Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Natural Gas shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Natural Gas offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Natural Gas at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Natural Gas? Wrong! If the Natural Gas is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Natural Gas then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Natural Gas? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Natural Gas and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Natural Gas wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Natural Gas then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Natural Gas site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Natural Gas, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Natural Gas, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane but including significant quantities of ethane, butane, propane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide. Natural gas overview It is found in oil fields and natural gas fields, and in coal beds (as coalbed methane). When methane-rich gases are produced by the anaerobic decay of non-fossil organic compound material, these are referred to as biogas. Sources of biogas include swamps, marshes, and landfills (see landfill gas), as well as sewage sludge and manure by way of anaerobic digesters, in addition to enteric fermentation particularly in cattle. Natural gas is often informally referred to as simply gas, especially when compared to other energy sources such as electricity. Before natural gas can be used as a fuel, it must undergo extensive natural gas processing to remove almost all materials other than methane. The by-products of that processing include ethane, propane, butanes, pentanes and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, elemental sulfur, and sometimes helium and nitrogen.

Chemical composition The primary component of natural gas is methane (carbonhydrogen4), the shortest and lightest hydrocarbon molecule. It also contains heavier gaseous hydrocarbons such as ethane (carbon2hydrogen6), propane (carbon3hydrogen8) and butane (carbon4hydrogen10), as well as other sulfur containing gases, in varying amounts, see also natural gas condensate. Natural gas also contains and is the primary market source of helium.

{]s can also be present WVU's AFVTP - Propane Review, West Virginia University. Mercury (element) is also present in small amounts in natural gas extracted from some fields Using Gas Geochemistry to Assess Mercury Risk, OilTracers, 2006. The exact composition of natural gas varies between gas fields.

Organosulfur compounds and hydrogen sulfide are common contaminants which must be removed prior to most uses. Gas with a significant amount of sulfur impurities, such as hydrogen sulfide, is termed sour gas; gas with sulfur or carbon dioxide impurities is acid gas. Processed natural gas that is available to end-users is tasteless and odorless, however, before gas is distributed to end-users, it is odorized by adding small amounts of odorants (mixtures of t-butyl mercaptan, isopropyl mercaptan, tetrahydrothiophene, dimethyl sulfide and other sulfur compounds), to assist in gas leak detection. Processed natural gas is, in itself, harmless to the human body, however, natural gas is a simple asphyxiant and can kill if it displaces air to the point where the oxygen content will not support life.

Natural gas can also be hazardous to life and property through an explosion. Natural gas is lighter than air, and so tends to escape into the atmosphere. But when natural gas is confined, such as within a house, gas concentrations can reach explosive mixtures and, if ignited, result in blasts that could destroy buildings. Methane has a lower explosive limit of 5% in air, and an upper explosive limit of 15%.

Explosive concerns with compressed natural gas used in vehicles are almost non-existent, due to the escaping nature of the gas, and the need to maintain concentrations between 5% and 15% to trigger explosions.

Energy content, statistics and pricing Quantities of natural gas are measured in normal cubic meters (corresponding to 0°C at 101.325 atmosphere (unit)) or in standard cubic feet (corresponding to 60°F and 14.73 PSIA).The Higher Heating Value of one normal cubic meter of commercial quality natural gas is around 39 joules (≈10.8 kWh), but this can vary by several percent.In United States customary units, one standard cubic foot of natural gas produces around 1,030 British Thermal Units (BTUs). The actual heating value when the water formed does not condense is the Lower Heating Value and can be as much as 10% less.

The price of natural gas varies greatly depending on location and type of consumer, but as of 2007 a price of $7 per 1000 cubic feet is typical in the United States. This corresponds to around $7 per million BTU's, or around $7 per gigajoule. Natural gas in the United States is traded as a futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Each contract is for 10,000 MMBTU (gigajoules), or 10 billion BTU's. Thus, if the price of gas is $7 per million BTU's on the NYMEX, the contract is worth $70,000. In the United States, at retail, natural gas is often sold in units of therms (th); 1 therm = 100,000 BTU. Gas meters measure the volume of gas used, and this is converted to therms by multiplying the volume by the energy content of the gas used during that period, which varies slightly over time. Wholesale transactions are generally done in decatherms (Dth), or in thousand decatherms (MDth), or in million decatherms (MMDth). A million decatherms is roughly a billion cubic feet of natural gas.

