Natural Gas
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Natural Gas
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Natural gas, a flammable gas within the Earth's crust, is a form of petroleum and is second only to crude oil in importance as a fuel. Natural gas consists mostly (88–95%) of the hydrocarbon methane (CH4), but proportions of hydrocarbons higher in the methane series are usually present, among them ethane (C2 H6), 3–8%; propane (C3 H8), 0.7–2%; butane (C4 H10), 0.2–0.7%; and pentane (C5 H12), 0.03–0.5%. Other gases present include carbon dioxide (CO2), 0.6–2.0%; nitrogen (N2), 0.3–3.0%; and helium (He), 0.01–0.5%. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and helium detract slightly from the heating value of natural gas. Helium and carbon dioxide, however, are valuable in their own right; in certain natural gases where their concentrations are relatively high, they may be extracted commercially.
The hydrocarbons that make up natural gas are a component of in-ground petroleum. In the past the gas was considered a useless by-product of oil production and was burned off in the oil fields as waste. Coal beds also contain appreciable quantities of methane, the principal component of natural gas.
Natural gas is produced on all continents except Antarctica. The world's largest supplier is Russia. The United States, Canada, and the Netherlands are also important sources.
The most efficient, least costly means of transporting natural gas is via pipeline (see pipe and pipeline). The United States has nearly 3.2 million km (2 million mi) of natural-gas pipeline, much of it built during World War II. The Siberian–Western Europe gas pipeline, completed in 1983, was built to exploit the huge natural-gas reserves of the former USSR, primarily in present-day Russia.
The gas may also be transported in pressurized tanks. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) must be kept under very high pressures and at very low temperatures during transport, but it requires far less space than the substance in its gaseous state.
Uses...
Natural Gas
Table of Contents
How to Cite This Article
Natural gas, a flammable gas within the Earth's crust, is a form of petroleum and is second only to crude oil in importance as a fuel. Natural gas consists mostly (88–95%) of the hydrocarbon methane (CH4), but proportions of hydrocarbons higher in the methane series are usually present, among them ethane (C2 H6), 3–8%; propane (C3 H8), 0.7–2%; butane (C4 H10), 0.2–0.7%; and pentane (C5 H12), 0.03–0.5%. Other gases present include carbon dioxide (CO2), 0.6–2.0%; nitrogen (N2), 0.3–3.0%; and helium (He), 0.01–0.5%. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and helium detract slightly from the heating value of natural gas. Helium and carbon dioxide, however, are valuable in their own right; in certain natural gases where their concentrations are relatively high, they may be extracted commercially.
The hydrocarbons that make up natural gas are a component of in-ground petroleum. In the past the gas was considered a useless by-product of oil production and was burned off in the oil fields as waste. Coal beds also contain appreciable quantities of methane, the principal component of natural gas.
Natural gas is produced on all continents except Antarctica. The world's largest supplier is Russia. The United States, Canada, and the Netherlands are also important sources.
The most efficient, least costly means of transporting natural gas is via pipeline (see pipe and pipeline). The United States has nearly 3.2 million km (2 million mi) of natural-gas pipeline, much of it built during World War II. The Siberian–Western Europe gas pipeline, completed in 1983, was built to exploit the huge natural-gas reserves of the former USSR, primarily in present-day Russia.
The gas may also be transported in pressurized tanks. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) must be kept under very high pressures and at very low temperatures during transport, but it requires far less space than the substance in its gaseous state.
Uses...