How Do We Harness Natural Gas?

Natural gas can be carried by pipeline on land or by ship on the water. Pipelines transport the majority of the world’s natural gas. Natural gas is delivered fast on land by large networks of pipelines to big processing facilities and end users 2.

Natural gas is a nonrenewable resource

Natural gas, like other fossil energy sources (such as coal and oil), is a finite resource that will eventually run out. Despite the fact that it is a non-renewable and non-sustainable energy source, it can nonetheless contribute to our planet’s long-term viability. Natural gas can be utilized as a “cleaner” alternative to oil and coal until renewable energy takes over the world’s energy balance.

Natural Gas Emits Carbon Dioxide

This is by far the most significant drawback of natural gas. We’ll talk about how you can use carbon offsets to offset your natural gas usage in a sustainable way at the end of this piece.

Natural gas can be difficult to harness

To use natural gas, all of its components must be removed (excluding methane). Hydrocarbons (ethane, propane, etc.), sulfur, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and even helium and nitrogen are produced as a result of this process.

Natural gas was originally used to power street lights in the early 1800s, and then for heating and cooking in the 1900s, although it was far less common than coal and oil. Natural gas exploded in popularity as extraction and transportation methods improved considerably during the last fifty years. It now supplies 22 percent of the world’s energy, which is used for heating, generating electricity, and even fueling engines, and is considered as cleaner and less expensive than coal.

Natural gas has both benefits and drawbacks. Despite its drawbacks, natural gas remains one of the world’s most affordable and widely available fossil fuels, and it can serve as a viable substitute for other fossil fuels until something more efficient is discovered. Natural gas is unquestionably a booming business that, with additional technological advancements, can help lead the way to a more sustainable future.

In the Marcellus shale, how will natural gas be extracted?

The fracturing method shatters the tight shale formation by injecting a mixture of water, chemicals, and sand into the rock at extremely high pressure through a well bore, causing small cracks and fissures in the rock to release the gas, which can then be transported to the surface via pipelines.

Is there any natural gas left?

The world’s proven reserves are equal to 52.3 times yearly consumption. This indicates there’s around 52 years of gas left in the tank (at current consumption levels and excluding unproven reserves).

How do pipes transport natural gas?

Natural gas is transported through pipelines as a result of pressure differences created by a succession of compressors the gas flows from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area.

What is the distribution method for natural gas?

The United States has a huge natural gas pipeline system that can transport natural gas to and from practically any location in the lower 48 states rapidly and economically. Gas is transported through 305,000 miles of transmission pipelines (see map) and 2.2 million miles of distribution pipelines within utility service areas. Thousands of supply, receiving, and interconnection points, hundreds of storage facilities, and about 50 natural gas export and import stations make up the distribution system.

Renewable natural gas (RNG) can be dispensed at production sites, such as landfills or wastewater treatment plants with the ability to clean and upgrade biogas, in addition to distribution over the nation’s enormous pipeline network (the gaseous product of the decomposition of organic matter). RNG may be compressed or liquefied for use in automobiles in the same way that traditional natural gas can.

Is natural gas transportable?

Natural gas is easy to transport over land through pipes, but due to its low density and hence enormous volume, it is difficult to transfer over oceans. Countries are increasingly importing and exporting liquefied natural gas.

Why is natural gas so inexpensive?

This is due to the fact that the United States has a large natural gas supply but limited export capacity. Consumers in the United States profit from a plentiful domestic supply without having to compete with as many people in other countries for that gas.

What is it about natural gas that makes it so bad?

Natural gas is promoted as a clean energy source, however the reality differs significantly. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is extremely polluting.

Climate change

Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned, increasing CO2 levels, trapping heat, and contributing to global climate change.

  • Despite the fact that natural gas burns cleaner than coal and liquid petroleum, it nevertheless releases a significant quantity of carbon into the atmosphere in the form of CO2 and methane.
  • During the extraction and transportation of natural gas, huge amounts of methane are released. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 87 times more potent than CO2 over the course of a 20-year span (1).
  • Global methane emissions have risen considerably since 2002, according to studies. This is largely attributable to an increase in natural gas extraction in the United States. Leaked methane cancels out any CO2 reductions achieved by switching from coal to natural gas (1,2).