Natural gas is also traded as a commodity in Europe, principally at the United Kingdom National Balancing Point (UK) and related European hubs, such as the Title Transfer Facility in the Netherlands.

In the rest of the world, LNG and LPG is traded in metric tons or mmBTU as spot deliveries. Long term contracts are signed in metric tons - and to convert from one system to the other requires should better be described here, than a very isolated market. A cubic foot is a volumetric measure, MT is weight. The LNG and LPG is transported by special ships/containers, as the gas is liquified - LPG cryonic. The specification of each LNG/LPG cargo will usually contain the energy content, but this information is in general not available to the public.

Natural gas processing

The image below is a schematic Process flow diagram of a typical natural gas processing plant. It shows the various unit processes used to convert raw natural gas into sales gas pipelined to the end user markets.

The block flow diagram also shows how processing of the raw natural gas yields byproduct sulfur, byproduct ethane, and natural gas liquids (NGL) propane, butanes and natural gasoline (denoted as pentanes +). Natural Gas Processing: The Crucial Link Between Natural Gas Production and Its Transportation to Market Example Gas Plant From Purification to Liquefaction Gas Processing Feed-Gas Treatment Design for the Pearl GTL Project Benefits of integrating NGL extraction and LNG liquefaction



Storage and transport gas main being laid in a trench.

The major difficulty in the use of natural gas is transportation and Natural gas storage because of its low density. Natural gas pipeline transport are economical, but are impractical across oceans. Many List of North American natural gas pipelines are close to reaching their capacity, prompting some politicians representing colder areas to speak publicly of potential shortages.

LNG carriers can be used to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) across oceans, while tank trucks can carry liquefied or compressed natural gas (CNG) over shorter distances. They may transport natural gas directly to end-users, or to distribution points such as pipelines for further transport. These may have a higher cost, requiring additional facilities for liquefaction of gases or physical compression at the production point, and then gasification or decompression at end-use facilities or into a pipeline.

In the past, the natural gas which was recovered in the course of recovering petroleum could not be profitably sold, and was simply combustion at the oil field (known as gas flare). This wasteful practice is now illegal in many countries. Additionally, companies now recognize that value for the gas may be achieved with LNG, CNG, or other transportation methods to end-users in the future. The gas is now re-Wiktionary:injected back into the formation for later recovery. This also assists oil pumping by keeping underground pressures higher. In Saudi Arabia, in the late 1970s, a "Master Gas System" was created, ending the need for flaring. The natural gas is used to generate electricity and heat for desalinization. Similarly, some landfills that also discharge methane gases have been set up to capture the methane and generate electricity.

Natural gas is often stored in underground caverns formed inside depleted gas reservoirs from previous gas wells, salt domes, or in tanks as liquefied natural gas. The gas is injected during periods of low demand and extracted during periods of higher demand. Storage near the ultimate end-users helps to best meet volatile demands, but this may not always be practicable.

With 15 nations accounting for 84% of the world-wide production, access to natural gas has become a significant factor in international economics and politics. In this respect, control over the pipelines is a major strategic factor. The Contours of the New Cold War

Use Power generation Natural gas is a major source of electricity generation through the use of gas turbines and steam turbines. Particularly high efficiencies can be achieved through combining gas turbines with a steam turbine in combined cycle mode. Natural gas burns cleaner than other fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, and produces less carbon dioxide per unit energy released. For an equivalent amount of heat, burning natural gas produces about 30% less carbon dioxide than burning petroleum and about 45% less than burning coal. Natural Gas and the Environment Combined cycle power generation using natural gas is thus the cleanest source of power available using fossil fuels, and this technology is widely used wherever gas can be obtained at a reasonable cost. Fuel cell technology may eventually provide cleaner options for converting natural gas into electricity, but as yet it is not price-competitive. Also, the natural gas supply is expected to peak around the year 2030, 20 years after the peak of oil. It is also projected that the world's supply of natural gas could be exhausted around the year 2085.

