an essay about natural gas

Natural Gas 101: Pros & Cons

Natural gas is a fossil fuel, like oil and coal. It's formed from decayed organic material transformed by high temperatures and pressures over millions of years into bubbles of methane gas. Conventional sources are found in underground gas fields or oil fields. Unconventional sources are more challenging to extract because the gas is locked inside the sediment. These include coalbed methane (trapped in the coalbed), tight gas (trapped in sandstone), gas hydrates (trapped in ice) and shale gas (trapped in shale). This last source is frequently in the headlines, thanks to advances in hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking. (1)

Considerable debate surrounds the recoverable size of the world's natural gas reserves. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates there are at least 6,800 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of proved natural gas reserves. The world is currently consuming a hefty 120 TCF a year, which means at least another 56 years of reserves. However consumption is growing every year and the EIA projects it will have doubled by 2040. Natural gas companies will need to discover new, unproved reserves and develop new ways to extract the natural gas in order to keep up with the increasing demand. (2)

This is a stunning rise for a power source that was once considered a mere byproduct of oil drilling. Though first used to power street lights in the early 1800s, and for heating and cooking in the 1900s, it still lagged far behind coal and oil. Only in the past fifty years has natural gas taken off, as methods for extracting and transporting improved. Now considered cleaner and cheaper than coal, it supplies 22% of the world's energy, used in heating, electricity generation and even as engine fuel. It's also heavily used in industrial applications, such as producing plastics and fertilizer. (3)

Natural Gas Processing

After conducting geological surveys to detect the presence of conventional gas fields, a gas company will drill down to extract the gas. With unconventional sources, gas companies have to take additional steps to free the gas that is trapped in the sediment layers. In the case of hydraulic fracturing, pressurized fluids are injected into a layer of shale to create fractures in the rock from which the trapped gas bubbles can escape and be piped up to the surface. (4)

In its natural state (“wet”) natural gas is composed primarily of methane, with small percentages of heavier hydrocarbons, like ethane, butane and propane, and often water and other chemical compounds. After being refined into pure methane (“dry”), it's ready to be transported. Typically the gas is sent overland through an extensive network of pipelines. The U.S. alone has some 500,000 miles of pipeline. Natural gas can also be transported as liquid natural gas (LNG). The gas is chilled to -260℉ , when it condenses into a liquid 1/600th the previous volume. The LNG is then ready for transport to its destination, at which point it's converted back into a gas. (5)

Once at a power plant, the gas is burned to push a turbine, either by heating water to drive a steam turbine, heating air to drive a combustion turbine, or a combined cycle system where air is heated to drive a combustion turbine, and the hot exhaust is then used to heat water to drive a steam turbine. For each of these methods, the turbine then turns an electrical generator, creating electricity. (6)

Advantages & Disadvantages of Natural Gas

Natural gas burns cleaner than other fossil fuels, producing half the carbon dioxide as coal and about a third less than oil. It also emits fewer amounts of toxic chemicals like nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. In the U.S. market, it is an abundant resource and currently the cheapest source of electrical power (an average of 6 cents per kilowatt hour, vs 9 cents for coal and hydroelectric and 11 cents for solar). (7)

Methane is a very powerful greenhouse gas, up to 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. If improperly extracted, methane can be released into the atmosphere, or burnt off as flaring at oil fields, releasing many toxic compounds into the atmosphere. There is considerable debate about the environmental damage caused by fracking. While the evidence of groundwater contamination by drilling is mixed, there is more of a danger of contamination from poor transportation, storage and disposal practices of fracking wastewater. Micro-earthquakes are also a side effect of fracking. (8)

Future Trends

Natural gas is a growing industry. Countries with large shale gas reserves, like China, are attempting to replicate the U.S.'s fracking success. Gas companies are looking at ways to make transporting liquid natural gas cheaper, with the hopes of reaching new markets without the need for building expensive pipelines. The use of compressed natural gas as vehicle fuel, though small, is steadily growing in buses, garbage trucks and other kinds of municipal fleets. Researchers are working on ways to extract the potentially vast amounts of natural gas reserves trapped beneath the ocean in gas hydrates. (9)

Natural Gas Careers

The natural gas industry employs over 600,000 people. That figure is likely to only go up as more reserves are developed. Major fields include engineering, surveying, construction and well servicing. Many environmental careers are possible. Environmental lawyers deal with permitting and contracts. Environmental inspectors ensure that drilling and disposal meets all environmental regulations. Environmental lobbyists work to persuade local, state and federal government agencies to improve existing regulations. (10)

(1) http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm?tid=3&pid=3&aid=6 http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm?tid=3&pid=26&aid=2 http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=12251

(2) http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/04/f0/how_is_shale_gas_produced.pdf https://www.chevron.com/operations/natural-gas

(3) http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=natural_gas_home-basics

(4) https://www.energy.gov/fe/about-us/our-history https://www.energy4me.org/learn-about-energy/energy-sources/petroleum/

(5) http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/natural-gas.html http://www.duke-energy.com/about-energy/generating-electricity/oil-gas-fired-how.asp http://www.edfenergy.com/energyfuture/generation-gas

(6) http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/air-emissions.html http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/electricity_generation.cfm

(7) http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=natural_gas_home-basics http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-environ-031113-144051 http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/ch4.html

(8) http://www.afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/natural_gas.html http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/hydrates/primer.html http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/01/02/key-trends-impacting-natural-gas-prices-in-the-u-s/

(9) http://www.anga.us/why-natural-gas/jobs/us-natural-gas-benefits#.VEluXpPF9GW http://naturalgas.org/jobs/

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112 Natural Gas Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Natural gas is a valuable resource that plays a significant role in our daily lives. From heating our homes to powering our vehicles, natural gas is used in a variety of ways. If you are tasked with writing an essay on natural gas, it can be helpful to have some topic ideas to get you started. Here are 112 natural gas essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your writing:

• The benefits of natural gas as a clean energy source
• The environmental impact of natural gas extraction
• The role of natural gas in reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• The economic benefits of natural gas production
• The challenges of transporting natural gas
• The history of natural gas usage
• The future of natural gas as an energy source
• The impact of natural gas on global energy markets
• The potential for renewable natural gas production
• The advantages of natural gas over other fossil fuels
• The impact of natural gas fracking on local communities
• The health effects of natural gas production
• The role of natural gas in electricity generation
• The impact of natural gas on air quality
• The potential for natural gas to replace coal in power generation
• The impact of natural gas on water resources
• The benefits of natural gas as a backup power source
• The challenges of storing natural gas
• The impact of natural gas on wildlife
• The potential for natural gas to reduce dependence on foreign oil
• The impact of natural gas on climate change
• The benefits of natural gas vehicles
• The challenges of integrating natural gas into the transportation sector
• The impact of natural gas on energy prices
• The potential for natural gas to be used in hydrogen production
• The impact of natural gas on rural communities
• The benefits of natural gas as a heating fuel
• The challenges of natural gas flaring
• The impact of natural gas on soil quality
• The potential for natural gas to be used in agriculture
• The benefits of natural gas as a cooking fuel
• The challenges of natural gas pipeline construction
• The impact of natural gas on water quality
• The potential for natural gas to be used in manufacturing
• The benefits of natural gas as a chemical feedstock
• The challenges of natural gas storage
• The impact of natural gas on wildlife habitats
• The potential for natural gas to be used in space heating
• The benefits of natural gas as a power plant fuel
• The challenges of natural gas distribution
• The impact of natural gas on marine ecosystems
• The potential for natural gas to be used in transportation
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for buses
• The challenges of natural gas vehicle infrastructure
• The impact of natural gas on urban air quality
• The potential for natural gas to be used in aviation
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for ships
• The challenges of natural gas refueling stations
• The impact of natural gas on public health
• The potential for natural gas to be used in rail transportation
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for trains
• The challenges of natural gas train infrastructure
• The impact of natural gas on wildlife conservation
• The benefits of natural gas as a fertilizer
• The challenges of natural gas fertilizer production
• The impact of natural gas on soil health
• The potential for natural gas to be used in aquaculture
• The benefits of natural gas as a feedstock for aquaculture
• The challenges of natural gas aquaculture production
• The impact of natural gas on water quality in aquaculture
• The potential for natural gas to be used in forestry
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for forestry machinery
• The challenges of natural gas forestry equipment
• The impact of natural gas on forest ecosystems
• The potential for natural gas to be used in mining
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for mining operations
• The challenges of natural gas mining equipment
• The impact of natural gas on water quality in mining
• The potential for natural gas to be used in construction
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for construction machinery
• The challenges of natural gas construction equipment
• The impact of natural gas on air quality in construction
• The potential for natural gas to be used in waste management
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for waste management vehicles
• The challenges of natural gas waste management infrastructure
• The impact of natural gas on air quality in waste management
• The potential for natural gas to be used in recycling
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for recycling operations
• The challenges of natural gas recycling equipment
• The impact of natural gas on water quality in recycling
• The potential for natural gas to be used in renewable energy
• The benefits of natural gas as a backup fuel for renewable energy
• The challenges of natural gas renewable energy integration
• The impact of natural gas on air quality in renewable energy
• The potential for natural gas to be used in energy storage
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for energy storage
• The challenges of natural gas energy storage infrastructure
• The impact of natural gas on water quality in energy storage
• The potential for natural gas to be used in energy efficiency
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for energy-efficient appliances
• The challenges of natural gas energy efficiency programs
• The impact of natural gas on air quality in energy efficiency
• The potential for natural gas to be used in sustainable development
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for sustainable development projects
• The challenges of natural gas sustainable development initiatives
• The impact of natural gas on water quality in sustainable development
• The potential for natural gas to be used in climate change mitigation
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for climate change mitigation efforts
• The challenges of natural gas climate change mitigation strategies
• The impact of natural gas on air quality in climate change mitigation
• The potential for natural gas to be used in disaster response
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for disaster response vehicles
• The challenges of natural gas disaster response infrastructure
• The impact of natural gas on water quality in disaster response
• The potential for natural gas to be used in emergency preparedness
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for emergency preparedness efforts
• The challenges of natural gas emergency preparedness programs
• The impact of natural gas on air quality in emergency preparedness
• The potential for natural gas to be used in public safety
• The benefits of natural gas as a fuel for public safety vehicles
• The challenges of natural gas public safety infrastructure

