Natural gas definition, a combustible mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons that accumulates in porous sedimentary rocks, especially those yielding petroleum, consisting usually of over 80 percent methane together with minor amounts of ethane, propane, butane, nitrogen, and, sometimes, helium. Exchangetraded funds etfs that invest in natural gas futures and other products in an effort to closely track the price of delivered natural gas at market. Natural gas is a fossil fuel composed almost entirely of methane, but does contain small amounts of other gases, including ethane, propane, butane and pentane. Natural gas fuel is a green fuel and becoming very demanding because it is environmental safe and clean. Until recently, coalbed methane was just considered a safety hazard to miners, but now it is a valuable source of natural gas. Natural gas definition of natural gas by the free dictionary.
Natural gas proved reserves shale and other expanded exploration and development of unconventional resources in increases in natural gas proved reserves in recent years. New policy, new questions and the future of dutch natural gas 184. A natural gas processing plant purifies natural gas and converts it into products such as lpg, liquefied natural gas lng, and fuel gas for residential, commercial, and industrial use. Ng a mixture of hydrocarbon gases that occurs with petroleum deposits, principally methane together with varying quantities of ethane, propane, butane, and other gases, and is used as a fuel and in the manufacture of organic compounds. Definition of naturalgas noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary. Natural gas is considered a nonsustainable source of energy because it takes longer than a human generation to rejuvenate. Facility definition summary for petroleum and natural gas. The largest component of natural gas is methane, a compound with one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms ch4. Exchangetraded funds etfs that invest in natural gas futures and other products in an effort to closely track the price of delivered natural gas at.
Natural gas is a mixture of gases which are rich in hydrocarbons. It was formed millions of years ago when dead marine organisms sunk to the bottom of the ocean and were buried. A good understanding of design and operational requirements and efficiencies of natural gas liquefaction systems is essential for the success of the gas liquefaction plant. Key elements of the natural gas module which are described in detail in sections 10. Natural gas is primarily methane ch4 with smaller quantities of other hydrocarbons.
There are some renewable sources of methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, also discussed in this fact sheet. Resolution of natural gas and pipeline natural gas definition issues question. The advantages of natural gas include its efficiency, abundance, and versatility. The natural gas liquefaction process is the key component in lng plants in terms of cost, complexity, and operational importance. Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane. Midstream and downstream operations introduction to. All these gases methane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide etc are naturally found in atmosphere. Natural gas specs sheet fuel providers and their large volume customers particularly electric utilities and possibly other end users are used to defining fuel requirements in the form of spec sheets. Information and translations of natural gas in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Use natural gas is a highly economical energyproducing fuel. It is formed when layers of decomposing plant and animal matter are exposed to intense heat and. Natural gas is a colourless, odorless gas that burns easily see flaring in figure 1 and typically consists mostly 90% or more of methane. Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, with up to 20 % 1 of other hydrocarbons as well as impurities in varying amounts such as carbon dioxide. Gas is processed to those specifications before it is injected into the pipeline grid, removing the need for any normalization of specifications between supplies of varying gas quality.
Glossary american gas association clean natural gas. It is one of the cleanest, safest, and most useful of all energy sources, and helps to meet the worlds rising demand for cleaner energy into the future. Water in natural gas can create problems during transportation and processing, of which the most severe is the formation of gas hydrates or ice that may block pipelines, process equipment, and instruments. The basic theories on pressure and temperature compensation were. Natural gas may also come from several other sources. Natural gas contains methane, ethane, propane, and butane and can often be used directly without any processing. Natural gas composition and specifications fsc 432. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. Facility definition summary for petroleum and natural gas systems. Natural gas is considered a fossil fuel because natural gas was formed from the remains of tiny sea animals and plants that died 300 to 400 million years ago. State utility forecasting group page 3 substitute natural gas sng is expected to exhibit low price volatility. Natural gas in the netherlands clingendael international energy. While most of the gas supplied to union gas is from western canada, some gas is supplied from other sources, including the united states and.