Hydrogen Natural gas can be used to produce hydrogen, with one common method being the hydrogen reformer. Hydrogen has various applications: it is a primary feedstock for the chemical industry, a hydrogenating agent, an important commodity for oil refineries, and a fuel source in hydrogen vehicles.

Natural gas vehicles using natural gasCompressed natural gas (methane) is used as a clean alternative to other automobile fuels such as gasoline (petrol) and diesel. As of 2005, the countries with the largest number of natural gas vehicles were Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, Italy, India and Bangladesh. International Statistics (IANG website page) The energy efficiency is generally equal to that of gasoline engines, but lower compared with modern diesel engines. Benzine vehicles converted to run on gas suffer of the low-compression ratio their engines have, resulting in a cropping of delivered power while running on natural gas (10%-15%). CNG factory-made engines, however, use a higher compression ratio, due to the high number of octane (120-130) of this fuel.

Liquified petroleum gas (a propane and butane blend) is also used to fuel vehicles. LPG and CNG vehicle fuel systems are not compatible. CNG also requires higher pressure tanks which are typically much heavier than those used for LPG.

Residential domestic use Natural gas is supplied to homes, where it is used for such purposes as cooking in natural gas-powered ranges and/or ovens, natural gas-heated clothes dryers, HVAC/air conditioning and central heating. Home or other building heating may include boilers, furnaces, and water heaters. CNG is used in rural homes without connections to plumbingd-in public utility services, or with portable Grill (cooking)s. However, due to CNG being less economical than LPG, LPG (Propane) is the dominant source of rural gas.

Fertilizer Natural gas is a major feedstock for the production of ammonia, via the Haber process, for use in fertilizer production.

Aviation Russian aircraft manufacturer Tupolev is currently running a development program to produce LNG- and hydrogen-powered aircraft. PSC Tupolev - Development of Cryogenic Fuel Aircraft The program has been running since the mid-1970s, and seeks to develop LNG and hydrogen variants of the Tupolev Tu-204 and Tupolev Tu-334 passenger aircraft, and also the Tupolev Tu-330 cargo aircraft. It claims that at current market prices, an LNG-powered aircraft would cost 5,000 roubles less to operate per ton, roughly equivalent to 60%, with considerable reductions to carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions.

Other Natural gas is also used in the manufacture of textiles, glass, steel, plastics, paint, and other products.

Sources Natural gas Natural gas is commercially produced from oil fields and natural gas fields. Gas produced from oil wells is called casinghead gas or associated gas. The natural gas industry is producing gas from increasingly more challenging History of the petroleum industry in Canada (natural gas)#Unconventional gas: sour gas, tight gas, shale gas and coalbed methane.

The world's largest gas field by far is Qatar's offshore South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field, estimated to have 25 trillion cubic metres Background note: Qatar (900 trillion cubic feet) of gas in place — enough to last more than 200 years at optimum production levels. The second largest natural gas field is the Asalouyeh in Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. Connected to Qatar's North Field, it has estimated reserves of 8 to 14 trillion cubic metres{{cite web].

Town gas Town gas is a mixture of methane and other gases, mainly the highly toxic carbon monoxide, that can be used in a similar way to natural gas and can be produced by treating coal chemically. This is a historic technology, still used as 'best solution' in some local circumstances, although coal gasification is not usually economic at current gas prices. However, depending upon infrastructure considerations, it remains a future possibility.

Biogas Methanogen are responsible for all biological sources of methane, some in symbiotic relationships with other life forms, including termites, ruminants, and cultivated crops. Methane released directly into the atmosphere would be considered a pollutant, however, methane in the atmosphere is oxidised, producing carbon dioxide and water. Methane in the atmosphere has a half life of seven years, meaning that every seven years, half of the methane present is converted to carbon dioxide and water.



Future sources of methane, the principal component of natural gas, include landfill gas, biogas and methane hydrate. Biogas, and especially landfill gas, are already used in some areas, but their use could be greatly expanded. Landfill gas is a type of biogas, but biogas usually refers to gas produced from organic material that has not been mixed with other waste.

