E+Block+-+Gas

Natural Gas

"How is Natural Gas Formed?
Natural gas is made up of just two elements - carbon and hydrogen. It is part of a family of chemicals known as hydrocarbons, which also includes oil and gasoline. As its name suggests, natural gas comes out of the ground as a gas; oil, gasoline and other hydrocarbons are recovered mixed together in a liquid called crude oil.

All of the natural gas we use today began as microscopic plants and animals living in the ocean millions of years ago. As these microscopic plants and animals lived, they absorbed energy from the sun, which was stored as carbon molecules in their bodies. When they died, they sank to the bottom of the sea. Over millions of years, layer after layer of sediment and other plants and bacteria were formed. As they became buried ever deeper, heat and pressure began to rise. The amount of pressure and the degree of heat, along with the type of biomass, determined if the material became oil or natural gas. Very high heat or biomass made predominantly of plant material produced natural gas. After oil and natural gas were formed, they tended to migrate through tiny pores in the surrounding rock. Some oil and natural gas migrated all the way to the surface and escaped. Other oil and natural gas deposits migrated until they were caught under impermeable layers of rock or clay, where they were trapped. These trapped deposits are where we find oil and natural gas today." ( http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/ )
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Current Information on the Technology and Usage of Natural Gas[[image:abhsscience/oil_gas-nm-5-production.png width="671" height="316"]]
There are many things that natural gas is used for and there is technology that makes natural gas more effective then other resources. The article from the website nwnatural.com states:

New equipment reduces overall energy demand
Combined heat and power is one of the best ways to reduce fuel consumption and cut back on greenhouse gas emissions. This technology is currently in use by businesses across Oregon. For example, Oregon Health Science University’s new building on the Willamette uses microturbines – highly efficient electric generating equipment – fueled with natural gas for on-site energy. Any waste heat created by the power-generating process is captured and reused in the building. Tankless water heaters, high-efficiency furnaces and furnace-grade hearth products are helping NW Natural customers use less energy and spend less money on their space and water heating bills. Fuel cells, originally created to support astronauts in the early days of the space program, have great potential for electricity product. Running on natural gas or similar products, fuel cells don’t operate by combustion – therefore they don’t generate carbon dioxide. Don’t be surprised if your neighbors bring one home some day to operate their lights and other electric equipment.

Enjoy a more comfortable, energy-efficient home
Improving the way you use energy produces results you can really feel. By working directly with homeowners, Energy Trust makes it simple to arrange a Home Energy Review, get cash for improvements and find qualified contractors to do the work. When you're ready to relax in a home that saves you money season after season, Energy Trust is here to help. -(https://www.nwnatural.com/AboutNWNatural/EnvironmentalStewardship/AdvancedTechnologies)

There are many uses for natural gas and most people would be shocked when the figure out what things are made of natural gas. The website geology.com gave me good pictures and explanations of what the uses of natural gas is and how much is used. America relies a lot on natural gas for heating and many other things that I did not realize before. America uses so much natural gas that if we would not be able to use it anymore our whole country would most likely crash because of our heavy dependance on it.

Natural Gas: A Fuel and a Raw Material
Natural gas is used in an amazing number of ways. Although it is widely seen as a cooking and heating fuel in most US households, natural gas has many other energy and raw material uses that are a surprise to most people who learn about them. In the United States, most natural gas is burned as a fuel. In 2009 about 25% of the energy consumed across the nation was obtained from natural gas (1). It was used to generate electricity, heat buildings, fuel vehicles, heat water, bake foods, power industrial furnaces, and even run air conditioners!

Uses of Natural Gas in US Homes
Over one-half of the homes in the United States are supplied with natural gas. About 21% of the natural gas consumed in the United States during 2009 went to homes (1). This gas is delivered to homes through pipelines or in tanks as CNG (natural gas). Most of the natural gas consumed in homes is used for space heating and water heating. It is also used in stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, lighting fixtures and other appliances.

Uses of Natural Gas in Commercial Buildings
In 2009 about 14% of the natural gas consumed in the United States went to commercial buildings. The use of natural gas in commercial buildings is similar to its use in residences. It is used mainly for space heating, water heating and sometimes for air conditioning.

Industrial Uses of Natural Gas
Natural gas is used in a wide variety of manufacturing processes. About 27% of the 2009 consumption of natural gas in the United States was by industry. Natural gas is used as both a raw material and as a source of heat. Natural gas is an ingredient used to make fertilizer, antifreeze, plastics, pharmaceuticals and fabrics. It is also used to manufacture a wide range of chemicals such as ammonia, methanol, butane, ethane, propane and acetic acid. Many manufacturing processes require to melt, dry, bake or glaze a product. Natural gas is used as a heat source in making glass, steel, cement, bricks, ceramics, tile, paper, food products and many other commodities. Natural gas is also used at many industrial facilities for incineration.