These are just a few ideas to get you started on your natural gas essay. Whether you are exploring the environmental impact of natural gas extraction or the potential for renewable natural gas production, there are plenty of interesting topics to choose from. Happy writing!

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Natural gas.

Encyclopedic entry. Natural gas is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of plants and animals. Other fossil fuels include oil and coal.

Earth Science, Geology, Engineering, Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography

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Natural gas is a fossil fuel . Like other fossil fuels such as coal and oil , natural gas forms from the plants, animals, and microorganisms that lived millions of years ago. There are several different theories to explain how fossil fuels are formed. The most prevalent theory is that they form underground, under intense conditions. As plants, animals, and microorganisms decompose , they are gradually covered by layers of soil, sediment , and sometimes rock. Over millions of years, the organic matter is compressed . As the organic matter moves deeper into Earth’s crust , it encounters higher and higher temperatures. The combination of compression and high temperature causes the carbon bonds in the organic matter to break down. This molecular breakdown produces thermogenic methane —natural gas. Methane, probably the most abundant organic compound on Earth, is made of carbon and hydrogen (CH4). Natural gas deposits are often found near oil deposits. Deposits of natural gas close to Earth’s surface are usually dwarfed by nearby oil deposits. Deeper deposits—formed at higher temperatures and under more pressure—have more natural gas than oil. The deepest deposits can be made up of pure natural gas. Natural gas does not have to be formed deep underground, however. It can also be formed by tiny microorganisms called methanogens . Methanogens live in the intestines of animals (including humans) and in low-oxygen areas near the surface of Earth. Landfills , for example, are full of decomposing matter that methanogens break down into a type of methane called biogenic methane. The process of methanogens creating natural gas (methane) is called methanogenesis . Although most biogenic methane escapes into the atmosphere , there are new technologies being created to contain and harvest this potential energy source. Thermogenic methane—the natural gas formed deep beneath Earth’s surface—can also escape into the atmosphere. Some of the gas is able to rise through permeable matter, such as porous rock, and eventually dissipate into the atmosphere. However, most thermogenic methane that rises toward the surface encounters geological formations that are too impermeable for it to escape. These rock formations are called sedimentary basins . Sedimentary basins trap huge reservoirs of natural gas. In order to gain access to these natural gas reservoirs, a hole (sometimes called a well) must be drilled through the rock to allow the gas to escape and be harvested. Sedimentary basins rich in natural gas are found all over the world. The deserts of Saudi Arabia, the humid tropics of Venezuela, and the freezing Arctic of the U.S. state of Alaska are all sources of natural gas. Outside Alaska, U.S. basins are primarily around the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, including Texas and Louisiana. Recently, the northern states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana have developed significant drilling facilities in sedimentary basins. Types of Natural Gas Natural gas that is economical to extract and easily accessible is considered “conventional.” Conventional gas is trapped in permeable material beneath impermeable rock. Natural gas found in other geological settings is not always so easy or practical to extract. This gas is called “unconventional.” New technologies and processes are always being developed to make this unconventional gas more accessible and economically viable . Over time, gas that was considered “unconventional” can become conventional. Biogas is a type of gas that is produced when organic matter decomposes without oxygen being present. This process is called anaerobic decomposition , and it takes place in landfills or where organic material such as animal waste, sewage , or industrial byproducts are decomposing. Biogas is biological matter that comes from plants or animals, which can be living or not-living. This material, such as forest residues, can be combusted to create a renewable energy source. Biogas contains less methane than natural gas, but can be refined and used as an energy source. Deep Natural Gas Deep natural gas is an unconventional gas. While most conventional gas can be found just a few thousand meters deep, deep natural gas is located in deposits at least 4,500 meters (15,000 feet) below the surface of Earth. Drilling for deep natural gas is not always economically practical, although techniques to extract it have been developed and improved. Shale Shale gas is another type of unconventional deposit. Shale is a fine-grained, sedimentary rock that does not disintegrate in water. Some scientists say shale is so impermeable that marble is considered “spongy” in comparison. Thick sheets of this impermeable rock can “sandwich” a layer of natural gas between them. Shale gas is considered an unconventional source because of the difficult processes necessary to access it: hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking ) and horizontal drilling. Fracking is a procedure that splits open rock with a high-pressure stream of water, and then “props” it open with tiny grains of sand, glass, or silica . This allows gas to flow more freely out of the well. Horizontal drilling is a process of drilling straight down into the ground, then drilling sideways, or parallel, to Earth’s surface. Tight Gas Tight gas is an unconventional natural gas trapped underground in an impermeable rock formation that makes it extremely difficult to extract. Extracting gas from “tight” rock formations usually requires expensive and difficult methods, such as fracking and acidizing . Acidizing is similar to fracking. An acid (usually hydrochloric acid ) is injected into the natural gas well. The acid dissolves the tight rock that is blocking the flow of gas. Coalbed Methane Coalbed methane is another type of unconventional natural gas. As its name implies, coalbed methane is commonly found along seams of coal that run underground. Historically, when coal was mined, the natural gas was intentionally vented out of the mine and into the atmosphere as a waste product. Today, coalbed methane is collected and is a popular energy source. Gas in Geopressurized Zones Another source of unconventional natural gas is geopressurized zones. Geopressurized zones form 3,000-7,600 meters (10,000-25,000 feet) below Earth’s surface. These zones form when layers of clay rapidly accumulate and compact on top of material that is more porous, such as sand or silt . Because the natural gas is forced out of the compressed clay, it is deposited under very high pressure into the sand, silt, or other absorbent material below. Geopressurized zones are very difficult to mine, but they may contain a very high amount of natural gas. In the United States, most geopressurized zones have been found in the Gulf Coast region. Methane Hydrates Methane hydrates are another type of unconventional natural gas. Methane hydrates were discovered only recently in ocean sediments and permafrost areas of the Arctic. Methane hydrates form at low temperatures (around 0°C, or 32°F) and under high pressure. When environmental conditions change, methane hydrates are released into the atmosphere. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS ) estimates that methane hydrates could contain twice the amount of carbon than all of the coal, oil, and conventional natural gas in the world, combined. In ocean sediments, methane hydrates form on the continental slope as bacteria and other microorganisms sink to the ocean floor and decompose in the silt. Methane, trapped within the sediments, has the ability to “cement” the loose sediments into place and keep the continental shelf stable. However, if the water becomes warmer, the methane hydrates break down. This causes causes underwater landslides , and releases natural gas. In permafrost ecosystems , methane hydrates form as bodies of water freeze and water molecules create individual “cages” around each methane molecule. The gas, trapped in a frozen lattice of water, is contained at a much higher density than it would be in its gaseous state. As the ice cages thaw, the methane escapes. Global warming , the current period of climate change , influences the release of methane hydrates from both permafrost and ocean sediment layers. There is a vast amount of potential energy stored in methane hydrates. However, because they are such fragile geological formations—capable of breaking down and disrupting the environmental conditions around them—methods for extracting them are developed with extreme caution. Drilling and Transportation Natural gas is measured in normal cubic meters or standard cubic feet. In 2009, the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated that the world’s proven natural gas reserves are around 6,289 trillion cubic feet (tcf). Most of the reserves are in the Middle East , with 2,686 tcf in 2011, or 40 percent of total world reserves. Russia has the second-highest amount of proven reserves, with 1,680 tcf in 2011. The United States contains just over four percent of the world’s natural gas reserves. According to the EIA, total world consumption of dry natural gas in 2010 was 112,920 billion cubic feet (bcf). That year, the United States consumed a little more than 24,000 bcf, the most of any nation. Natural gas is most commonly extracted by drilling vertically from Earth’s surface. From a single vertical drill, the well is limited to the gas reserves it encounters. Hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, and acidizing are processes to expand the amount of gas that a well can access, and thus increase its productivity. However, these practices can have negative environmental consequences. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process that splits open rock formations with high-pressure streams of water, chemicals, and sand. The sand props open the rocks, which allows gas to escape and be stored or transported. However, fracking requires huge quantities of water, which can radically reduce an area’s water table and negatively impact aquatic habitats. The process produces highly toxic and frequently radioactive wastewater that, if mismanaged, can leak and contaminate underground water sources used for drinking, hygiene , and industrial and agricultural use. In addition, fracking can cause micro earthquakes . Most of these temblors are far too tiny to be felt on the surface, but some geologists and environmentalists warn that the quakes may cause structural damage to buildings or underground networks of pipes and cables. Due to these negative environmental effects, fracking has been criticized and banned in some areas. In other areas, fracking is a lucrative economic opportunity and providing a reliable source of energy. Horizontal drilling is a way of increasing the area of a well without creating multiple expensive and environmentally sensitive drilling sites. After drilling straight down from Earth’s surface, drilling can be directed to go sideways—horizontally. This broadens the well’s productivity without requiring multiple drilling sites on the surface. Acidizing is a process of dissolving acidic components and inserting them into the natural gas well, which dissolves rock that may be blocking the flow of gas. After natural gas is extracted, it is most frequently transported through pipelines that can be from two to 60 inches in diameter. The continental United States has more than 210 pipeline systems that are made up of 490,850 kilometers (305,000 miles) of transmission pipelines that transfer gas to all 48 states. This system requires more than 1,400 compressor stations to ensure that the gas continues on its path, 400 underground storage facilities, 11,000 locations to deliver the gas, and 5,000 locations to receive the gas. Natural gas can also be cooled to about -162°C (-260°F) and converted into liquified natural gas, or LNG . In liquid form, natural gas takes up only 1/600 of the volume of its gaseous state. It can easily be stored and transported places that do not have pipelines. LNG is transported by a specialized insulated tanker, which keeps the LNG at its boiling point. If any of the LNG vaporizes, it is vented out of the storage area and used to power the transport vessel. The United States imports LNG from other countries, including Trinidad and Tobago and Qatar. However, the U.S. is currently increasing its domestic LNG production. Consuming Natural Gas Although natural gas takes millions of years to develop, its energy has only been harnessed during the past few thousand years. Around 500 B.C.E., Chinese engineers made use of natural gas seeping out of the earth by building bamboo pipelines. These pipes transported gas to heat water. In the late 1700s, British companies provided natural gas to light streetlamps and homes. Today, natural gas is used in countless ways for industrial, commercial, residential, and transportation purposes. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that natural gas can be up to 68 percent less expensive than electricity . In residential homes, the most popular use for natural gas is heating and cooking. It is used to power home appliances such as stoves, air conditioners, space heaters, outdoor lights, garage heaters, and clothes dryers. Natural gas is also used on a larger scale. In commercial settings, such as restaurants and shopping malls, it is an extremely efficient and economical way to power water heaters, space heaters, dryers, and stoves. Natural gas is used to heat, cool, and cook in industrial settings, as well. However, it is also used in a variety of processes such as waste treatment, food processing, and refining metals, stone, clay, and petroleum. Natural gas can also be used as an alternative fuel for cars, buses, trucks, and other vehicles. Currently, there are more than five million natural gas vehicles (NGV) worldwide, and more than 150,000 in the United States. Although NGVs initially cost more than gas-powered vehicles, they are cheaper to refuel and are the cleanest-running vehicles in the world. Gasoline- and diesel -powered vehicles emit harmful and toxic substances including arsenic , nickel, and nitrogen oxides. In contrast, NGVs may emit minute amounts of propane or butane , but release 70 percent less carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Using the new technology of fuel cells , the energy from natural gas is also used to generate electricity. Instead of burning natural gas for energy, fuel cells generate electricity with electrochemical reactions. These reactions produce water, heat, and electricity without any other byproducts or emissions. Scientists are still researching this method of producing electricity in order to affordably apply it to electric products. Natural Gas and the Environment Natural gas usually needs to be processed before it can be used. When it is extracted, natural gas can contain a variety of elements and compounds other than methane. Water, ethane, butane, propane, pentanes, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and occasionally helium and nitrogen may be present in a natural gas well. In order to be used for energy, the methane is processed and separated from the other components. The gas that is used for energy in our homes is almost pure methane. Like other fossil fuels, natural gas can be burned for energy. In fact, it is the cleanest-burning fuel, meaning it releases very few byproducts. When fossil fuels are burned, they can release (or emit) different elements, compounds, and solid particles. Coal and oil are fossil fuels with very complex molecular formations, and contain a high amount of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. When they are burned, they release high amounts of harmful emissions, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particles that drift into the atmosphere and contribute to air pollution. In contrast, the methane in natural gas has a simple molecular makeup: CH4. When it is burned, it emits only carbon dioxide and water vapor. Humans exhale the same two components when we breathe. Carbon dioxide and water vapor, along with other gases such as ozone and nitrous oxide, are known as greenhouse gases . The increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are linked to global warming and could have disastrous environmental consequences. Although burning natural gas still emits greenhouse gases, it emits almost 30 percent less CO2 than oil, and 45 percent less CO2 than coal. Safety As with any extractive activity, drilling for natural gas can lead to leaks. If the drill hits an unexpected high-pressure pocket of natural gas, or the well is damaged or ruptures, the leak can be immediately hazardous. Because natural gas dissipates so quickly into the air, it does not always cause an explosion or burn. However, the leaks are an environmental hazard that also leak mud and oil into the surrounding areas. If hydraulic fracturing was used to expand a well, the chemicals from that process can contaminate local aquatic habitats and drinking water with highly radioactive materials. The uncontained methane released in the air can also force people to temporary evacuate the area. Leaks can also occur slowly over time. Until the 1950s, cast iron was a popular choice for distribution pipelines, but it allows a high amount of natural gas to escape. The cast iron pipes become leaky after years of freeze-thaw cycles, heavy overhead traffic, and strains from the naturally shifting soil. Methane leaks from these distribution pipelines make up more than 30 percent of the methane emmissions in the U.S. natural gas distribution sector. Today, pipelines are made out of a variety of metals and plastics to reduce leakage.