Landfill gas is created from the decomposition of waste in landfills. If the gas is not removed, the pressure may get so high that it works its way to the surface, causing damage to the landfill structure, unpleasant odor, vegetation die-off and an explosion hazard. The gas can be vented to the atmosphere, gas flare or burned to produce electricity or heat. Experimental systems were being proposed for use in parts Hertfordshire, UK and Lyon in France.

Once water vapor is removed, about half of landfill gas is methane. Almost all of the rest is carbon dioxide, but there are also small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen. There are usually trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide and siloxanes, but their concentration varies widely. Landfill gas cannot be distributed through natural gas pipelines unless it is cleaned up to the same quality. It is usually more economical to combust the gas on site or within a short distance of the landfill using a dedicated pipeline. Water vapor is often removed, even if combusting the gas on site. If low temperatures condense out the water from the gas, siloxanes can be lowered as well because they tend to condense out with the water vapour. Other non-methane components may also be removed in order to meet emission standards, to prevent fouling of the equipment or for environmental considerations. Co-firing landfill gas with natural gas improves combustion, which lowers emissions.

Biogas is usually produced using agricultural waste materials, such as otherwise unusable parts of plants and manure. Biogas can also be produced by separating organic materials from waste that otherwise goes to landfills. This is more efficient than just capturing the landfill gas it produces. Using materials that would otherwise generate no income, or even cost money to get rid of, improves the profitability and energy balance of biogas production.

Anaerobic lagoons produce biogas from manure, while biogas reactors can be used for manure or plant parts. Like landfill gas, biogas is mostly methane and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen. However, with the exception of pesticides, there are usually lower levels of contaminants.

Hydrates A speculative source of enormous quantities of methane is from methane clathrate, found under sediments in the oceans. However, as of 2006 no technology has been developed to recover it economically.

Safety In any form, a minute amount of aroma compound such as t-butyl mercaptan, with a rotting-cabbage-like smell, is added to the otherwise colorless and odorless gas, so that leaks can be detected before a fire or explosion occurs. Sometimes a related compound, thiophane is used, with a rotten-egg smell. Adding odorant to natural gas began in the United States after the 1937 New London School explosion. The buildup of gas in the school went unnoticed, killing three hundred students and faculty when it ignited. Odorants are considered non-toxic in the extremely low concentrations occurring in natural gas delivered to the end user.

In minings, where methane seeping from rock formations has no odor, sensors are used, and mining apparatuses have been specifically developed to avoid ignition sources, e.g., the Davy lamp.

Explosions caused by natural gas leaks occur a few times each year. Individual homes, small businesses and boats are most frequently affected when an internal leak builds up gas inside the structure. Frequently, the blast will be enough to significantly damage a building but leave it standing. In these cases, the people inside tend to have minor to moderate injury. Occasionally, the gas can collect in high enough quantities to cause a deadly explosion, disintegrating one or more buildings in the process. The gas usually dissipates readily outdoors, but can sometimes collect in dangerous quantities if weather conditions are right. However, considering the tens of millions of structures that use the fuel, the individual risk of using natural gas is very low.

Some gas fields yield sour gas containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This untreated gas is toxic. Amine gas treating, an industrial scale process which removes acidic gaseous components, is often used to remove hydrogen sulfide from natural gas. NaturalGas.org - Processing Natural Gas

Extraction of natural gas (or oil) leads to decrease in pressure in the oil reservoir. This in turn may lead to subsidence at ground level. Subsidence may affect ecosystems, waterways, sewer and water supply systems, foundation (architecture)s, etc.

Natural Gas heating systems are the leading cause of carbon monoxide deaths in the United States, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. When a natural gas heating system malfunctions, it produces odorless carbon monoxide. With no fumes or smoke to give warning, poisoning victims are easily asphyxiated by the carbon monoxide.

Cost comparison with heating oil It is difficult to evaluate the cost of heating a home with natural gas compared to that of heating oil, because of differences of energy conversion efficiency, and the widely fluctuating price of crude oil. However, for illustration, one can calculate a representative cost per BTU. Assuming the following:



The following figures are produced:

wut from that it looks like heating oil is a lot cheaper, 138 times more and more than half the price but the stat doesn't seem to show that.