Oil & Gas and Pipeline Industry Use
Companies that produce and transport natural gas are also consumers. Transporting natural gas through pipelines requires compression stations to keep the gas pressurized and flowing through the pipeline. Many of these compression stations use natural gas as a fuel. Many oil refineries use natural gas for heating and power generation.

Natural Gas as a Vehicle Fuel
Natural gas has an enormous potential for increased use as a vehicle fuel. The main barriers to this have been the short range of the vehicles, limited refueling options, and slow refueling times. However, over the past few years refueling station prices have dropped to just a few hundred dollars and these can be placed in residences where the vehicles can be refueled overnight or between trips. Since about half of all residences in the United States are supplied with natural gas the potential to increase the number of natural gas vehicles on the road is very high. In addition, the discovery of natural gas in shale deposits around the country has increased the availability of gas and decreased the price. Natural gas has significant advantages over gasoline and diesel fuel. Natural gas vehicles emit 60-90% less smog-producing pollutants and 30-40% less greenhouse gas emissions. It also costs less per mile to operate a natural gas vehicle compared to a gasoline or diesel vehicle (4). And, natural gas is produced locally instead of imported.

Contributor: Hobart King -(http://geology.com/articles/natural-gas-uses/)

22 Trillion Cubic Feet
During 2009 the United States consumed about 22.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. That's enough gas to fill a room with a footprint the size of Pennsylvania and about 18 feet high. Most of that gas was delivered to nearly 70 million homes and places of business through more than a million miles of natural gas pipelines (2).

Electric Power Generation
The electric power industry was the largest consumer of natural gas in the United States during 2009. About 30% of natural gas consumption was used to make electricity.

Of the three fossil fuels used for power generation (coal, oil, natural gas), natural gas emits the least carbon dioxide per unit of energy produced. It emits 30% less carbon dioxide than burning oil and 45% less carbon dioxide than burning coal. Burning natural gas also releases lower amounts of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulates and mercury when compared to coal and oil (3).

As the United States becomes more concerned about climate change, carbon dioxide emissions, and air quality, the use of natural gas for electricity generation is expected to increase.

-(http://geology.com/articles/natural-gas-uses/)

The benefits of natural gas, according to the website [|http://www.oru.com], are:
**"It's clean **because natural gas is the cleanest of all fossil fuels and is simply the best energy choice for the environment — inside and outside your home. **It's domestic **because 99% of the gas we use comes from North America — 84% from the U.S.* Increased use of natural gas can reduce our dependence on oil imported from the Middle East. **It's economical **because natural gas appliances are virtually maintenance-free and that means additional savings. **It's efficient **because the entire cycle of producing, processing, transporting and using energy is considered, natural gas is delivered to you with a "total energy efficiency" of about 90%. Moreover, gas appliances and equipment are extremely efficient. **It's multi-purpose **because it can heat your entire home, make your hot water, dry your clothes and help you cook your meals — in the oven or on the barbecue grill. New residential uses range from fireplaces and air conditioners to micro-turbines and fuel cells. **It's dependable **because you never have to worry about weather, delivery schedules or running out." ( []) Natural gas just seems to be the perfect gas to use for the whole United States mostly because of its efficiency and its dependability. We continue to use natural gas and the percentage of citizens using natural gas in the United States has increase in great amounts.

Natural gas is very beneficial because of the reasons stated above and we use it so much because of the benefits. We also use it a lot because it does not have that many drawbacks then the other energy sources.

Drawbacks of Natural Gas
There are not many disadvantages to natural gases but the ones that exist are extremely effective. One disadvantage is that natural gases still put out carbon dioxide but not as much as the others. The second disadvantage is that natural gas contains mostly of methane which is a lot worse then the other gases so if it leaks it will create way more pollution than the other energy resources. Another disadvantage is that if there is a leak in the pipes or in the connection to your appliances it could get very expensive and it could possibly create an explosion. Another disadvantage is "//n// //atural gas is colorless, tasteless, and is odorless if it is natural, requiring the addition of an odorant [one or more of several "Mercaptans"] to allow olfactory detection [smell] of leaks//." (wiki.answers.com).