Natural Gas Consumers In 2010, the latest date for which the U.S. Energy Information Administration supplies information , these nations consumed the most natural gas. 1. United States 2. Russia 3. Iran 4. China 5. Japan

Oracular Seeps Natural gas seeps, where the gas flows naturally to the surface, were revered as supernatural or spiritual sites by many ancient civilizations. One of the most famous of these seeps sits atop Mount Parnassus, near the town of Delphi, Greece. Around 1000 B.C.E., religious and spiritual leaders established a temple with a priestess who could tell the future. Millions of people, from ordinary citizens to political and military leaders, consulted the "Oracle of Delphi" for hundreds of years.

Piping Up The United states has 490,850 kilometers (305,000 miles) of interstate and intrastate pipelines to deliver natural gas all over the country.

Proven Reserves According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2011-2012, these nations had the biggest proven reserves of natural gas in the world. Data from some nations, including the United States, was not calculated . 1. Russia 2. Iran 3. Qatar 4. Saudi Arabia 5. Turkmenistan

What's That Smell? Raw natural gas is odorless. Companies that supply natural gas add an artificial smell to it, so people will know if there is a potentially dangerous leak. Most people recognize this as the "rotten egg" smell that comes from a gas stove or oven.

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The biggest advantages and disadvantages of natural gas

Natural gas is a non-renewable, odorless, colorless hydrocarbon. It is non-toxic but extremely flammable.

In 2017, natural gas accounted for 36% of the EU energy consumption, next to electricity, which accounted for 24%, renewables for 18%, and petroleum for 11% – according to Eurostat. In the U.S., it accounts for more than 25% of energy consumption. It is used as a source of energy for:

• Electricity
• Fuel for vehicles

These are facts. But is it okay that we rely on natural gas so much? In this article, we will find out.

What are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of natural gas, what are the pros and cons of fossil fuels, and what else should we know about natural gas?

Advantages and disadvantages of natural gas

If we want to examine the pros and cons of natural gas objectively, we should first clarify what “advantages” and “disadvantages” mean.

What is an advantage to one is a disadvantage to another. For example, natural gas is an extremely flammable gas. It is its most significant advantage because, without it, we could extract much less energy from it.

But extreme inflammation is a potential danger because if a gas leak occurs, and it reaches a certain concentration, there will be a risk of explosion.

Sadly, there is no heating season without tragedies linked to natural gas. So, its advantages and disadvantages depend largely on the way it is used.

Benefits of natural gas

What are the advantages of natural gas?

First of all, natural gas is a fossil fuel. That is why it is worth comparing it to other fossil fuels first.

Natural gas is less expensive than other fossil fuels.

If somebody asks what the 3 main advantages of natural gas are, the price will definitely be among them.

According to  Ourworldindata.org , natural gas is much less expensive than other fossil fuels, such as oil or coal.

