What is natural gas?
What is gas—as it relates to the petroleum industry? Gas is also known as natural gas. It is usually found in association with oil deposits, but not always. Natural gas is considered as a fossil fuel and as such is non-renewable; however, there are some renewable sources of methane, whichs is the main ingredient in natural gas.
What gas is, scientists theorize, is deposits that were created when the remains of plants and animals became trapped under layers of sediment and seawater with increasing pressure and building heat. Eventually this sediment was compressed into rock and at the same time the organic matter of the remains was changed by the heat and pressure to become hydrocarbon molecules including methane—what gas is. Methane is the smallest and lightest hydrocarbon. Deposits of petroleum and natural gas became trapped between layers of rock in much the same way a sponge absorbs and holds water.
When the drilling rig hits the pocket where the natural gas deposit lies, the gas rises to the surface where it is collected and sent through pipelines to the distribution center. Pressure stations about every 50 to 100 miles keep the gas moving through the pipelines. Approximately 300,000 miles of pipelines link the oil fields, the cleaning plants and your home or business that uses natural gas energy.
Natural gas (methane) of itself is odorless and tasteless, and colorless, yet it is hazardous so the natural gas companies add mercaptan which has a strong and distinctive smell to alert people about a potential natural gas leak.
What gas is, according to the ancient peoples of Greece, Persia and India is an eternal flame. When lightning ignited natural gas deposits seeping through cracks in the earth, usually a temple would be built around this site and people worshipped there, not understanding what gas is, since they couldn't see, smell or taste the methane.
Natural gas illumination was first used for lighting the streets of Baltimore as early as 1816, and today energy from natural gas provides almost one quarter of the power used by the people in the United States. Natural gas is produced in 32 states of the United States.
Natural gas wells are located by some of the same geological surveys and testing as helps to find oil deposits. Slightly less than half of all wells drilled successfully tap natural gas. That figure rises to 85 percent if the natural gas well is drilled on a producing oil field. Since gas wells average over 6,100 deep and cost approximately $100 per foot to dig, it's important to try for the highest possible success rate.
Once the natural gas comes out of the ground it is cleaned of impurities, often propane and butane gases. The methane is sent to the end users while the other gases which alternative uses are sent to another processing area via pipeline.
More and more alternative sources of methane are being developed. Primary examples at present include landfills which is a renewable source, and coal beds
What gas is, scientists theorize, is deposits that were created when the remains of plants and animals became trapped under layers of sediment and seawater with increasing pressure and building heat. Eventually this sediment was compressed into rock and at the same time the organic matter of the remains was changed by the heat and pressure to become hydrocarbon molecules including methane—what gas is. Methane is the smallest and lightest hydrocarbon. Deposits of petroleum and natural gas became trapped between layers of rock in much the same way a sponge absorbs and holds water.
When the drilling rig hits the pocket where the natural gas deposit lies, the gas rises to the surface where it is collected and sent through pipelines to the distribution center. Pressure stations about every 50 to 100 miles keep the gas moving through the pipelines. Approximately 300,000 miles of pipelines link the oil fields, the cleaning plants and your home or business that uses natural gas energy.
Natural gas (methane) of itself is odorless and tasteless, and colorless, yet it is hazardous so the natural gas companies add mercaptan which has a strong and distinctive smell to alert people about a potential natural gas leak.
What gas is, according to the ancient peoples of Greece, Persia and India is an eternal flame. When lightning ignited natural gas deposits seeping through cracks in the earth, usually a temple would be built around this site and people worshipped there, not understanding what gas is, since they couldn't see, smell or taste the methane.
Natural gas illumination was first used for lighting the streets of Baltimore as early as 1816, and today energy from natural gas provides almost one quarter of the power used by the people in the United States. Natural gas is produced in 32 states of the United States.
Natural gas wells are located by some of the same geological surveys and testing as helps to find oil deposits. Slightly less than half of all wells drilled successfully tap natural gas. That figure rises to 85 percent if the natural gas well is drilled on a producing oil field. Since gas wells average over 6,100 deep and cost approximately $100 per foot to dig, it's important to try for the highest possible success rate.
Once the natural gas comes out of the ground it is cleaned of impurities, often propane and butane gases. The methane is sent to the end users while the other gases which alternative uses are sent to another processing area via pipeline.
More and more alternative sources of methane are being developed. Primary examples at present include landfills which is a renewable source, and coal beds