Here are some articles that show the drawbacks that have affected New Mexico:

(1) New Mexico In State Of Emergency After Natural Gas Shortage
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — With tens of thousands of people across New Mexico without natural gas service, Gov. Susana Martinez on Thursday declared a state of emergency, ordered government offices be shut down Friday and urged schools to "strongly consider" remaining closed for the day. Demand has soared because of extremely cold weather across the state since Tuesday. New Mexico Gas Company said rolling blackouts in West Texas also impeded the delivery of natural gas to New Mexico. Martinez declared a state of emergency for the entire state, urging residents to turn down their thermostats, bundle up and shut off appliances they don't need for the next 24 hours. She later announced all state operations not providing critical services would be closed Friday to decrease the strain on energy resources throughout New Mexico. "Due to statewide natural gas shortages, I have ordered all government agencies that do not provide essential services to shut down and all nonessential employees to stay home" on Friday, Martinez said after meeting with public safety personnel in Albuquerque. "I have also encouraged all schools that have not already announced closures to strongly consider doing so," she said. New Mexico Gas Company said service was disrupted throughout the state – in Bernalillo, Placitas, Taos, Questa, Red River and parts of Albuquerque, Silver City, Alamogordo, Tularosa and La Luz. Emergency shelters were set up in several areas. Martinez said residents needing help finding a shelter or getting to one should call the non-emergency police or fire phone number in their community. "As New Mexicans, we've always gotten through difficult situations," Martinez said. "We will get through this situation as well." Earlier Thursday, Taos Mayor Darren Cordova declared a state of emergency in the northern New Mexico community after gas service was disrupted. He urged area residents to conserve electricity to prevent an outage of that energy source. Martinez also urged people to curb electrical use to prevent blackouts and allow compressors to function so the state can get natural gas supplies. "The use of electricity and the use of natural gas are not isolated; one is impacting the other," she said. The state's largest electrical utility, Public Service Company of New Mexico, asked customers in the southern New Mexico communities of Alamogordo, Tularosa and Ruidoso to reduce their use of electricity because a transmission line serving the area was over capacity. The overload occurred because a second line into the area was out of service, but PNM said crews were repairing that line. -(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/04/new-mexico-natural-gas-emergency_n_818574.html)

(2) NEW MEXICO COLD CRISIS IN ITS 6TH DAY; THOUSANDS WITHOUT HEAT
TAOS, N.M. (UPDATE Feb. 8, 2011, 7:20 p.m. ET)-- Nearly half of the New Mexico Natural Gas users in the coldest areas of New Mexico entered a sixth day without heat as a new snow storm perched along the Colorado border promising more sub-zero temperatures, snow, and high winds tonight.

Meanwhile, protestors were trying to blanket the city's public spaces with flyers aimed at politicians and gas company officials, with the words "Liars! Liars!" blown up in big type.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez announced this morning that she had activitated an additionally 300 National Guardsmen to relight furnaces and pilot lights, bringing the total to 350. A "rapid response" sqaud of Albuquerque policemen, three hours away, also arrived in Taos and Espanola to deal with the crisis.

On the political front, U.S. Sen. Jeff Binghaman (D-NM), called for a full inquiry into West Texas natural gas producers, compressors, and pipelines which shut down service to an estimated 200,000 New Mexicans as rolling electric brownouts hit Texas and border areas of Mexico last week.

New Mexico Gas this morning reported just 52 per cent of Taos area customers as well as those in Espanola and the northern Indian Pueblos had been restored. University of New Mexico Taos Campus, public and most private schools, and many businesses and public service buildings stayed closed for a sixth day.

The company had sent out mixed signals about relighting gas heat and other devices. It said at first they could only be relit by their crews or National Guard personnel deployed to the area. On Monday, they changed their mind and said anyone who can carefully follow instructions could relight the furnaces and heaters at their homes and businesses.

KOB-TV Weather in Albuquerque reported that starting this evening blizzard conditions could hit the north central and northeastern regions of New Mexico. Wind conditions were forecast at 28-50 m.p.h. with higher altitudes receiving a foot of new snow, and temperatures at zero or below. Some forecasts predicted another blizzard for Thursday, Feb. 10.

While many residents are using space heaters, wood fires, piles of blankets and staying with friends and relatives who use propane tanks for heat, it was little solace that this week's storm would be "milder" than the -36°F record lows which preceded the stsart of the crisis last week.