See also

External links

Natural gas vehicles

References


is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane but including significant quantities of ethane, butane, propane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide. Natural gas overview It is found in oil fields and natural gas fields, and in coal beds (as coalbed methane). When methane-rich gases are produced by the anaerobic decay of non-fossil organic compound material, these are referred to as biogas. Sources of biogas include swamps, marshes, and landfills (see landfill gas), as well as sewage sludge and manure by way of anaerobic digesters, in addition to enteric fermentation particularly in cattle. Natural gas is often informally referred to as simply gas, especially when compared to other energy sources such as electricity. Before natural gas can be used as a fuel, it must undergo extensive natural gas processing to remove almost all materials other than methane. The by-products of that processing include ethane, propane, butanes, pentanes and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, elemental sulfur, and sometimes helium and nitrogen.

Chemical composition The primary component of natural gas is methane (carbonhydrogen4), the shortest and lightest hydrocarbon molecule. It also contains heavier gaseous hydrocarbons such as ethane (carbon2hydrogen6), propane (carbon3hydrogen8) and butane (carbon4hydrogen10), as well as other sulfur containing gases, in varying amounts, see also natural gas condensate. Natural gas also contains and is the primary market source of helium.

{]s can also be present WVU's AFVTP - Propane Review, West Virginia University. Mercury (element) is also present in small amounts in natural gas extracted from some fields Using Gas Geochemistry to Assess Mercury Risk, OilTracers, 2006. The exact composition of natural gas varies between gas fields.

Organosulfur compounds and hydrogen sulfide are common contaminants which must be removed prior to most uses. Gas with a significant amount of sulfur impurities, such as hydrogen sulfide, is termed sour gas; gas with sulfur or carbon dioxide impurities is acid gas. Processed natural gas that is available to end-users is tasteless and odorless, however, before gas is distributed to end-users, it is odorized by adding small amounts of odorants (mixtures of t-butyl mercaptan, isopropyl mercaptan, tetrahydrothiophene, dimethyl sulfide and other sulfur compounds), to assist in gas leak detection. Processed natural gas is, in itself, harmless to the human body, however, natural gas is a simple asphyxiant and can kill if it displaces air to the point where the oxygen content will not support life.

Natural gas can also be hazardous to life and property through an explosion. Natural gas is lighter than air, and so tends to escape into the atmosphere. But when natural gas is confined, such as within a house, gas concentrations can reach explosive mixtures and, if ignited, result in blasts that could destroy buildings. Methane has a lower explosive limit of 5% in air, and an upper explosive limit of 15%.

Explosive concerns with compressed natural gas used in vehicles are almost non-existent, due to the escaping nature of the gas, and the need to maintain concentrations between 5% and 15% to trigger explosions.

Energy content, statistics and pricing Quantities of natural gas are measured in normal cubic meters (corresponding to 0°C at 101.325 atmosphere (unit)) or in standard cubic feet (corresponding to 60°F and 14.73 PSIA).The Higher Heating Value of one normal cubic meter of commercial quality natural gas is around 39 joules (≈10.8 kWh), but this can vary by several percent.In United States customary units, one standard cubic foot of natural gas produces around 1,030 British Thermal Units (BTUs). The actual heating value when the water formed does not condense is the Lower Heating Value and can be as much as 10% less.

The price of natural gas varies greatly depending on location and type of consumer, but as of 2007 a price of $7 per 1000 cubic feet is typical in the United States. This corresponds to around $7 per million BTU's, or around $7 per gigajoule. Natural gas in the United States is traded as a futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Each contract is for 10,000 MMBTU (gigajoules), or 10 billion BTU's. Thus, if the price of gas is $7 per million BTU's on the NYMEX, the contract is worth $70,000. In the United States, at retail, natural gas is often sold in units of therms (th); 1 therm = 100,000 BTU. Gas meters measure the volume of gas used, and this is converted to therms by multiplying the volume by the energy content of the gas used during that period, which varies slightly over time. Wholesale transactions are generally done in decatherms (Dth), or in thousand decatherms (MDth), or in million decatherms (MMDth). A million decatherms is roughly a billion cubic feet of natural gas.

Natural gas is also traded as a commodity in Europe, principally at the United Kingdom National Balancing Point (UK) and related European hubs, such as the Title Transfer Facility in the Netherlands.

