleven,000 locations to deliver the gas, and five,000 locations to receive the gas.

Natural gas can also be cooled to virtually -162°C (-260°F) and converted into liquified natural gas, or LNG. In liquid form, natural gas takes upwards only one/600 of the volume of its gaseous state. Information technology can hands exist stored and transported places that practise non accept pipelines.

LNG is tranported by a specialized insulated tanker, which keeps the LNG at its boiling point. If any of the LNG vaporizes, it is vented out of the storage area and used to power the transport vessel. The United States imports LNG from other countries, including Trinidad and Tobago and Qatar. All the same, the U.S. is currently increasing its domestic LNG production.

Consuming Natural Gas Although natural gas takes millions of years to develop, its energy has only been harnessed during the past few chiliad years. Around 500 BCE, Chinese engineers made use of natural gas seeping out of the Earth past building bamboo pipelines. These pipes transported gas to oestrus h2o. In the tardily 1700s, British companies provided natural gas to light streetlamps and homes.

Today, natural gas is used in countless ways for industrial, commercial, residential, and transportation purposes. The United States Department of Free energy (DOE) estimates that natural gas can be upwardly to 68 per centum less expensive than electricity.

In residential homes, the most popular utilise for natural gas is heating and cooking. It is used to power domicile appliances such as stoves, air conditioners, space heaters, outdoor lights, garage heaters, and wearing apparel dryers.

Natural gas is also used on a larger scale. In commercial settings, such as restaurants and shopping malls, it is an extremely efficient and economic way to power water heaters, space heaters, dryers, and stoves.

Natural gas is used to estrus, absurd, and cook in industrial settings, as well. However, it is also used in a variety of processes such as waste handling, food processing, and refining metals, rock, clay, and petroleum.

Natural gas tin likewise exist used equally an alternative fuel for cars, buses, trucks, and other vehicles. Currently, there are more than than 5 million natural gas vehicles (NGV) worldwide, and more than 150,000 in the United States.

Although NGVs initially toll more than gas-powered vehicles, they are cheaper to re-fuel and are the cleanest-running vehicles in the world. Gasoline- and diesel fuel-powered vehicles emit harmful and toxic substances including arsenic, nickel, and nitrogen oxides. In contrast, NGVs may emit infinitesimal amounts of propane or butane, just release seventy percent less carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.

Using the new technology of fuel cells, the energy from natural gas is also used to generate electricity. Instead of burning natural gas for energy, fuel cells generate electricity with electrochemical reactions. These reactions produce water, heat, and electricity without any other byproducts or emissions. Scientists are withal researching this method of producing electricity in club to affordably use it to electric products.

Natural Gas and the Environment Natural gas usually needs to exist candy earlier it can be used. When it is extracted, natural gas can contain a variety of elements and compounds other than methane. Water, ethane, butane, propane, pentanes, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and occasionally helium and nitrogen may be present in a natural gas well. In order to exist used for free energy, the methyl hydride is processed and separated from the other components. The gas that is used for energy in our homes is almost pure methane.

Like other fossil fuels, natural gas can be burned for energy. In fact, it is the cleanest-burning fuel, meaning it releases very few byproducts.

When fossil fuels are burned, they can release (or emit) different elements, compounds, and solid particles. Coal and oil are fossil fuels with very complex molecular formations, and comprise a high amount of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. When they are burned, they release loftier amounts of harmful emissions, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particles that drift into the atmosphere and contribute to air pollution.

In contrast, the methane in natural gas has a simple molecular brand-up: CH4. When it is burned, information technology emits simply carbon dioxide and water vapor. Humans breathe the aforementioned two components when we breathe.

Carbon dioxide and water vapor, forth with other gases such every bit ozone and nitrous oxide, are known every bit greenhouse gases. The increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are linked to global warming and could take disastrous environmental consequences.

Although burning natural gas even so emits greenhouse gases, it emits almost 30 percent less CO2 than oil, and 45 percent less CO2 than coal.

Rubber As with any extractive activity, drilling for natural gas tin lead to leaks. If the drill hits an unexpected high-pressure pocket of natural gas, or the well is damaged or ruptures, the leak can be immediately chancy.

Because natural gas dissapates so quickly into the air, it does not always cause an explosion or burn. Still, the leaks are an environmental hazard that also leak mud and oil into the surrounding areas.

If hydraulic fracturing was used to aggrandize a well, the chemicals from that process tin contaminate local aquatic habitats and drinking water with highly radioactive materials. The uncontained methyl hydride released in the air tin also force people to temporary evacuate the surface area.

Leaks can likewise occur slowly over time. Until the 1950s, cast iron was a popular choice for distribution pipelines, only it allows a loftier corporeality of natural gas to escape. The cast iron pipes become leaky after years of freeze-thaw cycles, heavy overhead traffic, and strains from the naturally shifting soil. Marsh gas leaks from these distribution pipelines make up more than than 30 per centum of the methyl hydride emmissions in the U.S. natural gas distribution sector. Today, pipelines are fabricated out of a diversity of metals and plastics to reduce leakage.

Natural gas is safely burned off at a facility that also processes oil.

Photograph past Robert Sisson

Pipage Up
The United states has 490,850 kilometers (305,000 miles) of interstate and intrastate pipelines to deliver natural gas all over the country.

Oracular Seeps
Natural gas seeps, where the gas flows naturally to the surface, were revered equally supernatural or spiritual sites by many aboriginal civilizations. One of the almost famous of these seeps sits atop Mountain Parnassus, most the town of Delphi, Hellenic republic. Around 1000 BCE, religious and spiritual leaders established a temple with a priestess who could tell the future. Millions of people, from ordinary citizens to political and military leaders, consulted the "Oracle of Delphi" for hundreds of years.

Natural Gas Consumers
In 2010, the latest date for which the U.Southward. Free energy Information Administration supplies data, these nations consumed the most natural gas.
ane. U.s.
2. Russia
3. Iran
four. Mainland china
v. Japan

Proven Reserves
According to the U.South. Free energy Information Administration, in 2011-2012, these nations had the biggest proven reserves of natural gas in the world. Data from some nations, including the United States, was not calculated.
1. Russia
2. Iran
3. Qatar
4. Saudi Arabia
5. Turkmenistan

What's That Olfactory property?
Raw natural gas is odorless. Companies that supply natural gas add an artificial smell to it, so people will know if there is a potentially dangerous leak. Most people recognize this as the "rotten egg" smell that comes from a gas stove or oven.