Natural gas is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel because it burns cleaner

Other fossil fuels have many more harmful combustion products than natural gas.

If we burn natural gas under perfect combustion circumstances, its light will be blue and there will be minimal to none harmful compounds.

Natural gas is  one of the best energy sources to store and transport . It can be transported via international pipelines, or with tankers (in LNG form). It is safer and easier to store than other fossil fuels

It is clear that natural gas is one of the best non-renewable sources of energy. But what about renewable energy?

Natural gas is extremely reliable

Electric power is great until a storm comes. It can be knocked out during the storm, and our electrical devices may malfunction after it.

A similar problem cannot occur with natural gas.

More efficient storage and transportation compared to renewable energy

Transportation over long distances is much more efficient than in the case of sustainable energy (less network loss).

It is one of the biggest disadvantages of renewable energy – we cannot store it effectively.

Natural gas disadvantages

What are the disadvantages of natural gas?

It is dangerous in case of irresponsible use

Natural gas must be handled very carefully because it is a combustible material which can explode, as mentioned in the introduction.

It is not worth saving on installation and inspection costs. A gas leak meter is a very important accessory if we want to be sure that natural gas works properly.

It pollutes the environment

Yes, natural gas does contribute to greenhouse gases, if it is burnt under inappropriate conditions – and it is inevitable.

It is more environmentally friendly than other fossil fuels because it burns cleaner, but natural gas still pollutes the environment.

Non-renewable energy source

It comes from decomposed plants and animals buried deep under the Earth’s surface – for millions of years. That is why we call it non-renewable. If it’s gone, we cannot produce more.

If we do not reduce consumption, we will run out of natural gas in 52 years — according to  Worldometers . 

Natural gas has a long processing process

Before commercial and residential use, there is a long and costly process. 

First, it is mixed with a liquid called crude oil. Then most by-products are extracted from it, such as:

The extracted by-products can be used elsewhere – and natural gas is almost in its final form, which can be used in everyday life.

However, this is preceded by another important last step, as natural gas is a colorless and odorless hydrocarbon and, although non-toxic, extremely flammable. To avoid accidents, it will be scented to make gas leaks easily recognizable.

After that, a new composition of natural gas is formed – this is how it reaches end-users. This process raises the complexity and the cost of natural gas production.

Relatively expensive storage

Even though natural gas is easier to store and transport than other fossil fuels and renewables, it has one big storage disadvantage. Its volume happens to be four times as big as petrol’s.

Because of this, natural gas storage is much more expensive since more storage space is needed.

Conclusion — pros and cons of natural gas 

Natural gas is the most important energy source in the world right now. It accounts for 36% of the EU energy consumption and for more than 25% of the U.S. energy consumption.

There are a lot of advantages of using natural gas, but like everything, it also has its drawbacks. What is an advantage to one is a disadvantage to another.

If we want a cheap, reliable energy source, natural gas will be perfect. But in the long term, if we want to use a green energy source that will never run out, there are better alternatives than natural gas.

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Essays on Natural Gas

Faq about natural gas.

• Coal and Petroleum
• Natural Gas Uses Advantages

Natural Gas: Uses And Advantages

Natural Gas is mainly extracted from the petroleum deposits deep beneath the earth. In fact, it occurs just above the layer of crude oil, as gases are lighter than oil. It is formed through the same process through which petroleum is formed. High temperatures and pressure leads to the conversion of the remains of plants and animals buried under the earth into naturally occurring gas along with petroleum and coal.

What is Natural Gas used for?

• Natural Gas was used mainly for street and household lighting in the 19 th and 20 th  century.
• Now, it has a lot more uses in the homes and industrial applications.
• It is used to turn turbines for wind and solar energy generation.
• This fossil fuel is used for the production of ammonia which itself is used for making fertilizers.
• It is a domestic fuel as well. It fires stoves in our houses and also runs heaters, ovens, boilers, etc.
• Compressed Natural Gas or CNG, that is gas stored at high pressure, is also used in some households for heating and cooking purposes.
• CNG is also a cheap and environment friendly alternative for a transportation fuel used in low load vehicles requiring high fuel efficiency.
• Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG is used to power vehicles such as off-road trucks and trains.

What are the advantages of Natural Gas?

• Natural Gas is a cleaner fuel. It is less harmful to the environment than coal, petrol or diesel as it has less carbon dioxide emissions.
• It can be easily stored and transferred through pipelines.
• It is relatively more abundant than other fossil fuels i.e. coal and petroleum.
• It is also a safer fuel, as it is lighter than air and dissipates rather than exploding.
• It provides instant energy, which is why it is used in oven cooking, as it does not require pre-heating.

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Natural Gas Essays (Examples)

Filter by keywords:(add comma between each), example essays.

Natural Gas Drilling a Retrospect

7. Wells on Indian eservations Wells to drilling natural gas are often found on Indian reservations as the respective lands are rich in resources. Historically, debates have emerged based on the undervaluation of the gas extracted, which led to the inhabitants of the region being only limitedly remunerated for the usage of the land and the extraction of the natural gas. The matter has been addressed throughout the years (judiciary trials have even been filed) and the situation is more balanced in the present. Consequently, today, several Indian reservations base much of their economic development on operations of natural gas extraction. The most relevant example in this sense is given by the Blackfeet Indian eservation, which generates income from leasing lands for gas extraction. The large majority of the drilling operations were centered in the western part of the reservation, but an agreement signed in January 2009 allows the new processors of…...

mla References: Baker, D., August 4, 2008, the Compromise "Drill Anywhere" Plan, Truth Out,   last accessed on March 26, 2009 -- Truth Out is an independent website, supported only the contributions made by their readers. They did not seek the sponsorship of for-profit organization as their focus was on presenting the facts from an objective standpoint and they also wanted to not become associated with any institution. The ultimate aim of the website is to present the readers with extensive information on various topics of interest and as such assist them in making the most adequate decision. The main areas of interest include social progress, environmental concerns, human rights, healthcare or international relations. http://www.truthout.org/article/the-compromise-drill-anywhere-plan  Dentry, E., July 22, 2008, Natural Gas Drilling Hurting Land, Rocky Mountain News,   / last accessed on March 26, 2009 -- Rocky Mountain News is in many ways similar to Truth Out, with the main difference that the first only covers a limited geographic zone -- the area in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains. Their news are organized under eight categories, including general news, business news, sports, entertainment, living, outdoor activities, opinions and multimedia. Ed Dentry's article is featured under the outdoors section, under the subcategory of columns and blogs. The article is a presentation of drilling activities for natural gas from the standpoint of those who suffer the negative consequences. Its findings are reliable as they are based on direct research and his conclusions resemble those of other researchers. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jul/22/feverish-natural-gas-drilling-has-wreaked-havoc  Gallun, R.A., Wright, C.J., Nichols, L.M., Stevenson, J.W., 2001, Fundamentals of Oil and Gas Accounting, 4th Edition, PennWell Books -- the work is extremely useful for a generalist understanding of oil and natural gas extraction and the adherent processes. It explains basic notions such as the formation of the natural gas reserves or the history of drilling operations. Its easy-to-read style makes the work accessible to all those interested, be them exports or novices. The downside of the book is however that the consequent revised editions bring in little additional information. In this context then, the book is more suitable for a generalist look at the industry, rather than a specific and modern analysis. Hurdle, J., March 13, 2009, U.S. Energy Future Hits Snag in Rural Pennsylvania, Truth Out,   last accessed on March 26, 2009 http://www.truthout.org/031309E 

Natural Gas Is Less Polluting Than Coal or Other Fossil Fuels

Hydraulic Fracking Issues There has been a great deal of controversy over the technique called hydraulic fracking, which environmentalists and others have claimed it is a dangerous procedure to extract natural gas from the earth. The industry insists it is safe, and recently the Environmental Protection Agency issued research that indicates fracking can be safely done. hat is hydraulic fracking? Fracking is a procedure in which water is injected under high pressure into a "bedrock formation," which in turn releases natural gas that has been trapped in rock formations (USGS). This paper points out the benefits of hydraulic fracking Main Body of the Paper on Hydraulic Fracking Fracking involves a process where water is mixed with chemicals and "fine sands, then pumped at extremely high pressure into the shale rock," which fractures the rock, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Once the rock below the surface of the earth is fractured,…...

mla Works Cited Environmental Protection Agency. "Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources." Retrieved November 24, 2015, From   2015. http://www.epa.gov . Grace Communications. "Natural Gas Fracking -- Introduction." Retrieved November 24,

LNG Liquefied Natural Gas Liquefied Natural Gas

LNG Liquefied Natural Gas Liquefied Natural Gas LNG LNG (liquefied natural gas) Why using LNG (liquefied natural gas) as a marine fuel is an innovative subject? Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a clean-burning fuel that is obvious, colorless, fragrance-free, noncorrosive, and harmless. One cubic meter of LNG is equal to 600 cubic meters of natural gas at atmospheric pressure, thus providing for better storage ability and easier transporting. LNG is presently less costly than petroleum based-fuels and is expected to stay the lesser price fuel for the probable future. These innate properties create LNG an attractive alternative fuel for concentrated fuel consuming request such as hardwearing trucking, Oil and natural gas borer, browbeat, mining, aquatic, and other manufacturing consumer. It is also a perfect power cause for distant site where contact to natural gas pipelines is restricted. The command for LNG fuel is speed up in the United States because of natural gas's plentiful…...

