How old is natural gas

In the process of petroleum formation, methane may be formed in this manner during the early stages burial. A large supply of methane is also present within coal seams, where it is found adsorbed to the structure of the coal; where it was formed by methanogenic bacteria during the decomposition process and also during catagenesis of the forming coal.

This methane is in a near liquid state lining the pores of the coal, and is partially released when pressure in the reservoir declines due to the presence of a withdrawal well. In the search for fuels that are alternative to petroleum and plentiful, a lot of recent talk has centered on what are called methane hydrates also called methane clathrates or methane ice.

Essentially, these are chunks of ice that are saturated with methane or natural gas during formation, the gas becomes trapped in the structure of the freezing water.

Because of their frozen structure, they are to be found in arctic permafrost regions or at the bottom of the ocean in places where conditions are favorable. As with natural gas, methane hydrates can be formed through biogenic or thermogenic processes:. In biogenic formation , the methane is produced by biological activity as microorganisms attempt to decompose the remains of marine life as above, primarily marine phytoplankton and zooplankton.

In this case, methane is produced by the anoxic behaviors of methanogenic bacteria. In thermogenic formation , the gas is formed in the same manner as natural gas…through catagenesis of kerogen. In fact, this may be the same natural gas that was formed above, it just migrates to a region remember, gas is lighter than earth materials and wants to reach the surface where the formation of hydrates is favorable.

Through either method of formation biogenic or thermogenic the gases, once formed, are thought to migrate perhaps through geologic faults and, upon contact with cold sea water, to crystallize into ice-like structures.

Historically, the U. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to locate further sources of natural gas, and methane hydrates could fill this need. The difficulty arising in the utilization of methane hydrates owes primarily to the development of an efficient extraction process.

Beneath the sea floor, hydrates are stable at these pressures, the ice chunks will remain in their structures up to about 18 degrees Celsius , but once removed, the ice become unstable as pressures decrease and the gas develops a strong desire to escape. Methods for efficient extraction are currently in development. In more than 3.

Energy Use at a Glance: In , the U. The history of natural gas Early human civilizations, while not understanding its cause, were certainly influenced by natural gas. Parnassus where… Near B. Because the light hydrocarbons that comprise natural gas are lighter than water and rock, those that exist within the earth will tend to migrate upwards until they reach the surface, or are trapped by an impermeable layer of rock Methane is also produced by bacteria methanogens that decompose organic matter under anoxic conditions, referred to as biogenic methane.

Geologic Time. Source: Library and Archives Canada, nlc Fossil fuels are hydrocarbon compounds such as coal, natural gas, and oil. They are formed by the anaerobic without oxygen decomposition of buried ancient organisms. Generally, coal forms from land sediments, and natural gas and oil form from marine sediment. Natural gas is found sometimes with petroleum, with coal, or by itself.

Being less dense, natural gas is most often found on top of oil pools. Fossil fuels are classified as non-renewable resources because they take millions of years to form, and reserves are being depleted much faster than new ones are being formed. The formation of natural gas and oil begins with the accumulation of organic material mostly the bodies of dead microscopic organisms on the sea-floor figure 1.

Heavy sediment accumulation then buries the organic material before scavengers, oxygen, and microorganisms A microorganisms is an organism invisible to the naked eye, so it must be viewed with a microscope. As the sediment builds up, the trapped organic material experiences high heat and pressure, which eventually change the material into oil and then gas figure 3.

Most natural gas and oil formation dates back between 10 Cenozoic and Mesozoic million years ago. As time passes, oil is trapped in spaces or pores of rocks such as limestone and sandstone where the oil remains until it is extracted figure 4. To understand fossils, you have to understand the history of time.

The geologic time scale describes the geological and biological chronology A chronology is an arrangement of events in the order in which they occurred. The time scale is divided into eons, eras, periods, and epochs. Modified from: U. Geologic Society, Fossils, Rocks, and Time. Examine the time scale. In what eon, era, and period do you live?

Since the s Sinclair Oil Company has used a dinosaur as its logo. The dinosaur represents Mesozoic deposits that yielded oil in Pennsylvania. But why is using a dinosaur not exactly right? Source: Wikimedia. Coal is generally formed by the accumulation and anaerobic decomposition of plant material.

Much coal was produced during the Carboniferous Period of the Paleozoic Era over million years ago when giant swamp forest dominated many parts of Earth. The accumulation of the bodies of these plants through the years resulted in vast coal deposits. The process of coal formation is called coalification. The stages of coal formation proceed from plant debris through peat, lignite, sub-bituminous coal, bituminous coal, anthracite coal to graphite.

Fossil trilobite, Cyphaspis, approximately million years old. Credit: Michael Johnson. Today, fossil refers to the remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past. To be considered a true fossil, a specimen must be at least 10, years old. Phareodus encaustus. People who study fossils are called paleontologists. Fossils literally tell a story to paleontologists. They can provide hints about ancient geography and where organisms lived. Due to these negative environmental effects, fracking has been criticized and banned in some areas.

In other areas, fracking is a lucrative economic opportunity and providing a reliable source of energy. Horizontal drilling is a way of increasing the area of a well without creating multiple expensive and environmentally sensitive drilling sites.

Acidizing is a process of dissolving acidic components and inserting them into the natural gas well, which dissolves rock that may be blocking the flow of gas. After natural gas is extracted, it is most frequently transported through pipelines that can be from 2 to 60 inches in diameter.

