Natural Gas

Gabe Reber and Joe Sheaffer

Availability
Worlds fastest growing fossil fuel in use in 2010
(Pierce, 2012)

32% increase in production since 2005

48 shale basins around the world, containing

70 shale formations
o
o

5760 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas

vast amount of untapped reserves
Sovacool, 2014

History
Was first used for gas lamps in England in
the late 18th century (NaturalGas.org, 2013)
First natural gas well built in 1821 by William
Hart in Fredonia, NY
Eventually overtaken by electric lights
Wasnt used again until effective
transportation methods invented after WWII

Chemistry
made up of a number of different compounds
(Essential Energy, 2015)

o
o

primarily methane (CH4)

small amounts of ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8),
and butane (C4H10)

methane is hydrocarbon -- organic, highly

combustible molecule
fossil fuel

Climate Central

Modern Uses

generates electricity
residential uses
industrial uses
recently, transportation
Americas Natural Gas Alliance, 2015

Residential Uses
becoming increasingly common in houses
and other residences
space heating
o

most efficient method

cooking, water heating

homes are more recently being fitted with
gas heating -- 70% of current homes
(ANGA, 2015)

Electricity Generation
growing area of natural gas usage
one common method is called combined
cycle
natural gas is burnt in gas turbine
hot gas flows through turbine to cool area
exhaust gases run through water
steam produced, goes through 2nd turbine

Diagram

http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/images/ce/NaturalGas-Combined-Cycle-Power-Plant-Diagram.jpg

Efficiency
tends to be comparatively efficient
much more efficient than oil in terms of
space heating (Scientific American, 2011)
through combined cycle have increased
efficiency of power plants (EEP, 2012)
33% vs. 68%
increased efficiency less burning,
emissions

Advantages of Natural Gas

Natural gas typically ranges from $2 to $3 per thousand
feet of cubic feet of gas, which
o 50-66% cheaper than conventional gas wells

Further advances in technology have potential to drive

down prices even more
Also, there are lower admissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen
oxides, and mercury from natural gas than from coal or oil
Sovacool, 2014

Advantages (continued)
Natural gas has the potential to decrease our
dependency on foreign oil by replacing gasoline and oil.
Fracking is a profitable expenditure, allowing both
businesses and individuals are able to prosper
For example, the economic impact of the Eagle Ford
shale of south Texas was more than $87 billion in 2013

Environmental Impact (Water)

The impact that the drilling has on water is catastrophic.
Drill sites require 2.7-3.9 million gallons of water per
well. This water could have been used as to clean, cook
drink, or hydrate crops.
The water used in fracking process becomes
contaminated and must be disposed of properly. Due to
improper disposal, there are accounts of contaminated
Sovacool, 2014
water wells near drilling sites

Environmental Impact (Air)

Methane is released into atmosphere during
fracking process. This greenhouse gas is 20%
more damaging than carbon dioxide.
Its emissions are 130-200% worse than those
from conventional natural gas drilling. Even
though no carbon dioxide is given off, natural gas
is certainly not a clean gas.
Sovacool, 2014

Policy
The United States has had very relaxed regulation on fracking, which has
allowed for the industry to rapidly increase. While this has been an
economic benefit, it has led to negative environmental ramifications
Recently, the EPA has proposed stiffer regulation on the fracking industry.
The goal of these new regulations is to decrease the methane emissions
by 40-45% in the next 10 years. Drilling companies are saying that these
restrictions are too harsh, while environmental groups believe they do not
go far enough.
New York instituted a ban on fracking in 2015, despite the potential for
economic growth. Governor Andrew Cuomo believed that the negative
environmental effects were too great a threat.

Conclusions
Natural gas has a lot potential in the immediate future
However, it cannot be a viable energy fuel source for
the long-term due to environmental impact. Within
several decades, the natural gas will be gone and the
environment will be greatly damaged.
The negative environmental effects make it dangerous
to humans, plant life, and the atmosphere.

References
Chemical of the Week -- Methane. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2015.
Cleveland, C. (2004). Natural Gas. In Encyclopedia of energy (Vol. 3, pp. 879-884). Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press.
Climate Central. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2015.
Conca, J. (2014, December 27). New York Fracking Ban Contrary to State's Energy Future. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
Crawford, A. (2014, November 19). The Shale Revolution. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
Crawford, C. (2014, September 25). America's Energy Outlook Is Fracking Great, For Now. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
Ebay.(n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2015.
Energy Efficiency. (2015). Retrieved April 16, 2015.
Fossil Fuels - IER. (2015). Retrieved April 17, 2015.
Methanol Basics. (2011). Retrieved April 18, 2015.
NaturalGas.org. (2013, September 20). Retrieved April 17, 2015.
How It's Used - America's Natural Gas Alliance. (2015). Retrieved April 27, 2015.
Oil and Natural Gas Air Pollution Standards. (2015). Retrieved April 19, 2015.
Oil vs. Natural Gas for Home Heating: Which Costs More? (2011, December 30). Retrieved April 27, 2015.
Pierce, M. A. (Ed.). (2012). Encyclopedia of Energy. Ipswich, MA, USA: Salem Press.
Ramireddy, V. (2012, August 25). An Overview of Combined Cycle Power Plant. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
Sovacool, B. (2014). Cornucopia or Curse? Reviewing the Costs and Benefits of Shale Gas Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking). Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 37, 249-264.
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. (2015). Retrieved April 16, 2015.
What is Natural Gas? (2015). Retrieved April 27, 2015.
NaturalGas.org. (2013, September 20). Retrieved April 28, 2015, from http://naturalgas.org/overview/uses-industrial/