mla References Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., LNG Alternative Fuel, airproducts.com, n.d, web. Retrieved 29 October 2012 from http://www.airproducts.com/industries/energy/lng/lng-fuel.aspx Bandemehr, (2012). Reducing Emissions from Ships: AU.S.-Mexico Fuel Switching Demonstration, epa.gov, 23 July 2012, web. Retrieved 29 October 2012 from  

Current and Future Supply and Demand of Natural Gas

Future Supply and Demand of Natural Gas The technology developed in the United States has become available for application in other countries mainly through efforts of major service companies. Until the mid 1990s, Canada's gas production was predominantly from conventional gas formations. This conventional gas filled the available pipeline capacity and unconventional gas resources, which are more difficult to produce, were largely ignored. However, as pipeline capacity was expended and conventional gas production began approaching a peak, market conditions in Canada began to favor development of unconventional gas (Harry, pp88-96) In the recent past, the natural gas markets were fairly predictable; they are now undergoing profound and uncertain changes. Independently, each regional market had developed gradually deposits from the nearest pipeline networks and limiting exchanges between areas. The current trend is marked by greater competition between the available sources and greater flexibility in systems gas. (Tad, pp14-15) It is apparent that…...

mla Works cited Ammann, Daniel. The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2009, p16-38. Andrei Viforeanu, Wayne Wells, Jay W. Hodny. "Passive surface geochemical survey leads to dry gas discoveries," 2003, p44-46. Bill White. "State's consultant says nation is primed for using Alaska gas." Energy Bulletin, 2005, p15. Chris Vernon. "UK gas and electricity crisis looming." Energy Bulletin, 2005, p4-6.

Natural Gas and Revenues

For each item identified, explain why the data item is important, and describe the level of detail that would be necessary for the data to be useful. The major data items that Citizen's Gas should be incorporating into their system include: the number of customers they are working with, the customer rate structure and the heating factors. As far as the number of customers is concerned, this is when the company is estimating future usage among based on current demand. The reason why this data is important, is because it helps executives to determine, how much natural gas they will need to meet customer demand throughout the year. ("20.1 Adapted from CMA Exam," n.d.) The customer rate structure is when monthly data is collected and sent to managers about changes in revenues. This helps everyone to determine if there are sudden shifts in usage. As a result, the level of data…...

mla Bibliography 20.1 Adapted from CMA Exam. (n.d.). Citizen's Gas. (n.d.).

Natural Gas and Oil

EXXON Upstream Division: ExxonMobil Although ExxonMobil remains a successful company, like all oil and gas organizations, it remains highly dependent upon market conditions, including shifts in the price of crude oil and natural gas. "A decline in oil or gas prices lowers ExxonMobil Upstream business profit margins, whereas an increase in oil and natural gas prices lowers ExxonMobil Downstream and Chemical business profit margins" (Miglani, 2016, par.14). While the size and diversification of the Exxon Corporation has permitted it to mitigate the severity and degree to which such conditions impact its profits on one hand, on the other hand, it still must review its operations and total quality management (TQM) policies to ensure that it is maximizing its opportunities as an organization. Inputs and Outputs ExxonMobil is one of the largest and most famous oil and gas companies in the world. Its upstream segment engages in the exploration of and the production of crude…...

mla References Driving innovation. (2017). Exxon. Retrieved from:   http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/current-issues/climate-policy/climate-perspectives/energy-developing-new-technologies-to-reduce-ghg  Global product quality management system. (2017). Exxon Mobile. Retrieved from: http://www.exxonmobilchemical.com/Chem-English/Files/Resources/220515-global-product-quality-management-system-1.pdf

Gas Turbine Systems a Gas Turbine Also

Gas Turbine Systems A gas turbine, also known as a combustion generator, is a kind of inner combustion system. It consists of an upstream revolving compressor coupled to the downstream generator, as well as a combustion chamber amid the two. Power is included in the gas stream inside the combustor, where gas is combined with air as well as then ignited. Inside the high-pressure atmosphere of the combustor, burning of this gas raises the temperature. The various products of this combustion are pushed inside the turbine area. ight there, the higher velocity as well as quantity of the gas movement is redirected via the nozzle across the turbine's rotor blades, moving the generator which drives the compressor as well as, for a few turbines, propels their mechanical outcome. The power given up for the generator originates from the decrease in the heat as well as stress of the exhaust fuel (Treager,…...

mla References Curtis, C.G. (1899). Patent US0635919. Available at:   http://www.freepatentsonline.com/0635919.pdf . Eckardt, D. And Rufli, P. (2002). Advanced Gas Turbine Technology - ABB / BBC Historical Firsts. ASME J. Eng. Gas Turb. Power, p. 124, 542-549 Kamps, T. (2005). Model Jet Engines. Traplet Publications. Kay, A. (2002). German Jet Engine and Gas Turbine Development 1930-1945, Airlife Publishing.

Gas & Oil Shortage Oil

All these factors have added too many variables to the Middle East, an important region for crude oil production" (Xuequan, 2008). 4. Conclusions The improved standards of living have contributed significantly to an increase in the population's demands. And to satisfy these demands, with the ultimate scope of registering higher profits, the American corporations have abused the natural resources and are now moving towards the resources in other countries. Two such vital resources are crude oil and natural gas. The situation of gas is quite stable, but that of oil is critical. Based on limited natural resources, a weakening American dollar, speculative operations on the international market, but also the regulations implemented by OPEC and the conflicts in the Middle East, the price of oil has sky rocked - and it is likely to continue its ascendant trajectory. eferences Leonard, a., 2008, the Story of Stuff, http://storyofstuff.ethicalbrand.org/last accessed on May 30, 2008 Wallace, E.,…...

mla References Leonard, a., 2008, the Story of Stuff, accessed on May 30, 2008 http://storyofstuff.ethicalbrand.org/last Wallace, E., May 13, 2008, the Reason for High Oil Prices, Business Week,   accessed on May 30, 2008 http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/may2008/bw20080513_720178.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStorieslast  Xuequan, M., April 18, 2008, Weak Dollar Not Sole Reason for High Oil Prices, Xinhua News Agency,   Ast accessed on May 30, 2008 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/18/content_7999121.html . 2004, Why are Oil Prices so High?, BBC News, accessed on May 30, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3708951.stmlast

Gas-Burning and Wood-Burning Fireplaces Now That Colder

Gas-Burning and Wood-Burning Fireplaces Now that colder weather is bearing down, many people are turning to their fireplaces for warmth and comfort, as they have done for centuries. But while building a fire was once a necessary skill to achieve the glowing warmth of a blaze in the fireplace, modern technology has now made creating a roaring fire as easy as flipping a switch. Homeowners now have the choice between gas-burning and wood-burning fireplaces in their homes, but what are the differences between the two and is there a clear advantage of one over the other? The essential difference between the two is obvious: the material used to build the fire. Wood-burning fireplaces rely on cured fire logs and kindling, whereas gas fireplaces are filled with fake logs and rely on a connection to a gas line for burning fuel. Because of the difference between the burning materials, the construction of wood-burning…...

mla References "Burning Wood Is More Expensive Than Gas?! " Hearth.com. Retrieved from   http://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/62420/  Guttman, George. "Wood vs. Gas Fireplaces." Sound Home Resource Center. Retrieved from http://www.soundhome.com/article/wood-vs.-gas-fireplaces-and-stoves

Heavier Environmental Regulation on Oil and Gas Drilling Activities

Regulating Oil and Gas Drilling and Transport The American economy runs on energy produced from oil, coal, natural gas, hydroelectric power, nuclear power and renewable sources like solar and wind energies. In fact according to a report in the Congressional Research Service, oil provides the United States with 40% of its total energy needs. It is used in myriad ways, providing "…fuel for the transportation, industrial, and residential sectors" (Ramseur, 2012). Because of the great need for energy to fuel the American economy, oil in "vast quantities" enters the country and moves through the country by ships and by pipelines, Ramseur explains in the Congressional Research Service. Hence, it is inevitable that some spills will occur, and they certainly do occur, notwithstanding the attempts by the industry to conduct its business safely. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that the U.S. consumed 6.87 billion barrels (about 18.83 million barrels a day)…...

mla Works Cited American Petroleum Institute. (2012). Energy Security. Retrieved February 15, 2013, from http://www.api.org. Barkham, Patrick. (2010).Oil spills: Legacy of the Torrey Canyon. The Guardian. Retrieved February 14, 2013, from   http://www.guardian.co.uk . Griffin, Catherine. (2013). European Satellite Confirms Arctic Ocean is on Thin Ice, Global Warming Strikes Again. Science World Report. Retrieved February 15, 2013, from   http://www.scienceworldreport.com .

