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What is Natural Gas?
Natural gas is one of the "fossil" fuels, meaning it comes from the ground. These fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) are also called hydrocarbons, because they're composed mainly of hydrogen and carbon atoms.
Natural gas is the cleanest of the fossil fuels. It's composed almost entirely of methane, which is one carbon and four hydrogen atoms, or CH4. When it burns, it joins with oxygen to release water and carbon dioxide, and releases valuable energy.
Where does natural gas come from?
Natural gas is ... natural. Most geologists believe it was formed from decomposed plant and animal matter that accumulated over millions of years. Layers of sand, dirt and mud covered the decomposed matter, and eventually changed to rock. The buried plants and animals decayed into tiny bubbles of colorless, odorless gas that's now trapped in the pores of the rock.
Over 90% of the natural gas we use comes from the United States. Most of the gas comes from the lower 48 states, including the Appalachians, the southwest, and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. The only way the gas can be released is by drilling a hole in the rock to bring it out. To determine where to drill the well, geologist study maps, aerial and infrared-photographs, and conduct seismic studies.
Is the gas ready to use when it comes out of the ground? The gas that comes out of the well is usually not ready to go directly into a pipeline. About one third of all gas is found with oil, so the oil and gas are separated at a nearby processing station. Natural gas can also contain other hydrocarbons, such as propane and butane, which are processed out and used for other purposes.
Almost one third of our gas comes from offshore wells that are attached to the seabed or float on water. This offshore gas usually comes to the surface carrying condensate and salt water. These are taken out by equipment known as "slug catchers."
The gas then travels through "scrubbers" where additional water that's trapped in the gas is taken out. And finally, the gas is dried and sent on to a compressor station where the pressure is increased for long-distance travel through the pipelines.
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