In Espanola, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, a Humane Society pet shelter found some workers were as cold at home as the sheltered pets over the weekend. "One worker, along with her five children, her husband and their companion animals, slept in one room in their home with a space heater. The room didn't get over 40 degrees," the paper reported. "But that didn't stop the worker from coming in to help the animals. The shelter was staffed around the clock to make sure the heaters were functioning and the animals were safe. ... People also thought about shelter workers, offering food, homemade hot packs and even a Snuggie for workers who had to overnight at the shelter.

"A lot of people came forward to see what they could do," she said. "They were very considerate," a shelter spokesperson told the New Mexican<./i>.

Meanwhile, at the Taos Jewish Center, manager Beth Goldman posted an invitation on the center's Website and sent out an email blast inviting all Taos redicents in need to use their 30-meter swimming pool, showers and Wi-Fi during the crisis.

TAOS, N.M., Feb. 6. 2011, 8:30 p.m. -- Four days after a man-made natural gas shortage left an estimated 200,000 people in 16 counties with little or no heat in sub-zero weather, New Mexico Gov. Susanna Martinez mobilized National Guardsman to re-light furnaces and restore heat house-by-house in northern New Mexico towns where temperatures plunged below -36°F. degrees just two nights earlier.

The state of emergency unfolded just as the worst winter weather in 21 years spread across the state, with pfficial readings as low as -36°F., and unofficial ones at -46°F. in the northern tier of the state.

[Texas has begun a probe of the gas and power outages to learn what role market manipulation and a desire for higher price may have played, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday morning.]

The American Reporter estimate of 200,000 people impacted came after no one at the major natural gas utility in the state, New Mexico Gas, would make reference to "people," but only to "32,000 customers," which in the case of hotels may include hundreds of people each.

A sign in a downtown store in Taos, N.M., illustrates the challenge for thousands of northern New Mexico residents who have lost heat after Texas producers shut down a natural gas pipeline. Photo: Mark Scheinbaum

In reality, "customers" include crowded Taos hotels that had to transfer dozens of guests 30 miles away to the Taos Ski Valley Resort, which uses propane. Office buildings, schools, factories, supermarkets, apartment houses, and many other multiple users are also counted as a single "customer. Large families are common in the region, and so are extended families, each counted as one customer.

The utility tapped 400 gas workers from as far away as Texas to meet fire safety and code requirements that each and every pilot light and furnace be inspected in person as gas pressure in the main pipeline regains service.

Shelters were opened in Taos, Questa, Red River, Española and Albuquerque for freezing residents. In Taos, residents were invited to take hot showers at the town's public works yard, and in Red River to seek shelter at the local fire house or the high school gym. Meanwhile, Taos city officiasls said schools and city offices would remain closed on Monday.

The natural gas shortage was also blamed for conditions that set off a fire just before midnight Friday at the Golden Eagle Lodge in the center of Red River. Fire officials said two units were destroyed and a third was badly damaged in the fire that hit the handsome, old-fashioned resort hotel close to the center of town. The origin "had something to do with the natural gas outage," official said.

News media reports indicated that most impacted New Mexicans are spending nights with relatives and friends, using space heaters (which taxed electric power), or sroking fireplaces and using other sources of heat.

By early Sunday there were estimates that perhaps 80 percent of service had been restored, but volunteers, heating and plumbing contractors, inspectors, and at least 50 National Guardsmen were fanning out from Taos later today to complete the process this weekend if possible. On Super Bowl Sunday, however, the National Guard only managed to dfield 25 reservists.

A simple explanation for the problem was offered: If gas flow was not stopped before the4 end of the line, the pressure would be too weak to pump in other parts of the line. It's sort of like a 8" soda straw. Put a few drops of water in it and hold it level, and no part of the straw will be full (or pressurized in the case of gas). But bend the straw after just four inches, and the same amount of water will fill the whole four inches to the brim. Northern New Mexico was in the last five inches.

In her first political test since taking office a month ago, Martinez was getting mixed grades for her actions in the crisis. She is the Republican successor to longtime Democratic governor Bill Richardson, the former Secretary pf Energy in the Clinton Administration and a 2008 presidential candidate.

Although Northern New Mexico is serviced by a pipeline from the rich natural gas fields of Farmington in the Four Corners region of the state, a leading Republican official told the American Reporter that the Farmington pipeline became overloaded and outdated several years ago, leaving much of the state dependent upon West Texas gas companies.

Some business news reports suggested that the New Mexico emergency was suspiciously timed with a cartel of Texas producers looking to withhold excess gas flow as severe winter conditions drove prices higher.

However, record low temperatures and snow in El Paso, and even across the border in Chihuahua State, Mexico and its largest city, Ciudad Juarez, caused power brownouts.

