Overview of Natural Gas

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Overview of natural gas: Natural gas is colorless, odorless, non-toxic, and non-corrosive. Its main component is methane, with certain amounts of ethane, propane, and heavier hydrocarbons also present. There is also a small amount of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and sulfides. Additionally, moisture was also found in the natural gas pipeline. The molecular structure of methane consists of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms, and its combustion products are mainly carbon dioxide and water. CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O. Compared to other fossil fuels, burning natural gas releases only a small amount of carbon dioxide and trace amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides; therefore, natural gas is a clean energy source. The discovery and early use of natural gas: Between 6000 BC and 2000 BC, Iran was the first place where natural gas seeping up from the ground was discovered. Many early writers described the phenomenon of crude oil seeping to the surface in the Middle East, particularly in the Baku region of what is now Azerbaijan. The natural gas that seeped out could initially be used for lighting; thus, the ancient Persians who worshipped fire came to have the \"eternally burning torch.\" China began using natural gas around 900 BC. China drilled its first natural gas well in 211 BC; according to available records, its depth was 150 meters (500 feet). In the western part of Chongqing today, people locate natural gas by continuously striking it with bamboo poles. Natural gas is used as a fuel to dry rock salt. Later, the drilling depth reached 1,000 meters, and by 1900, there were over 1,100 wells. It was not until natural gas was discovered in Britain in 1659 that Europeans became aware of it, yet it was not widely used. Starting in 1790, gas became the main fuel for lighting streets and houses in Europe. In North America, the first commercial use of petroleum products was the use of natural gas in the Flushing area of New York in 1821. They deliver natural gas to consumers through a small-diameter pipeline for lighting and cooking. The development and utilization of natural gas worldwide should take the laying of the first long-distance natural gas pipeline in the United States in 1925 as a marker for its use in modern industry. Natural gas is a flammable gas formed over hundreds of millions of years from ancient organisms buried underground under conditions of high temperature and pressure. Its main component is methane; it is usually colorless and odorless, has a high calorific value, and burns steadily. It only develops an identifiable odor after being treated with odorants at the distribution stations. Natural gas has several advantages: First, it is lighter than air, so in the event of a leak it is less likely to cause explosions; therefore, its safety profile is better than that of city gas and liquefied petroleum gas ； II. Natural gas does not contain the toxic gas carbon monoxide, and is less likely to cause poisoning incidents ； III. It has a high calorific value, 2.3 times that of artificial gas, making it more durable than artificial gas ； IV. It has an extremely low impurity content, making it a clean energy source; the pollution generated by its combustion is only 1/40 that of oil and 1/800 that of coal. As a high-quality gaseous fuel, natural gas has been widely adopted around the world due to its advantages over artificial gas and liquefied petroleum gas in terms of cleanliness, speed, efficiency, and safety. In particular, its positive impact on environmental protection is attracting increasing attention. Chart: Comparison of properties of natural gas, city gas, and liquefied petroleum gas: Heat value (MJ/Nm3): 14.7, 111.86, 37.505; Density: 0.452, 1.683, 0.579; Toxicity: Toxic, non-toxic, non-toxic; Flammability range: 5–39%, 1.5–9.5%, 5–17%; Purity: Contains impurities, pure, pure; Safety: Poor, poor, good. Natural gas can be used primarily for power generation. Gas turbine power plants that use natural gas as fuel have lower waste emission levels** compared to coal and oil-fired power plants, and they also offer higher power generation efficiency, lower construction costs, and faster construction times ； In addition, gas turbines have a fast start-up and shutdown speed, strong peak-shaving capacity, low water consumption, and require less space. Natural gas can also be used as a raw material in the chemical industry. The primary processed products derived from natural gas include around 20 varieties such as synthetic ammonia, methanol, and carbon black. The important chemical products obtained after secondary or tertiary processing number over 50 varieties, including formaldehyde, acetic acid, and dimethyl carbonate. Chemical production facilities using natural gas as a raw material are cost-effective, have low energy consumption, require less space, need fewer employees, are environmentally friendly, and have low operating costs. Natural gas is widely used in domestic and commercial gas stoves, water heaters, heating, and cooling systems. It is also employed in industries such as papermaking, metallurgy, quarrying, ceramics, and glass manufacturing, as well as in waste incineration and drying/dehydration processes. Natural gas vehicles have lower levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons emissions compared to cars with gasoline or diesel engines; they do not develop carbon deposits or suffer from wear and tear, have low operating costs, and are thus environmentally friendly vehicles. Q&A Facts about Natural Gas 1. What is natural gas? Answer: Natural gas is a flammable gas primarily composed of hydrocarbons, which is extracted directly from underground natural gas deposits or oil and gas deposits. 2. What components are present in natural gas? Is it toxic? Answer: Its main component is methane; it also contains nitrogen, carbon dioxide, alkane hydrocarbons, and trace amounts of hydrogen gas, so natural gas is non-toxic. Furthermore, natural gas burns completely without any residues; it produces carbon dioxide and water upon combustion, thus causing no pollution. 3. Is it safe to use natural gas? Answer: It has half the gas density of natural gas and is lighter than air; once it leaks, it spreads easily into the atmosphere and does not accumulate, so the likelihood of deflagration or explosion is very low. Furthermore, odorization is employed in the natural gas distribution process, allowing users to detect even minor leaks promptly. The overflow shutdown function of IC card meters also contributes to ensuring the safety of gas usage to a certain extent. 4. Can one get poisoned from using natural gas? Answer: The main component of natural gas is methane (CH4), which is a non-toxic and flammable gas. Like all other fuels, the combustion of natural gas requires a large amount of oxygen (O2). If residential users do not pay attention to ventilation when using stoves or water heaters, the oxygen level inside the room will decrease significantly, leading to incomplete combustion of natural gas. The consequence of incomplete combustion is the production of toxic carbon monoxide (CO), which can ultimately lead to poisoning of the user. 5. Is the natural gas price stable? Answer: Natural gas prices are relatively stable compared to other energy sources such as liquefied petroleum gas and coal gas. The prices of energy sources such as liquefied petroleum gas are highly influenced by market factors and are therefore unstable, whereas the price of natural gas is set uniformly by the price regulation authorities and is not affected by market factors. 6. Can natural gas be supplied stably? Answer: China is rich in natural gas resources, and the \"West-to-East Gas Transmission\" project marks China’s entry into the natural gas era; therefore, a stable supply of natural gas is available. 7. What is natural gas liquefaction? Answer: Natural gas is cooled to about -162°C to become liquid, which reduces its volume by about 600 times, making it easier to store and transport.