In the rest of the world, LNG and LPG is traded in metric tons or mmBTU as spot deliveries. Long term contracts are signed in metric tons - and to convert from one system to the other requires should better be described here, than a very isolated market. A cubic foot is a volumetric measure, MT is weight. The LNG and LPG is transported by special ships/containers, as the gas is liquified - LPG cryonic. The specification of each LNG/LPG cargo will usually contain the energy content, but this information is in general not available to the public.

Natural gas processing

The image below is a schematic Process flow diagram of a typical natural gas processing plant. It shows the various unit processes used to convert raw natural gas into sales gas pipelined to the end user markets.

The block flow diagram also shows how processing of the raw natural gas yields byproduct sulfur, byproduct ethane, and natural gas liquids (NGL) propane, butanes and natural gasoline (denoted as pentanes +). Natural Gas Processing: The Crucial Link Between Natural Gas Production and Its Transportation to Market Example Gas Plant From Purification to Liquefaction Gas Processing Feed-Gas Treatment Design for the Pearl GTL Project Benefits of integrating NGL extraction and LNG liquefaction



Storage and transport gas main being laid in a trench.

The major difficulty in the use of natural gas is transportation and Natural gas storage because of its low density. Natural gas pipeline transport are economical, but are impractical across oceans. Many List of North American natural gas pipelines are close to reaching their capacity, prompting some politicians representing colder areas to speak publicly of potential shortages.

LNG carriers can be used to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) across oceans, while tank trucks can carry liquefied or compressed natural gas (CNG) over shorter distances. They may transport natural gas directly to end-users, or to distribution points such as pipelines for further transport. These may have a higher cost, requiring additional facilities for liquefaction of gases or physical compression at the production point, and then gasification or decompression at end-use facilities or into a pipeline.

In the past, the natural gas which was recovered in the course of recovering petroleum could not be profitably sold, and was simply combustion at the oil field (known as gas flare). This wasteful practice is now illegal in many countries. Additionally, companies now recognize that value for the gas may be achieved with LNG, CNG, or other transportation methods to end-users in the future. The gas is now re-Wiktionary:injected back into the formation for later recovery. This also assists oil pumping by keeping underground pressures higher. In Saudi Arabia, in the late 1970s, a "Master Gas System" was created, ending the need for flaring. The natural gas is used to generate electricity and heat for desalinization. Similarly, some landfills that also discharge methane gases have been set up to capture the methane and generate electricity.

Natural gas is often stored in underground caverns formed inside depleted gas reservoirs from previous gas wells, salt domes, or in tanks as liquefied natural gas. The gas is injected during periods of low demand and extracted during periods of higher demand. Storage near the ultimate end-users helps to best meet volatile demands, but this may not always be practicable.

With 15 nations accounting for 84% of the world-wide production, access to natural gas has become a significant factor in international economics and politics. In this respect, control over the pipelines is a major strategic factor. The Contours of the New Cold War

Use Power generation Natural gas is a major source of electricity generation through the use of gas turbines and steam turbines. Particularly high efficiencies can be achieved through combining gas turbines with a steam turbine in combined cycle mode. Natural gas burns cleaner than other fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, and produces less carbon dioxide per unit energy released. For an equivalent amount of heat, burning natural gas produces about 30% less carbon dioxide than burning petroleum and about 45% less than burning coal. Natural Gas and the Environment Combined cycle power generation using natural gas is thus the cleanest source of power available using fossil fuels, and this technology is widely used wherever gas can be obtained at a reasonable cost. Fuel cell technology may eventually provide cleaner options for converting natural gas into electricity, but as yet it is not price-competitive. Also, the natural gas supply is expected to peak around the year 2030, 20 years after the peak of oil. It is also projected that the world's supply of natural gas could be exhausted around the year 2085.

Hydrogen Natural gas can be used to produce hydrogen, with one common method being the hydrogen reformer. Hydrogen has various applications: it is a primary feedstock for the chemical industry, a hydrogenating agent, an important commodity for oil refineries, and a fuel source in hydrogen vehicles.