These brownouts of the electric grid left natural gas compression factories without emergency power to maintain line pressure. Authorities at first said all gas plants were required to have back up transmission power, but then said "some plants do not have reserve power."

As pressure dropped, New Mexico Gas started cutting off cities and towns wholesale, even alerting sprawling Albuquerque, which also was hit sub-zero temperatures. But mayors of some cities such as the Albuquerque suburb of Bernalillo, N.M., have publoicly questioned whether politicians from larger and wealthier areas kept heat flowing in the largest city in the state while smaller, poorer rural areas like La Luz, Silver City and Eagle's Nest, just south of the Colorado border, suffered.

On Friday and Saturday in Taos most restaurants, shops, and doctors offices were closed due to lack of heat. Referring to Taos, Questa and Red River, Martinez said, "Work will continue throughout the weekend until service is restored to these communities."

Gas company teams and the national guard were scheduled to begin relighting natural gas furnances in the hardest-hit areas Monday morning. Service has to be relit in each individual home and business. Taos officials warned residents that their technicians would work through the night, and that they might arrived at any hour from darkness to dawn to do the work.

Special schedules and emergency heat were brought in to serve dialysis patients in area hospitals and clinics, and as with most school districts in the state classes were canceled or students sent home.

After a visit from the governor late Friday, the weekly Taos News reported, "With the extra help, New Mexico Gas Co. President Annette Gardner expected service for about 25,000 people to be restored in two days." But it may take until the end of the month for service to be fully restored in all area, the paper reported.

"Gardner apologized for the "tremendous inconvenience" caused by the gas outage, and insisted that crews were doing everything they could to resolve the problem."

Although no local officials had an explanation for long lines at gasoline stations, and alleged price gouging of 25 cents extra per gallon at one station, some residents speculated that should overloaded space heaters cause electrical failures, and gasoline pumps failed, there would be no gasoline.

However, there was another more likely explanation: In one of the most heavily Hispanic areas of the nation's most Hispanic state, the main Spanish-anguage Taos radio station kept broadcasting news about a "gas shortage." People not familiar with the background of what was going on started spreading the word of a "gas" shortage, turning it into a "gasoline" crisis when none existed.

In Taos, the local Wal-Mart and discount Super Save supermarket, which are not on the natural gas system, stayed open, but Smith's and Albertson's have been partially or fully closed since late Thursday.

State legislators who are now calling for an investigation of the emergency said they had been assured before the record cold snap that emergency preparations, proper reserve compression and gas, and contractual guarantees of protection for New Mexico by the Texas gas producers were all in place.

One Taos Wal-Mart shopper, thankful that she had her own propane gas tank and was not dependent upon a direct gas line, said, "Someone should go to jail because of this. The Governor is a Tea Party supporter who hates the President, and would never call for FEMA or national help.

Instead of visiting us from her new warm palace in Santa Fe, some said, she should have spent the night here or in Española with some family forced out of their homes."

Variously listed as the third- or fourth-largest producer of natural gas in the United States, New Mexico's own Department of Homeland Security did not deny that the natural gas needs of the state are now dependent upon Texas companies. -(http://www.american-reporter.com/4,598/310.html)

Map of Natural Gas


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Citation
> Axelrod, Ethan. "New Mexico In State Of Emergency After Natural Gas Shortage." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Feb. 2011. Web. 14 Dec. 2012. > "The American Reporter Vol. 18, No. 4,598 - November 21, 2012." //The American Reporter Vol. 18, No. 4,598 - November 21, 2012 //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2012. > "What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Natural Gas for Our Planet?" WikiAnswers. Answers, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2012. > "Uses of Natural Gas." Natural Gas Uses: Electric Power, Industry, Vehicles, Homes. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2012.
 * www.huffingtonpost.com
 * www.american-reporter.com
 * http://www.oru.com/energyandsafety/naturalgas/benefits.html
 * http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/
 * wiki.answers.com
 * geology.com

Evaluation by Alix Garcia
I did a lot of researching and reading on natural gas and understand a lot on what gas is used for and how technology impacts the use and cost of natural gas. I used a lot of different websites to post the things that I read and researched. I used and cited mostly articles because I didn't know how to put these things in my own words and the website explained the sections clear and understandable. I did most of the work by researching each section and reading the articles and seeing which one would explain the section the best. I did this because my partner said he would do some of the work on Friday and when I checked there was nothing there so I posted the articles that I read and briefly explained what they were about and thought explained the section the best. I think that I deserve a B- or a C+ because of the effort I gave to complete this wiki page almost by myself at the last minute.