WHAT IS LPG?

LPG Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a different chemical compound to natural gas even though they are both hydrocarbons. LPG consists of propane and/or butane. Propane (C3H8) contains three carbon atoms and eight hydrogen atoms. Butane (C4H10) contains four carbon atoms and ten hydrogen atoms. By comparison methane is a much lighter gas than propane or butane. Although gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions, LPG (propane) is stored under modest pressures in liquid form. In this way LPG can be transported and stored in a concentrated form to provide a source of high-energy fuel. Other characteristics of LPG include: A high heating value ("calorific value") A virtual absence of sulphur, leading to cleaner burning A consistent quality ensuring reliability, particularly in applications such as gas engines. Examples of specialist applications include: forklifts and burners on boilers. LPG is also the perfect choice for cooking, heating and hot water in the home. LPG is produced during the oil refining process or is extracted during the natural gas production process. Because of its high calorific value, LPG is ideally suited for use in industrial, commercial, agricultural, horticultural and residential applications for heating, lighting, powering vehicles, metal cutting and in cogeneration. For homes and businesses that are not connected to the natural gas underground mains network, LPG is a cost effective alternative energy source because it is easy to transport and store.

Natural gas Demand for cleaner sources of energy, such as natural gas, is increasing and gas resources are being discovered in many parts of the world. This is why some, such as the International Energy Agency, are saying the world has entered the golden age of gas. Australia has vast gas resources, with 400 trillion cubic feet of estimated reserves. Thats enough to power a city of 4 million people (such as Melbourne) for 2,000 years.[1] Its expected that exploration will uncover even more gas. What is gas? Gas is often referred to as natural gas because it is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon (a particle made of hydrogen and carbon atoms). Its colourless and consists mainly of methane, which is the simplest hydrocarbon. Gas was formed over hundreds of millions of years from organic matter, such as plankton, plants and other life forms, which is why its sometimes referred to as a fossil fuel. Over time, the organic matter was buried by sand, sediment and rock, and eventually large quantities of natural gas were formed and trapped underground.

To extract the gas, wells are drilled down into the ground, through the geographic layers, to reach the gas deposits. What are the different types of gas? The gas industry often talks about two main categories of natural gas, which actually have nothing to do with the gas itself but rather where it is found: conventional gas, is found in large permeable sandstone reservoirs and is easy to get out of the ground through traditional well drilling techniques unconventional gas, is just standard natural gas, but found in places other than permeable sandstone reservoirs. There are two main types of unconventional gas: coal seam gas (CSG), found in coal deposits, usually 200 to 1,000 metres below the ground shale gas, found in shale rock deposits. The wells for extracting this gas are generally a lot deeper than those for CSG. How is gas used to generate electricity? In Australias National Electricity Market, natural gas generates only about 12 per cent of the electricity. The majority (76 per cent) still comes from coal and the remaining 12 per cent is generated from renewable energy sources.[2] Electricity generation in Australia's National Electricity Market Electricity generation in Australia's National Electricity Market Unlike renewable energy, using gas to generate electricity produces greenhouse gases, but the emissions are less than half that produced from coal-fired generators. This is why gas is sometimes referred to a transitionary or a cleaner energy fuel. Government schemes such as the carbon price and Renewable Energy Target, are aiming to cause carbon intensive fuels such as coal to have less of a cost advantage over renewable energy and natural gas in the generation mix. There are two main types of gas power stations: Combined cycle, has both gas and steam turbines and is usually used for baseload power. The gas turbine generates electricity using natural gas as a fuel, while the steam turbine generates electricity using waste heat from the gas turbine. Open cycle, operates with only a gas turbine, and is used for peaking power, making it less energy efficient but more flexible to turn on and off than a combined cycle power station. How is gas used in homes? Natural gas can be one of the most affordable forms of energy for households. It has been used in Australia for more than 100 years for a variety of purposes, including heating, cooking and hot water. Industry also uses gas Gas is an important fuel for industry. Its used as a source of heat and as a raw material for making fertiliser and other materials, such as plastics.

How does gas get delivered to homes and businesses? Gas is delivered throughout Australia via a series of pipelines connecting gas producers with consumers.