Natural gas is a hydrocarbon gas mixture that is one of the world’s most significant energy resources. It is a fuel that is useful for cooking, water heating, space heating, and powering the appliances in your home. It’s a sustainable resource that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Natural gas is a mixture of different compounds such as methane, chains of carbon, hydrocarbons, and hydrogen atoms. It is formed after the exposure of decomposed animal and plant matter from the heat and pressure under the Earth’s surface over millions of years before transforming into natural gas.This natural resource is a significant source of energy in America and other countries in the world. To catch you up, check out more of these seven facts about natural gas that you might not know.
Natural Gas is Odorless
Natural gas is an odorless fossil fuel since it’s mostly made up of methane which doesn’t have any smell. Its telltale scent came from the added odorizer like sulfur that can help quickly detect any possible leaks. Another form of odorizer is tert-Butylthiol or t-butyl mercaptan that smells like rotten eggs.The natural gas odorizers may vary in most countries depending on their gas distribution regulations. Other companies also add a compound called thiophane into the mixture. It is a volatile and colorless liquid that contains an unpleasant smell. The odorizers mixed to it can also help consumers recognize the natural gas more effectively.Apart from being odorless, natural gas is also colorless and tasteless. Utilizing it for your home’s needs is an ideal way to control your power and energy costs. This natural resource will not only help you save energy but also to help protect the environment by producing less greenhouse gas emissions.
Natural Gas is a Cleaner Fossil Fuel
Natural gas is one of the cleanest combustions of fossil fuels. Compared to coal, burning it can produce 50 percent less carbon dioxide. Many oil and gas industry named it as a bridge fuel because it is cleaner to burn on power plants than coal. Thus, natural gas can be better for the climate and the environment.The use of natural gas as an energy resource in the power generation systems can provide a cleaner alternative from other fossil fuels such as coal. It can produce less carbon and other harmful chemicals that can be ideal for the environment and public health. Using it can also help contribute to improving the local air quality.
It Undergoes Seven Basic Processing Stages
The delivery of natural gas to consumers would require many processing steps and infrastructures. Before delivering it to your houses, it needs to first undergo three categories namely processing, transportation, and storage.The natural gas needs first to meet the specific quality measures before transmitting into the transportation system. The quality measure will help the pipeline network or the grid to produce high-quality natural gas. It is also necessary to remove the hydrocarbon gas liquids and other contaminants before delivering and transporting it to consumers.The processing time would also take long since it involves several stages to remove water, oil, HGL, and other impurities such as nitrogen, helium, sulfur, and more. Its composition will determine the number of processes and stages it needed to produce high-quality dry natural gas through pipelines.There are seven primary stages for processing natural gas. The first stage is Gas-oil-water Separators. It uses pressure to separate the fluid streams and other liquids from the gas such as water and oil. The second stage is separating or removing the condensates at the wellhead gas and sending the natural gas to storage tanks.The third stage is Dehydration that helps remove water condensation in the pipelines. The next step is Contaminant Removal that helps remove nitrogen, helium, hydrogen sulfide, and other contaminants. Then next is the Nitrogen Extraction that uses the Nitrogen Rejection Unit or NRU.The sixth stage is Methane Separation which the natural gas undergoes the demethanization process, absorption methods, and cryogenic processing to separate methane from HGL. And the seventh and last stage is Fractionation that helps separate the HGL into component liquids through its varying boiling points.
It’s a Complement to Renewable Energy
Natural gas is a flexible and reliable energy resource. As renewable energy resources continue to grow as an efficient power source, no wonder it can be a strong complement to renewables that can provide enough power source for your home.Natural gas is a great power source on demand. As a consumer, utilizing fossil fuel as an energy solution such as natural gas is a way to save more energy bills while reducing carbon emissions.
A Good Alternative Fuel for Vehicles
Compressed natural gas or CNG vehicles can help improve air quality by reducing harmful gas emissions. Its engine can function the same way as the gasoline engines. The liquified natural gas or LNG is also ideal for vehicles that travel long distances.Some of the many advantages of using natural gas vehicles are the widespread distribution infrastructure, domestic availability, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to using diesel fuels and other conventional gasoline.
Natural Gas Helps You Save Money
As a consumer, using natural gas as an alternative energy solution can help you save money from your energy bills. It is a clean fuel that leads to less propane, electricity, and heating oil usage in your home. The natural gas appliances can also be more energy efficient than other models, so it helps you save money.
Natural Gas is Environmentally Friendly
The use of natural gas in your home can help reduce your carbon footprint. It is a smart energy solution to provide your home, the schools, and businesses with a clean and efficient energy source. It can also be ideal for upgrading your home with highly efficient natural gas appliances to help reduce emissions while reducing your energy bills.When it’s burned on power generation systems, natural gas would only produce 15 percent less carbon dioxide than wood, 30 percent less than oil, and 50 percent less than coal. This natural resource would also produce no sulfur dioxide, monoxide, and other airborne particles that can be harmful to animal and human health.
Takeaway
The natural gas can be a bridge fuel to a renewable future. It is an ideal renewable resource that can help upgrade and revolutionize your home. It’s also an abundant resource to help reduce your carbon footprint and other gaseous gas emissions that are harmful to the environment.Indeed, with the growing renewable energy resource industry nowadays, it can be ideal to know significant information about a reliable resource like natural gas such as those mentioned above. It shows the significant benefits of using natural gas on the environment that can help conserve and save the Earth.