European natural gas assessments and indices latest update. However, exploring, producing and bringing gas to the user or converting gas into desired chemicals is a. More than 200 natural gas plants around the world use patented gas processing technology and proprietary knowledge developed by mcdermott. For a long time the methane coming out of oil wells was burned by means of a torch when it reached the surface.
Resolution of natural gas and pipeline natural gas. For the purposes of this administrative rule, the following definitions are. Thats why we put together the natural gas glossary to help you find the words you need to understand the industry. Pdf natural gas fuel is a green fuel and becoming very demanding.
Natural gas is a fossil energy source that formed deep beneath the earths surface. It is a type of petroleum that commonly occurs in association with crude oil. Phmsa responds to agas petition on the transmission rule. Furthermore, this fuel emits lower levels of potentially harmful byproducts into the. This document clarifies the petroleum and natural gas systems facility definitions in the regulation for the mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, title 17, california code of regulations, sections 9510095158 mrr. Natural gas consists of a high percentage of methane generally above.
This is the reason why the density of natural gas is given in a range. Natural gas liquefaction an overview sciencedirect topics. Natural gas also occurs with deposits of crude oil, and this natural gas is called associated natural gas. Fundamentals of pressure and temperature measurement. A well completed for production of natural gas from one or more gas zones or reservoirs. Natural gas as recovered at the wellhead consists of mostly methane c 1, but it contains other hydrocarbons, principally ethane c 2, propane c 3, butanes c 4, and pentanes c 5 that constitute the natural gas liquids, as discussed in the previous section.
Natural gas is a vital component of the worlds supply of energy and an important source of many bulk chemicals and speciality chemicals. And, while net additions in shale outpaced the overall decrease in natural gas reserves from all other sources, reserve estimates. Natural gas processing principles and technology oilproduction. After processing, its still referred to as natural gas, but its now a flexible energy currency and even after. Historically, natural gas also has been one of the most economical energy sources. This was largely due to continual advancements in drilling and producing technologies, such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, coupled. The amount of gas used presented in a unit of measurement applicable to natural gas i. At the same time, the petrochemical industry with its new plastic materials quickly increased production. We know there are a terms related to the natural gas industry. Reliability and resilience box for definition and related equipment that. The chapter summarizes the history of sakhalin island vysokov, 1996. Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture, consisting mainly of methane.
Natural gas, colorless highly flammable gaseous hydrocarbon consisting primarily of methane and ethane. The role of natural gas liquids ngls in the american. Even now, gas production is gaining market share as liquefied natural gas lng provides an economical way of transporting gas from even the remotest sites. Originally they were disposed of prin cipally as liquefied petroleum gases, but isobutane has. Natural gas definition and meaning collins english dictionary. The behavior of natural gas, whether pure methane or a mixture of volatile hydrocarbons and the nonhydrocarbons nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide, must be understood by the engineer who is designing the operating equipment for its production, processing, and transportation. Corrosion of materials in contact with natural gas and condensed water is also a common problem in the oil and gas industry. Once a sng plant becomes operational, the largest source of cost uncertainty is the price of the feedstock fuel, generally coal.
The natural gas quality characteristics associated with this new supply mix are and will be different from traditional domestic supply sources and will impact economic and operational practices on the interstate natural gas grid and may permanently alter business methodologies and regulatory tariffs. Raw natural gas also contains water vapor, hydrogen sulfide h 2 s, carbon dioxide. Natural gas definition and meaning collins english. A recovered from associated and non associated gas wells from lease separators or field. Sep 19, 2016 a natural gas processing plant purifies natural gas and converts it into products such as lpg, liquefied natural gas lng, and fuel gas for residential, commercial, and industrial use. Natural gas also contains smaller amounts of natural gas liquids ngl, which are also hydrocarbon gas. One source is coalbed methane, natural gas found in seams of coal. This gas is a combination of plant and animal gases that has built up over thousands of years and has been exposed to intense heat. Natural gas is widely used as an important energy source in many applications including heating buildings, generating electricity, providing heat and power to industry, as fuel for vehicles and as.