Role BP Construction Gas Pipe Line Baku Tbilisi Erzurum

P Construction Gas Pipe Line THE ROLE OF P IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AKU-TILISI-ERZURUM GAS PIPE-LINE The aku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline is a massive project that involves three countries -- Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. It is a project that is based on the natural gas deposits, of more than one trillion cubic meters, in Azerbaijan's portion of the Caspian Sea, an area known as the Shah-Denz gas field- 12km in width and 30km length of a stripe of the Caspian Sea. The stripe has a depth of 50m on the northern side and 500m on the southern side. The deposit is the biggest gas deposit situated in Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea. This pipeline was constructed being parallel to the aku-Tsibili-Cyehan oil pipeline that runs from Azerbaijan to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The TE pipeline is also known as either South Caucasus (gas) Pipeline or Shah Deniz pipeline. The construction project…...

mla Bibliography Baloghlanov, Elshan. Azerbaijan & New Energy Resources. June 8, 2009. www.azconsulatela.org. Muttitt, Greg, and James Marriott. Some Common Concerns. Lincolnshire: PLATFORM Campagna per la Riforma della Banca Mondiale, CEE Bankwatch Network,, 2002. Petersen, Alexandros. "The Case of the East-West Transport Corridor." Integrating Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey with the West, 2007: 1-20. Shenoy, Bhamy, Gurcan Gulen, and Michelle Michot Foss. "Analysis Suggests Economic Viability of Trans-Caspian Sea Gas Line." The Oil & Gas Journal, 1999: 51-58.

Managing Natural Resources - Natural

In the GEOMA methodology, carbon dioxide displaces methane within the water lattice which reforms into a more stable state than was present with the methane. While this new technology is still in development, it is very promising (Traufetter, 2007). ecent advances by researchers from Japan, China, India, Canada, Australia, and the United States could result in commercial exploitation of Methane gas within the decade. Natural gas recovery techniques have come a long way since that first primitive well in Fredonia. Now, a complex and sophisticated process brings natural gas from the field to your home. Exploration for new sources of natural gas has become a highly evolved science. Geologists study the physical structure of a potential site. The scientists can use seismology and magnetometers to develop three dimensional models of the earth using computer programs designed for that purpose. These models allow the geologists to narrow down specific areas that…...

Cross-Boundary Offshore Oil & Gas Resources Joint

Cross-oundary Offshore Oil & Gas Resources Joint Development Agreements & Frameworks 1/6/2014 [Type the company name] User Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. The rule of capture 3 3. The CooperationApproach 4 4. Legal framework to develop trans-boundary offshore O&G resources 5 4.1 Cross-border unitization agreements 6 4.2 Joint Development Agreements (JDA) 6 4.3 National law and its application in Co-operative Agreements 7 4.4 ilateral treaties for trans-boundary oil and gas exploration 7 4.5 The Framework Agreement Approach 9 4.6 The Third Party approach to dispute resolution 10 5. Conclusion 10 ibliography 11 Treaties & Conventions 11 ooks 11 Articles 12 Websites 13 1. Introduction Subsea resources such as petroleum and natural gas are important sources of meeting the energy demand of countries. Cross-territory disputes are arising among different countries. Advancement in technology in exploration and extraction of subsea resources has expedited the overall procedure of competitive drilling. This is due to aggressive efforts by each country to explore its subsea resources. Since oil and gas reserves migrate towards lower pressure areas,…...

mla Bibliography Treaties & Conventions Cross boundary petroleum cooperation between the UK and the Kingdom of Norway 2005 Treaty, Timor Sea. "Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste relating to the Unitization of the Sunrise and Troubadour fields Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra (Dili, 6 March 2003)(1)." Accessed from U.S-Mexico Trans-boundary hydrocarbons agreement 2012

Development of Oil and Gas

il and Gas Development of Two Important Materials in Earth's Early History According to scientists, Earth began its life 4.6 billion years ago, when cosmic dust collided to form increasingly large particles. These particles, after millions of years of colliding and increasing in mass, eventually formed the Earth, with a mass similar to what it is today (5.9736 x 1024 kg or 5,973,600,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg) . Soon, the Earth's atmosphere began to form, as well as various minerals within its core. Studying the Earth is a fascinating endeavor, yet one that comprises extensive research and writing. For the purposes of this paper, I will examine two elements that are of vital importance to human life today: oil and gas. In this study, I will thus speak both about the development of the two materials in the Earth's early history-how they developed, what factors contributed to this development, and when this development occurred --…...

mla Oil and gas industries also comprise upstream and downstream exploration. The upstream process includes exploration and production and the downstream refers to refining crude oil and gas, distribution of the two and marketing. Some companies may be "fully integrated," meaning they have capabilities for both upstream and downstream interests; others only concentrate on exploration and production and are known as E&P companies. Furthermore, many companies operate nationally and internationally, while others are "independent." This short description of the oil and gas development process is very important because it can show how two natural fuels found in the Earth are utilized to improve our daily lives, for others' financial gain, of course. [16: "Overview of the oil and gas exploration and production process." Environmental Management in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. . ] http://www.etechinternational.org/new_pdfs/lessImpact/AttAoverview.pdf Conclusion This paper has focused upon the development of the two fuels in the Earth's early history and has discussed oil and gas development, complete with how this development process took place, what factors contributed to it and how long it took. Furthermore, the paper has also analyzed the impact of oil and gas towards humanity and the complex process through which these resources are handled today, thus placing this paper's aim in a larger context and showing the importance of this study.

Occ Safety Oil Offshore and Gas Installations

Occ Safety Oil Offshore and Gas Installations: Safety Culture The offshore oil and gas installation industry is one of the most notoriously hazardous due to its extreme and remote conditions. Both acute and chronic health and safety issues plague offshore oil and gas industry workers. However, offshore oil and gas installation sites are not more hazardous than other natural resources-related occupational sectors; moreover, the occupational safety in the offshore oil and gas industries are on par with other industries (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011). The same is true for offshore oil and gas installation sites in other countries like the United Kingdom, where it was found that "the sector demonstrates a relatively low lost time injury rate and has, for many years, outperformed a number of comparatively lower hazard industrial sectors (Oil & Gas UK, 2012). The hazards of working in offshore oil and gas installations are well-known and…...

mla References American Petroleum Institute (2013). The oil and natural gas industry's ongoing commitment to safety. Retrieved online: http://www.api.org/policy-and-issues/policy-items/safety/~/media/6A15AB96288D44569B23217E84D79E13.ashx "American Petroleum Institute Guide to Reporting Process Safety Events," (n.d.). Version 2.0. Retrieved online: http://www.api.org/environment-health-and-safety/process-safety/process-safety-standards/~/media/files/ehs/health_safety/api_guide_to_report_pses_2_0.ashx Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (n.d.). Safety training in Atlantic Canada's Offshore Oil and Gas Industry. Retrieved online:   http://www.capp.ca/getdoc.aspx?DocID=215473  Flin, R., Mearns, K., Fleming, M. & Gordon, R. (1996). Risk perception and safety in the offshore oil and gas industry. Retrieved online:   http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/othpdf/400-499/oth454.pdf

What is a backstop or choke price? Discuss the importance of a backstop price when managing a non-renewable resource, particularly in the context of having or not having substitutes for the resource.

A backstop or choke price is a concept used in the management of non-renewable resources, particularly in the context of commodities such as petroleum or natural gas. It refers to a predetermined price level at which the resource becomes economically viable to extract or produce. In the absence of substitutes for a non-renewable resource, a backstop price becomes crucial for sustainable resource management. This is because non-renewable resources are finite and their extraction and consumption can have detrimental effects on the environment and society. Having a backstop price ensures that resource extraction or production continues only when it....

Can you provide suggestions for structuring an essay outline related to Fossil Fuels?

I. Introduction A. Brief overview of fossil fuels B. Importance of fossil fuels in today's society C. Thesis statement on the impact of fossil fuels on the environment II. What are fossil fuels? A. Definition of fossil fuels B. Types of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) C. Formation process of fossil fuels III. Advantages of fossil fuels A. Reliability and affordability B. Energy efficiency compared to alternative sources C. Job creation in the fossil fuel industry IV. Disadvantages of fossil fuels A. Environmental impact (air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions) B. Finite resource leading to depletion C. Contribution to climate change....

What are the primary factors contributing to the acceleration of climate change globally?

Primary Factors Exacerbating Global Climate Change Climate change, a pressing global crisis, has witnessed an alarming acceleration in recent decades, primarily driven by human activities. The primary factors contributing to this acceleration include: 1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) for energy production releases significant amounts of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, causing global temperatures to rise. 2. Deforestation and Land Use Change: Large-scale deforestation, primarily for agriculture and urbanization, removes vast areas of forests that absorb CO2. The clearing of forests also releases....

How have historical conflicts between Russia and Germany influenced their current diplomatic relationship?

Historical conflicts between Russia and Germany have had a significant impact on their current diplomatic relationship. The two countries have a long history of conflict, dating back to the 18th century when Prussia and Russia were rivals for dominance in Eastern Europe. The Napoleonic Wars, World War I, and World War II further strained relations between the two countries, with the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany fighting a brutal war on the Eastern Front during World War II. The end of World War II saw Germany divided into East and West, with East Germany falling under Soviet influence and West Germany....

