Natural Gas Definition

Posted by alvina on April 29th, 2019

What is natural gas? What does it do, and what are some of the basic uses for it? The basics of natural gas definition:

Definition

Natural gas is a highly flammable gas that is used for many applications from cooking, heating, creating electricity, and even as a fuel for certain vehicles. Natural gas is made up largely of methane as well as a few other hydrocarbons. It is naturally occurring and found underground and often in association with petroleum.

How is it found?

Geologists use seismic surveys to find underground areas likely to have natural gas. These surveys are done on both the land and the ocean. If the scientists conducting the tests find a potential natural gas deposit, the next step is to drill an exploratory well to confirm the test results.

What are its uses

The natural gas demand is high and it’s being used in a variety of sectors. It is used by several sectors including the industrial sector, the electric power sector, the residential sector, the commercial sector, and the transportation sector.

In the industrial sector natural gas is used in a few ways. It can be used for heating in systems which use both heat and power. It is also used to produce fertilizer, chemicals, and hydrogen. The industrial sector is one of the largest users of natural gas.

The electric power sector uses natural gas as a means to produce electricity to be provided to the grid and distributed as needed.

The residential sector makes use of natural gas to complete many household activities including, heating, cooking, heating water, and to dry clothes. Not all homes use natural gas for all of these activities but it is still a considerable user of natural gas.

In the commercial sector natural gas is used in many similar ways to the residential sector but also includes things like outdoor lighting and like the industrial sector can use it in a combined heat and power system.

The transportation sector is the final major user of natural gas. There are two main uses of natural gas in this sector which include fueling natural gas-fueled vehicles and to operate compressors that move gas through pipelines.

How is it transported?

Natural gas delivery is being made through pipelines in a few ways from production to storage to distribution. Natural gas is collected by the gathering pipeline system which is a low-pressure system is made of small pipes that transport natural gas from the well to the plant. After it leaves the plant it travels through another pipeline which has the sole job of transporting natural gas form the processing plant to the consumer. Finally the final pipeline system is a distribution pipeline system which distributes the gas to the consumer.

Conclusion

As we can see the definition of natural gas is easier to understand with a bit of framework in its uses. From the ground, through the pipes, and to the consumer natural gas is present in many areas of our lives.