The continental United States has more than pipeline systems that are made up of , kilometers , miles of transmission pipelines that transfer gas to all 48 states. This system requires more than 1, compressor stations to ensure that the gas continues on its path, underground storage facilities, 11, locations to deliver the gas, and 5, locations to receive the gas.

It can easily be stored and transported places that do not have pipelines. If any of the LNG vaporizes, it is vented out of the storage area and used to power the transport vessel.

However, the U. Consuming Natural Gas Although natural gas takes millions of years to develop, its energy has only been harnessed during the past few thousand years. Around BCE, Chinese engineers made use of natural gas seeping out of the Earth by building bamboo pipelines.

These pipes transported gas to heat water. In the late s, British companies provided natural gas to light streetlamps and homes. Today, natural gas is used in countless ways for industrial, commercial, residential, and transportation purposes.

In residential homes, the most popular use for natural gas is heating and cooking. It is used to power home appliances such as stoves, air conditioners, space heaters, outdoor lights, garage heaters, and clothes dryers.

Natural gas is also used on a larger scale. In commercial settings, such as restaurants and shopping malls, it is an extremely efficient and economical way to power water heaters, space heaters, dryers, and stoves. Natural gas is used to heat, cool, and cook in industrial settings, as well. However, it is also used in a variety of processes such as waste treatment, food processing, and refining metals, stone, clay, and petroleum. Natural gas can also be used as an alternative fuel for cars, buses, trucks, and other vehicles.

Currently, there are more than 5 million natural gas vehicles NGV worldwide, and more than , in the United States. Although NGVs initially cost more than gas-powered vehicles, they are cheaper to re-fuel and are the cleanest-running vehicles in the world.

Gasoline- and diesel -powered vehicles emit harmful and toxic substances including arsenic , nickel, and nitrogen oxides. In contrast, NGVs may emit minute amounts of propane or butane, but release 70 percent less carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Using the new technology of fuel cell s, the energy from natural gas is also used to generate electricity.

Instead of burning natural gas for energy, fuel cells generate electricity with electrochemical reactions. These reactions produce water, heat, and electricity without any other byproducts or emissions. Scientists are still researching this method of producing electricity in order to affordably apply it to electric products. Natural Gas and the Environment Natural gas usually needs to be processed before it can be used. When it is extracted, natural gas can contain a variety of elements and compounds other than methane.

Water, ethane, butane, propane, pentanes, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and occasionally helium and nitrogen may be present in a natural gas well.

In order to be used for energy, the methane is processed and separated from the other components. The gas that is used for energy in our homes is almost pure methane. Like other fossil fuels, natural gas can be burned for energy. In fact, it is the cleanest-burning fuel, meaning it releases very few byproducts.

When fossil fuels are burned, they can release or emit different elements, compounds, and solid particles.

Coal and oil are fossil fuels with very complex molecular formations, and contain a high amount of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. When they are burned, they release high amounts of harmful emissions, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particles that drift into the atmosphere and contribute to air pollution.

In contrast, the methane in natural gas has a simple molecular make-up: CH4. When it is burned, it emits only carbon dioxide and water vapor. Humans exhale the same two components when we breathe. Carbon dioxide and water vapor, along with other gases such as ozone and nitrous oxide, are known as greenhouse gas es. The increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are linked to global warming and could have disastrous environmental consequences. Although burning natural gas still emits greenhouse gases, it emits almost 30 percent less CO2 than oil, and 45 percent less CO2 than coal.

Safety As with any extractive activity, drilling for natural gas can lead to leaks. If the drill hits an unexpected high-pressure pocket of natural gas, or the well is damaged or ruptures, the leak can be immediately hazardous.

Because natural gas dissapates so quickly into the air, it does not always cause an explosion or burn. However, the leaks are an environmental hazard that also leak mud and oil into the surrounding areas. If hydraulic fracturing was used to expand a well, the chemicals from that process can contaminate local aquatic habitats and drinking water with highly radioactive materials.

The uncontained methane released in the air can also force people to temporary evacuate the area. Leaks can also occur slowly over time. Until the s, cast iron was a popular choice for distribution pipelines, but it allows a high amount of natural gas to escape. The cast iron pipes become leaky after years of freeze-thaw cycles, heavy overhead traffic, and strains from the naturally shifting soil.

Methane leaks from these distribution pipelines make up more than 30 percent of the methane emmissions in the U. Today, pipelines are made out of a variety of metals and plastics to reduce leakage. Piping Up The United states has , kilometers , miles of interstate and intrastate pipelines to deliver natural gas all over the country. Oracular Seeps Natural gas seeps, where the gas flows naturally to the surface, were revered as supernatural or spiritual sites by many ancient civilizations.

One of the most famous of these seeps sits atop Mount Parnassus, near the town of Delphi, Greece. Around BCE, religious and spiritual leaders established a temple with a priestess who could tell the future. Millions of people, from ordinary citizens to political and military leaders, consulted the "Oracle of Delphi" for hundreds of years.

Natural Gas Consumers In , the latest date for which the U. Energy Information Administration supplies information , these nations consumed the most natural gas. United States 2. Russia 3. Iran 4. China 5. Proven Reserves According to the U. Energy Information Administration, in , these nations had the biggest proven reserves of natural gas in the world.

Data from some nations, including the United States, was not calculated. Russia 2.