Natural gas vehicles using natural gasCompressed natural gas (methane) is used as a clean alternative to other automobile fuels such as gasoline (petrol) and diesel. As of 2005, the countries with the largest number of natural gas vehicles were Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, Italy, India and Bangladesh. International Statistics (IANG website page) The energy efficiency is generally equal to that of gasoline engines, but lower compared with modern diesel engines. Benzine vehicles converted to run on gas suffer of the low-compression ratio their engines have, resulting in a cropping of delivered power while running on natural gas (10%-15%). CNG factory-made engines, however, use a higher compression ratio, due to the high number of octane (120-130) of this fuel.

Liquified petroleum gas (a propane and butane blend) is also used to fuel vehicles. LPG and CNG vehicle fuel systems are not compatible. CNG also requires higher pressure tanks which are typically much heavier than those used for LPG.

Residential domestic use Natural gas is supplied to homes, where it is used for such purposes as cooking in natural gas-powered ranges and/or ovens, natural gas-heated clothes dryers, HVAC/air conditioning and central heating. Home or other building heating may include boilers, furnaces, and water heaters. CNG is used in rural homes without connections to plumbingd-in public utility services, or with portable Grill (cooking)s. However, due to CNG being less economical than LPG, LPG (Propane) is the dominant source of rural gas.

Fertilizer Natural gas is a major feedstock for the production of ammonia, via the Haber process, for use in fertilizer production.

Aviation Russian aircraft manufacturer Tupolev is currently running a development program to produce LNG- and hydrogen-powered aircraft. PSC Tupolev - Development of Cryogenic Fuel Aircraft The program has been running since the mid-1970s, and seeks to develop LNG and hydrogen variants of the Tupolev Tu-204 and Tupolev Tu-334 passenger aircraft, and also the Tupolev Tu-330 cargo aircraft. It claims that at current market prices, an LNG-powered aircraft would cost 5,000 roubles less to operate per ton, roughly equivalent to 60%, with considerable reductions to carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions.

Other Natural gas is also used in the manufacture of textiles, glass, steel, plastics, paint, and other products.

Sources Natural gas Natural gas is commercially produced from oil fields and natural gas fields. Gas produced from oil wells is called casinghead gas or associated gas. The natural gas industry is producing gas from increasingly more challenging History of the petroleum industry in Canada (natural gas)#Unconventional gas: sour gas, tight gas, shale gas and coalbed methane.

The world's largest gas field by far is Qatar's offshore South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field, estimated to have 25 trillion cubic metres Background note: Qatar (900 trillion cubic feet) of gas in place — enough to last more than 200 years at optimum production levels. The second largest natural gas field is the Asalouyeh in Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. Connected to Qatar's North Field, it has estimated reserves of 8 to 14 trillion cubic metres{{cite web].

Town gas Town gas is a mixture of methane and other gases, mainly the highly toxic carbon monoxide, that can be used in a similar way to natural gas and can be produced by treating coal chemically. This is a historic technology, still used as 'best solution' in some local circumstances, although coal gasification is not usually economic at current gas prices. However, depending upon infrastructure considerations, it remains a future possibility.

Biogas Methanogen are responsible for all biological sources of methane, some in symbiotic relationships with other life forms, including termites, ruminants, and cultivated crops. Methane released directly into the atmosphere would be considered a pollutant, however, methane in the atmosphere is oxidised, producing carbon dioxide and water. Methane in the atmosphere has a half life of seven years, meaning that every seven years, half of the methane present is converted to carbon dioxide and water.



Future sources of methane, the principal component of natural gas, include landfill gas, biogas and methane hydrate. Biogas, and especially landfill gas, are already used in some areas, but their use could be greatly expanded. Landfill gas is a type of biogas, but biogas usually refers to gas produced from organic material that has not been mixed with other waste.

Landfill gas is created from the decomposition of waste in landfills. If the gas is not removed, the pressure may get so high that it works its way to the surface, causing damage to the landfill structure, unpleasant odor, vegetation die-off and an explosion hazard. The gas can be vented to the atmosphere, gas flare or burned to produce electricity or heat. Experimental systems were being proposed for use in parts Hertfordshire, UK and Lyon in France.