Typical definitions used in natural gas processing. Natural gas is widely used as an important energy source in many applications including heating buildings, generating electricity, providing heat and power to industry, as fuel for vehicles and as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of products such as plastics and other commercially important organic chemicals. Wellhead natural gas may also contain nonhydrocarbons such as sulfur, helium, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide, most of which. Natural gas is a fuel consisting mostly of methane gas, extracted from under the ocean or ground. By definition, ngl production happens at natural gas processing plants and petroleum refineries, but between 2009 and 2016, all of the growth in n gl production occurred at natural gas processing plants as a byproduct of processing the growing supply of natural gas from shale gas and tight oil formations. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Natural gas is a flammable gas, consisting mainly of methane ch4, occurring in underground reservoirs often with oil. Unprocessed, or raw, natural gas is one of the main primary energy sources in the world, making up roughly 15 of the worlds primary energy.
Those separated from the gas as liquids through the process of absorption, condensation, adsorption, cooling in gas separators, gas processing, or gas cycling plants. It is widely used as a fuel and is especially important in the generation of electricity. Traded gas packages are for pipelinequality dry gas, with btu content and other specifications generally specified by the pipeline companies. Natural gas article about natural gas by the free dictionary. It is mainly used to generate industrial and utility electric power, produce industrial process steam and heat, and heat residential and commercial space. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mostly methane, and other gaseous substances such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen. The role of natural gas liquids ngls in the american petrochemical boom u. This natural gas is referred to as shale gas or tight gas, and it is sometimes called unconventional natural gas. Wet gas, natural gas that contains an appreciable proportion of hydrocarbon compounds heavier than methane e. Definition of natural gas noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary. Generally, natural gas liquids include natural gas plant liquids and lease condensate. Natural gas statistics on production, total imports and exports, stock changes, stock levels.
Glossary also, because of all the new reserves that have been found, were also seeing more export of natural gas, tutunjian said. Natural gas is the cleanest burning conventional fuel, producing lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions than the heavier hydrocarbon fuels, like coal and oil. Natural gas density is the ratio of mass of gas to the volume of the confinement holding the gas. Just under five percent of the total natural gas produced in the last few years came from coalbeds. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is a combination of hydrocarbon gases. There are some renewable sources of methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, also. Energy information administration natural gas annual. Benefits of integrating ngl extraction and lng liquefaction pdf. When natural gas is produced from different locations and reservoirs, it tends to have different compositions, i. Underground storage is the primary means for storing natural gas and offers both seasonal and high deliverability storage. Natural gas is a combustible, gaseous mixture of simple hydrocarbon compounds, usually found in deep underground reservoirs formed by porous rock. Downloadsghgemissionsusghginventory2014chapterexecutivesummary.
Natural gas definition of natural gas by merriamwebster. Natural gas is made up of a mixture of four naturally occurring gases, all of which have different molecular structures. The chapter summarizes the history of sakhalin island vysokov, 1996 and then describes the sakhalin. Natural gas withdrawn from natural gas or crude oil wells is called wet natural gas because, along with methane, it usually contains nglethane, propane, butanes, and pentanesand water vapor. Many of the innovations we have developed, like the use of platefin exchangers and packings in cryogenic columns. Natural gas definition is gas issuing from the earths crust through natural openings or bored wells. Natural gas is generally considered a nonrenewable fossil fuel. Browse a comprehensive alphabetized list of natural gas terminology. The mixture may be gaseous or both liquid and gaseous in the reservoir. September 2019 detailed specifications 2 platts european natural gas assessments 2 platts uk gas market coverage 5 platts continental european gas coverage 9 nw europe oilindexed gas contract price indicator gci 11 spark spreads 12 coal switching price indicator cspi. It is widely used as a fuel in electric power plants, in ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, in the cement and glass industries, in the production of building materials, and for municipal and domestic needs. Fundamentals of pressure and temperature measurement jeff goetzman centerpoint energy. A colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced by the incomplete burning of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. Natural gas is gas which is found underground or under the sea.