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Natural Gas as an Alternative Energy Resource Essay

Natural Gas as an Alternative Energy Resource Natural gas is one of many energy resources being sought out as an alternative to some of the more pollutant geologic resources used abundantly today. Natural gas is being raved about due to how much cleaner it burns than other traditional fossil fuels, and it is becoming one of the more popular forms of energy because of this trait. It is a colorless, odorless fossil fuel , also known as methane. Today's uses for this resource are heating, cooling, production of electricity, and many uses in industry. It is being combined with other fossil fuels to improve environmental performance and decrease pollution. Overall, natural gas is becoming popular because it is an abundant, alternative …show more content…

For example, when natural gas burns the combustion leaves almost no sulfur dioxide emissions in the air and all other emissions are far less than other fossil fuels. The reduction of these toxic emissions will help us reduce two of the main air pollution issues we face today -- acid rain and carbon monoxide ozone pollution. There is one area that will make natural gas become a dominant source of energy due to its cleanliness and that is in the field of transportation. If we can make all cars and vehicles natural gas fueled then there will be a huge change in the amount of pollution that gas fueled vehicles put in the air today. For example, about three-fourths of the carbon monoxide pollution found in the city areas is contributed my gas fueled cars, as well as a significant amount hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions. It has been found that if we were to use natural gas instead of gasoline the carbon monoxide emissions can be cut down about ninety percent and the hydrocarbon emissions by almost eighty-five percent. This is an amazing amount of pollution reduction would make a huge change in the cleanliness of our air. The last and most important factors of natural gas are its reliability and its abundance in the world today. The natural gas service we have in North America has proven to be reliable, and as it becomes a more marketable commodity the

The Dakota Access Pipeline

While oil and natural gas are fossil fuels that release harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, these energy sources are cleaner than coal, which is on the decline as fracking expands. Indeed, coal production fell thirteen percent from 2007 to 2012, as did nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide production. Moreover, pipeline transportation of oil and natural gas is significantly safer than traditional freight methods, which have devastated many communities around the world and cost millions of dollars.

Is Fracking Safe?

The natural gas industry is here to stay and we will be a better nation because of it. Many of the issues brought up against natural gas fracturing are often times inflated by people with misguided views of the industry, many of whom probably use natural gas daily. The benefits far outweigh the negative issues that are being blown out of proportion by lobbyists and environmental groups. With any major industry there are going to be side effects that need attention to ensure proper regulation. One would be hard pressed to find a major industry throughout history that required zero regulation to ensure safety. As long as the research continues into finding even better methods to produce natural gas the sky is the limit. A cleaner and more efficient energy source lies in the ground right here in our country. It provides energy and jobs for the people of our nation and does not require us to spend more money overseas where enough has been spent

Fracking: Greenhouse Gas and Water

W hy does everyone care so much about natural gas? Why is it such an essential part of modern culture? Sure, it's an exciting and up and coming technology, which is fuel for the technological generation that we've grown up in, but we need to take a closer look to see the methods and impacts that could affect generations after us.

Why Is Fracking Important In Our World?

Natural gas has supplied energy to humanity since the 19th century, it offers great jobs, and is more affordable than other energy sources. Without fossil fuels/natural gas it would harder and more expensive to have everyday energy. With fracking being a big part in today’s world, people still wonder if the chemicals used are really dangerous and if there is another way to make them more earth

The Pros And Cons Of Fracking

Majority of the data available online is either too biased or not peer reviewed and hence misleading to the readers. Natural gas is a very valuable resource and can be combined with engineering innovations to vastly improve human life. For instance, natural gas can help enhance energy efficiency by making the methane and ethane conversion process more effectual and economic. Also, natural gas can be used to generate hybrid high-temperature fluids for cleaner sources of energy such as solar thermal as well as natural gas powered systems for effective cooling and heating applications.3 In this age of technology, it is extremely important to discover ways to augment the potential of natural gas while taking the environmental implications into consideration. Sustainable ways should be developed to generate cleaner and more efficient energy while still embracing the economics benefits of the industry. While considering economic benefits of the hydraulic fracturing industry, it is also of utmost importance to consider those who are residing in areas of current or future shale gas operations for detrimental effects to their health and

What are the costs and benefits of using natural gas? What factors affect its supply and demand?

Natural gas emits over 25% less carbon dioxide than oil and over 40% less than coal, It is also cheaper to use than oil and gasoline. Furthermore, natural gas produces 60% to 90% less smog-inducing pollutants than oil, gas and coal, consequently, acid rain will be less frequent and less damage is done to the ozone layer. Natural gas is also less flammable than gasoline, making it safer when transported or stored (Stephenson (2010) (page 55-56)).

Fracking Controversy

This therefore makes it one of the positive aspects of using this alternative source of energy. That is, the process has prevented America from using close to $350 to $450 billions spent on imported oil by extracting our own (Wilber, 2012). This money is therefore used in other areas such as the investment in wind and solar energy among others. Once these alternative energies are in check, natural gas will be used for other reasons such as transportation purposes or for energy efficiency, as it is a powerful energy

Fracking Of The United States

Another reason is by using natural gas in making electricity instead of coal because coal emits a huge supply of carbon dioxide into the air. So by using natural gas instead of coal it would reduce air pollution as a whole.

Fracking In The Middle East

In every other category, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and overall particles it's cleaner. Another plus is oil and coal both release mercury but natural gas does not. Smog and overall air quality is an increasing issue especially in large cities such as columbus. Smog is apart of the ground level of the ozone. It's a chemical reaction of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, other harmful organic compounds, and heat from sunlight. However unlike coal Natural gas has a low carbon monoxide and unlike oil it has a low nitrogen oxide level, As a result of this it contributes little to smog and can be even used to combat smog in metropolitan areas. Acid is another pressing environmental issue. Acid rain is formed when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water vapor and other chemicals in the presence of sunlight to form various acidic compounds in the air. Natural gas emits virtually no sulfur dioxide so it has almost no threat of acid rain. However, fracking wells release methane gas. This is a problem because if the methane gas isn’t burned of is is 25 times stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Another pro and a con is cost. The process of hydraulic fracking is not cost efficient. This is part of the reason why natural gas is more expensive. However, the fracking industry creates jobs for ohio and the usa as a whole. So far 340,000

The Process Of Fracking

Natural gas is not a clean nor renewable source of energy. A transition to wind, solar, geothermic, and hydroelectric energy along with other natural resources that do not produce the harmful environmental concerns are needed. The cleanliness of our air and the reduction of our dependence on fossil fuels is something that needs to take priority. There is a responsibility to do as much as we can to take care of the resources around us and not to destroy them without knowing the consequences that will be

Fracking And Natural Gas Should Be A Good Thing For The Economy

The Industrial Revolution created a society and energy consumption based on coal. However, in a more traditional society, natural gas has been obtained through oil drilling. While

Fracking And The Environment : Fracking

Natural gas is being relied upon more as an energy source instead of the polluting energy source of burning coal. This is a good thing because it is cutting out the CO2 emissions given off by using coal. However, the method of using hydraulic fracturing to get the natural gas is worse for the environment than the coal. But in the long run, the benefits of hydraulic fracturing do not outweigh the costs. Fracking releases methane gas, a greenhouse gas, into the environment. The chemicals that are being used are winding up in our drinking water, and there has been evidence that fracking has increased seismic activity in the regions in which it is being used to extract the natural gas. Using natural gas cuts down the greenhouse gas emissions of coal, but the very method to gather natural gas also increases greenhouse gas emissions. Negating any clean energy benefits that the

The Key Differences Between the Natural Gas Markets in Asia, Europe and North America

With the carbon emission regulations recently introduced by US government, natural gas is the most likely substitution to coal for electricity generation for years to come. Latest price reductions made natural gas from a cost perspective much more attractive than coal.

Energy Resource: Natural Gas and Solar Energy Essay

The importance of natural gas is to replace the role of oil in the economy. Natural gas is good for the US because it can produce natural gas domestically. It has plenty of energy for use in people’s homes and in industry. It will help the US economy cope with the depletion of peak oil production. Crude oil is nearly three times as expensive as Natural gas. (Pipeline, 2009-2013)

Coal and Natural Gas Power Plants Essay

• 6 Works Cited

CO2 is the most significant greenhouse gas, which mainly comes from the use of fossil fuels. Many people feel that content of CO2 in the atmosphere is the main reason for manmade global warming. The main sources of CO2 emissions involve electricity generation, industrial processes, fumes from transportation and commercial buildings and use. Emissions of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, to the atmosphere are expected to cause even more of a significant change in global climate (Davison, 2007). The main focus to try to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is to reduce the amount that is released from coal-fired power plants. Greenhouse gas emissions that involve the productions of electricity come from natural gas production and coal-fired power plant operations. Natural gas production accounts for twenty-four percent and coal-fired power plant operations accounts for seventy-five percent, while the other one percent is caused by other electricity generation operations. The main reason why coal-fired power plants have a higher percentage of emissions is because the sulfur content of coal is much higher than that of other fossil fuels (Jarmaillo et al., 2007). This proves that there is a great need to find an alternative fossil fuel to use instead of coal. Although coal is easy to mine, transport and process for the electricity generation process, it is also the

Related Topics

• Natural gas
• Carbon dioxide
• Energy development

Evaluation of US Natural Gas Industry Research Paper

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The use of natural gas in the United States has experienced dramatic growth since late 20 th century. In most of the period, natural gas which saw massive production was a by-product of crude oil production. Long-lived reserves and easy target have since been provided by the large reservoirs of dry natural gas production.

