Consequently, this clean source of energy has continuously increased its share in the global energy mix in last few decades and the shining prospects for future are still to be realized. Unlike oil and coal which are composed of complex molecules with high carbon, nitrogen and sulphur contents, principal component of natural gas is methane.
As a result, the combustion of oil and coal leads to release of harmful by-products which include high levels of carbon emissions, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxides. Furthermore, oil and coal combustion result in other harmful products such as particulate matters in forms of ash and soot.
Drilling a natural gas well on land may require clearing and leveling an area around the well site. Well drilling activities produce air pollution and may disturb people, wildlife, and water resources.
Laying pipelines that transport natural gas from wells usually requires clearing land to bury the pipe. Natural gas production can also produce large volumes of contaminated water. This water requires proper handling, storage, and treatment so that it does not pollute land and other waters. Natural gas wells and pipelines often have engines to run equipment and compressors, which produce air pollutants and noise.
In areas where natural gas is produced at oil wells but is not economical to transport for sale or contains high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide a toxic gas , it is burned flared at well sites. Natural gas flaring produces CO2, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and many other compounds, depending on the chemical composition of the natural gas and on how well the natural gas burns in the flare.
However, flaring is safer than releasing natural gas into the air and results in lower overall greenhouse gas emissions because CO2 is not as strong a greenhouse gas as methane. Source: Bureau of Land Management public domain. Advanced technologies like satellites, global positioning systems, remote sensing devices, and 3-D and 4-D seismic technologies make it possible to discover natural gas reserves while drilling fewer wells.
New drilling and natural gas recovery technologies significantly reduce the land area that is disturbed to develop oil and gas resources. Horizontal and directional drilling techniques make it possible to produce more natural gas from a single well than in the past, so fewer wells are necessary to develop a natural gas field. Hydraulic fracturing commonly called hydrofracking, fracking, or fracing of shale, sandstone, and carbonate rock formations is opening up large reserves of natural gas that were previously too expensive to develop.
Fracking involves pumping liquids under high pressure into a well to fracture the rock, which allows natural gas to escape from the rock. Producing natural gas with this technique has some effects on the environment:. Because a natural gas leak could cause an explosion, strict government regulations and industry standards are in place to ensure the safe transportation, storage, distribution, and use of natural gas. Because processed natural gas has no odor, natural gas companies add a strong, rotten egg-like smelling substance called mercaptan to natural gas so that people can smell leaks.
The compressed natural gas does not emit pollutants when burning. It reduces carbon monoxide emissions by up to 97 percent.
A single CNG-powered vehicle equates to removing cars using petrol or diesel from the road. Countries that use CNG gas as the primary fuel have a few cases of respiratory problems. CNG from natural gas fueling stations is cheaper than diesel and gasoline. Click To Tweet Technically, any fuel that emits fewer greenhouse gases than gasoline or diesel can be considered a clean fuel. Burning Properties of Natural Gas One of the largest reasons why natural gas fuel is considered a clean fuel is because of the way it burns, especially when compared to other fossil fuels.
Natural Gas vs Petroleum-Based Fuels Compared to petroleum-based fuels such as conventional gasoline or diesel, natural gas remains a top choice for industries that are looking to have an eco-friendly fuel economy.
Specially-Designed Fuel Systems Natural gas can be distributed in two different ways: liquidated or compressed. CNG is stored and transported in hard spherical containers that are sealed to maintain optimal atmospheric pressure levels.
From maintaining pipeline utility services to fueling high horsepower engines, CNG is a solid solution for a number of industrial applications. Liquefied natural gas LNG — Distributed in a liquid form, LNG is a purified form of natural gas that has been cooled down to remove extra compounds from its organic form.
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