Natural gas

The Door to Hell, a natural gas field in Turkmenistan. It has been burning continuously since 1971, fed by the rich natural gas deposits in the area.

Natural gas is a mixture of gases. It consists mainly of hydrocarbons. The main component is methane, which is a greenhouse gas. Natural gas is a natural resource, often found in the ground, either alone or together with petroleum. Landfills and natural processes produce a little methane. Usually it is transported to users in a pipeline.

Most natural gas is burnt as a fuel to produce energy. It burns with a blue flame. Like other flames, this can cause pollution with nitrogen oxides.^[1]

Natural gas is burned to produce electricity, to cook and to heat buildings. It is also used as fuel for natural gas vehicles for transport. When natural gas is burned in a power station it boils water into steam that spins a steam turbine that turns a generator to make electricity. Some power stations use natural gas in a gas turbine.

Natural gas is also converted into many different industrial chemicals. It is the most common feedstock for making pure hydrogen. Hydrogen is used as fuel in fuel cells, and to make ammonia. Ammonia is used as a fuel, as a fertilizer for crops, and for making many other things. Natural gas is also converted into monomers to make many plastic products.

Natural Gas Media

Natural gas burning on a gas stove
Burning of natural gas coming out of the ground
A gas bill from Baltimore, Maryland, 1834, for manufactured coal gas, before the introduction of ground-extracted methane gas.
Natural gas drilling rig in Texas, US
Countries by natural gas proven reserves (2014), based on data from The World Factbook
The location of shale gas compared to other types of gas deposits
Natural gas processing plant in Aderklaa, Lower Austria
Schematic flow diagram of a typical natural gas processing plant
Natural gas extraction by countries in cubic meters per year around 2013
Polyethylene plastic main being placed in a trench