NATURAL GAS Methane other Gases in bedrock History
NATURAL GAS Methane, other Gases in bedrock
History �China—first recorded use �piped through bamboo �Gas lights used in Belgium & England �William Murdoch: Scottish Engineer �Put coal gas lights in cotton mills
History cont’d � 1821, Fredonia New York �William Hart drilled a well 27’ deep �piped gas to a local inn—where it lit 66 lights � 1872: long-distance pipelines made
Natural Gas �Made of a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons �Mostly methane CH 4 �Some ethane C 2 H 6 �Propane C 3 H 8 �Butane C 4 H 10
Natural Gas �More energy efficient - does not need to be converted into electricity �Most often found trapped above petroleum deposits
Production �Impurities removed �Mercaptan added (scent – safety) �Then piped �> 1. 8 million km of high pressure pipe in U. S. �Middle East, Africa, South America �LNG at -162°C
Advantages of natural gas �Cleaner to burn �Half as much CO 2 as coal �More efficient � 10% energy lost � 60 -year supply at current rates
Disadvantages of natural gas �Difficult to transport �Pipelines �Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) tankers �Can be polluting, dangerous when extracted �Methane bed drilling pollutes
Reserves-countries with > 200 trillion cu ft �U. S. A. 204 �Russia 1688 �Iran 974 �Qatar 910 �Saudi Arabia 244 �United Arab Emigrates 214 � These countries account for 67% of the world’s reserves
Reserves
In Billion cubic feet
Reserves—how long will they last? �At the current rate? � 100 trillion cubic feet per year—about 62 years �At projected rates? �About 150 trillion cubic feet per year— about 41 years
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