Once water vapor is removed, about half of landfill gas is methane. Almost all of the rest is carbon dioxide, but there are also small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen. There are usually trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide and siloxanes, but their concentration varies widely. Landfill gas cannot be distributed through natural gas pipelines unless it is cleaned up to the same quality. It is usually more economical to combust the gas on site or within a short distance of the landfill using a dedicated pipeline. Water vapor is often removed, even if combusting the gas on site. If low temperatures condense out the water from the gas, siloxanes can be lowered as well because they tend to condense out with the water vapour. Other non-methane components may also be removed in order to meet emission standards, to prevent fouling of the equipment or for environmental considerations. Co-firing landfill gas with natural gas improves combustion, which lowers emissions.

Biogas is usually produced using agricultural waste materials, such as otherwise unusable parts of plants and manure. Biogas can also be produced by separating organic materials from waste that otherwise goes to landfills. This is more efficient than just capturing the landfill gas it produces. Using materials that would otherwise generate no income, or even cost money to get rid of, improves the profitability and energy balance of biogas production.

Anaerobic lagoons produce biogas from manure, while biogas reactors can be used for manure or plant parts. Like landfill gas, biogas is mostly methane and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen. However, with the exception of pesticides, there are usually lower levels of contaminants.

Hydrates A speculative source of enormous quantities of methane is from methane clathrate, found under sediments in the oceans. However, as of 2006 no technology has been developed to recover it economically.

Safety In any form, a minute amount of aroma compound such as t-butyl mercaptan, with a rotting-cabbage-like smell, is added to the otherwise colorless and odorless gas, so that leaks can be detected before a fire or explosion occurs. Sometimes a related compound, thiophane is used, with a rotten-egg smell. Adding odorant to natural gas began in the United States after the 1937 New London School explosion. The buildup of gas in the school went unnoticed, killing three hundred students and faculty when it ignited. Odorants are considered non-toxic in the extremely low concentrations occurring in natural gas delivered to the end user.

In minings, where methane seeping from rock formations has no odor, sensors are used, and mining apparatuses have been specifically developed to avoid ignition sources, e.g., the Davy lamp.

Explosions caused by natural gas leaks occur a few times each year. Individual homes, small businesses and boats are most frequently affected when an internal leak builds up gas inside the structure. Frequently, the blast will be enough to significantly damage a building but leave it standing. In these cases, the people inside tend to have minor to moderate injury. Occasionally, the gas can collect in high enough quantities to cause a deadly explosion, disintegrating one or more buildings in the process. The gas usually dissipates readily outdoors, but can sometimes collect in dangerous quantities if weather conditions are right. However, considering the tens of millions of structures that use the fuel, the individual risk of using natural gas is very low.

Some gas fields yield sour gas containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This untreated gas is toxic. Amine gas treating, an industrial scale process which removes acidic gaseous components, is often used to remove hydrogen sulfide from natural gas. NaturalGas.org - Processing Natural Gas

Extraction of natural gas (or oil) leads to decrease in pressure in the oil reservoir. This in turn may lead to subsidence at ground level. Subsidence may affect ecosystems, waterways, sewer and water supply systems, foundation (architecture)s, etc.

Natural Gas heating systems are the leading cause of carbon monoxide deaths in the United States, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. When a natural gas heating system malfunctions, it produces odorless carbon monoxide. With no fumes or smoke to give warning, poisoning victims are easily asphyxiated by the carbon monoxide.

Cost comparison with heating oil It is difficult to evaluate the cost of heating a home with natural gas compared to that of heating oil, because of differences of energy conversion efficiency, and the widely fluctuating price of crude oil. However, for illustration, one can calculate a representative cost per BTU. Assuming the following:



The following figures are produced:

wut from that it looks like heating oil is a lot cheaper, 138 times more and more than half the price but the stat doesn't seem to show that.

See also

External links

Natural gas vehicles

References




Phoenix Natural Gas Northern Ireland
Distributor and supplier for home and business users. Includes details of retailers and installers.

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NYMEX.com
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Welcome to Natural Gas

NGVA - Natural Gas Vehicle Association
This is the site for the Natural Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA), which is the trade body for promoting natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in the UK., Site created by Campbellshaw

 

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