Air pollution

Another consequence of fossil fuel consumption is air pollution. Air pollution has a more regional influence than carbon dioxide and can have disastrous consequences for local communities and ecosystems.

  • Pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the atmosphere when natural gas leaks at extraction sites. Ground-level ozone, often known as smog, is formed when VOCs such as trimethylbenzenes, xylenes, and aliphatic hydrocarbons combine. Smog can have a variety of respiratory and cardiovascular effects, and it is especially hazardous to the elderly, children, and asthmatics (3,4).
  • Workers and adjacent residents are exposed to diesel fumes from the operation of vehicles and machinery, as well as gas leaks on drill sites. People who reside in places where there is a lot of oil and gas production are more likely to get chronic illnesses and cancer (5).

Water pollution

Water contamination, like air pollution, is a more localized consequence of fossil fuel consumption. Water is generally contaminated during the extraction process or when waste materials are handled. Water contamination can have serious consequences for both human health and the environment.

  • Fracking, commonly known as hydraulic fracturing, is a method of extracting natural gas from wells. Fracking is a risky procedure for several reasons:
  • Fracking can utilize between 1.5 and 15.8 million gallons of water per well, depending on location and well type (6).
  • These wells’ wastewater is frequently disposed of by injecting it far down into Class II injection wells. These wells have the potential to create earthquakes in the surrounding area, according to evidence. This not only endangers people and structures, but it also raises the risk of wastewater poisoning of groundwater (7,8)
  • Additives in fracking fluid can contaminate groundwater due to accidents or poorly constructed wells (9). These additives may contain toxic substances like benzene and lead that are harmful to humans (9,10).
  • The components of fracking fluid are not needed to be disclosed by extraction businesses. Many components are classified as “trade secrets” and are never disclosed to regulatory authorities (10).
  • Natural radioactive elements frequently rise to the surface, where they might clog wastewater systems. Maintenance employees may be exposed to greater than typical quantities of radiation as a result of this (11).

(1) EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 23 Aug. 2016. “Overview of Greenhouse Gases.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 23 Aug. 2016.

(2) A. J. Turner, D. J. Jacob, J. Benmergui, S. C. Wofsy, J. D. Maasakkers, A. Butz, O. Hasekamp, and S. C. Biraud, A. J. Turner, D. J. Jacob, J. Benmergui, S. C. Wofsy, J. D. Maasakkers, A. Butz, O. Hasekamp, and S. C. “Satellite Data and Surface Observations Show a Significant Increase in US Methane Emissions Over the Last Decade.” 2218-224 in Geophysical Research Letters 43.5 (2016).

(3) If you’re looking for a “Ozone Pollution’s Health Effects.” The Environmental Protection Agency’s website, EPA.gov, was last updated on August 23, 2016.

(4) “Air Pollution’s Health Effects.” CalEPA.gov. Air Resources Board, California Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 23 Aug. 2016.

Lisa Mckenzie, Roxana Z. Witter, Lee S. Newman, and John L. Adgate. (5) Mckenzie, Lisa M., Roxana Z. Witter, Lee S. Newman, and John L. Adgate. “Assessment of the danger of air pollution from the development of unconventional natural gas resources to human health.” Environmental Science is the study of the entire environment (2012)

“Methodology for analyzing volumes of water and proppant injection, as well as water generation linked with the development of continuous petroleum accumulations,” by S.S. Haines. 1117-18, USGS, U.S. Geological Survey, 2015.

W. L. Ellsworth, W. L. Ellsworth, W. L. Ellsworth, W. L. Ellsworth, W. L. Ellsworth, W. L. Ellsworth, W. L. Ellsworth, W. L. Ellsworth, W. L. Ellsworth

(nine) “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Minimizing and Managing Potential Impacts of Injection-Induced Seismicity from Class II Disposal Wells: Practical Approaches, EPA.gov (2015)

EPA.gov has a report titled “Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources.” Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (2015)

“Chemicals Used in Hydraulic Fracturing,” no. ten. Committee on Energy and Commerce, United States House of Representatives (2011)

(11) “TENORM: Wastes from Oil and Gas Production.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA.gov, 23 August 2016.