“On April 1992, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order requiring a comprehensive natural gas restructuring, which was meant to enhance a more competitive ground into the natural gas industry.

Subsequently, the order enhanced the unbundling of pipelines’ gas sales and transportation services, thus the natural gas producers and the shippers could engage in arms-length transactions.” More importantly, the order made it possible for natural gas buyers to do this with an equitable and fair access to pipeline transportation from the sellers (Dahl, 112).

The main focus of the order was to create a capacity reallocation program, known as “capacity release.” This was to enable the shippers who had the capacity right of firms to release large amount of capacity through the pipeline for sale.

In addition, there were requirements on the pipe release, which required posting of information necessary to provide the interested parties with an opportunity to bid on the release capacity. This created a bidding competition, which saw the bidders with the largest value to become the acquiring shipper.

In 1993, the FERC commenced evaluating pipeline’s conformity filings, also putting in place the ‘capacity release’ enactment. All pipelines were to be approved and their operations were to be as per the requirements of the Order. The FERC aimed at ensuring that there was a well functioning capacity release to the market and a more competitive ground for natural gas delivery by the natural gas industry.

While on the same time, enhancing the efficiency of cost distribution and mitigating rate increases to firm gas customers, which were achievable since the firm shippers of natural gas paid for the fixed costs of transportation (Lautzenhiser & MacDonald, 253).

Having analyzed the main focus concerning the industrial requirements according to the order, let us look at the industry at a glance. Natural gas which is almost composed of methane entirely is a useful fuel used for commercial purpose as well as residential purposes. Its production, transportation and consumption is measured in cubic feet, which is equivalent to an area measuring one foot in regard to all three dimensions.

“The energy of one cubic feet can be estimated to hold energy equivalent to around one million British thermal units (Btu), however this energy does fluctuate due to different chemical composition of a gas.” In the twenty-first century, the use of natural gas is increasingly been used to generate of electricity, with many production industries embracing use of natural gas in place of nuclear energy as it shows effectiveness in the speed of electric generation as well as it contributed to cleaner environment.

This enabled the natural gas production to take over other energies such as coal and other fossil fules, and its role was expected to be extended further by the Clean Air Act effect. The natural gas is also used more due to its efficiency in retaining and distributing the heat energy produced through electricity generation (Dooley, 453).

The origin of the natural gas industry is traceable back in 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania. During this time, the first pipeline transportation was established in United States when oil was struck 69 feet below the ground by Edward Drake, a former railroad conductor.

It was however used to light street lights as there was no easy way of transporting the gas into people homes. Later on, natural gas was established in domestic usage through water warming and cooking food by gas producers.

However, during this period, its usage remained constricted until the end of the Second World War when some metallurgy advancements, pipes making rolling and welding processes contributed to improvement of distribution channels. There was expansion in layout of pipelines and widened usage of natural gas in America industry (Hackworth, Koch & Rezaiyan, 193).

“The first Natural gas Regulation Act was passed on 1938 which was the first government regulation of the industry”. The Act’s aim was to protect the consumers from the emerging monopolies in the natural gas industry through price regulation of the natural gas (Lautzenhiser & MacDonald, 153).

In the 1970s and 1980s there were acute outages of the gas which contributed to the eventual change from price regulation thus heightening the demand for the natural gas supply and decreasing the prices. Gradually, innovation and technology improvement started to be realized in natural gas industry as a result of competition.

In 1990, the “Clean Air Act Amendment” boosted the natural gas demand as it argued that natural gas was the cleanest energy source and by late 1990s, the natural gas industry was leading the supplier of energy with more than a half of the nation’s energy and indications showing that the reliance on natural gas was increasing.

The consumption of natural gas as energy had risen up to 70 percent of energy needs by 1999. According to Lautzenhiser & MacDonald (363), “there were more than 1.3 million miles of natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines traversing the nation, delivering supplies to 60 million commercial and residential customers.”

In early 2000, there have been proposals on pipeline projects which were estimated to boost the capacity of gas delivery by 23.2 billion cubic feet per day. As a result, a significant number of coal burning power and nuclear plants were shut down while other was being converted to natural gas facilities.

“In the beginning of 2000’s, the natural gas industry suffered from the sluggish market impacts, incoherent market deregulations and from the upheavals in the general energy industry, which were attributed greatly to the 2000 energy crisis in California together with the collapse of energy giant, Enron. This led to downsizing operations, large scale sell-offs, and a drastic decrease in shareholder’s equity in several firms”.

According to Dahl (341), “although natural gas makes up just one-third of the entire energy industry, because most energy companies have diversified interests that span the market, the beginning of the twenty-first century saw the industry weather a difficult storm of customers and investor distrust.” This saw declining capability of production, despite the fact that the usage of natural gas was expected to increase.

As mentioned earlier, the state regulation and myriad of federal are the core determinant of the distribution and transportation of natural gas.

This has categorized the two practices by putting the “interstate pipeline under FERC jurisdiction” and local distribution companies under the domain of their state’s public utility commission. Although historically oligopolies have directed the distribution chain of the natural gas from the producers to the consumers, deregulation during 1980’s and 1990’s enhanced by the fragmentation and competitiveness in the industry.

Before the deregulation, the chain of the gas distribution involved transporters who relied on the gas producers for supply, and were required by the wholesale agreement to provide the gas to distributors. The distributors under retail chain then delivered the gas to the end users.

However, on the employment of the deregulation, the natural gas industry experienced an expansion and extension of the traditional roles. In addition, there were new entrants in the distribution chain; these were “consultants, brokers, marketing affiliates and independent marketers”.

“The natural gas industry has trade associations, which represent the numerous segments”, for instance the demands of local-distributing firms are represented by “American Gas Association”, “The Natural Gas Supply Association” represents the giant gas producers, and “The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America” which represents pipelines’ firms.

“Other related organizational representations include; small independent gas producers who are represented by Independent Petroleum Association of America, gas producers who are represented by Domestic Petroleum Council, and local distributors who are represented by the Natural Gas Council”. The deregulation has increased the accessibility and consistency of the supply of natural gas and has also enhanced increase the gas’ demand.

Focusing on the current industry conditions, the early years of 2000 have seen the industry experiencing serious setbacks. California for instance experienced a significant power shortage and outages in 2001. In 2002, there was an artificial shortage of the natural gas which was attributed to El Paso Corp intention of heightening the gas price in its greed intention of acquiring vast amounts of profits.

Following this scenario, the Enron Corp was faced by severe losses due to withdrawal of support by the Wall Street investors due corruption allegations, which lead to a drop by 90% in the shareholder’s wealth.

As a result, the natural gas industry was faced by tailspin of downsizing, lay-offs, and sell-offs. The industry therefore lost its credibility and went on a hard track of obtaining bankers and investors an attempt which remained wary of the volatile industry (Dahl, 290).

While the natural gas supply remained above average in 2002 with regard to previous five years, the natural gas storage supplies showed poor records in 2003 contributing to higher prices. However, as the U.S economy started recovering from the economic downturn as at the end of 2003, it was projected that that natural gas demand would rise by about 4% and would be consistent.

On the other hand, the production was not expected to increase regardless of the low level of storage. However the deregulation gradually revised the trend of both the production and distribution of the natural gas and the usage in commercial and domestic area. This was accompanied by increased demand of the natural gas.

However, the natural gas industry emphasizes more on market efficiency. “Under the pipeline maintenance investigation, the U.S Department of Transport reported that more than 800,000 leaks in service line and gas main is experienced every year”. This is significant representation of earning through gas loss beside a clear presentation of a potential disaster (Dahl, 284).

According to the Energy Information Administration, “it is projected that the use of natural gas as an electricity generating fuel would grow by 30% in year 2010 in comparison to 1992 levels. The increasing reliance of the natural gas has called for regulations that will ensure that the markets dealing with this product are exercising efficient operations. The recent years have seen the natural gas industry transforming from strict regulations to increasing competition”.

This is a change has been attributed to the whole distribution chain from the wellhead sources to the burner tip end user. However, the competition has affected the industry strategic choices which have become complicated due to the “expansion of pipeline services, natural gas derivative markets which have been successfully developed, and the North American market integration” (Dooley, 173).

According to Dooley (317), “any explanation of capacity release transactions must begin with an overview of the regulation that created the mechanism, thus the legislation creating the mechanism needs to be overviewed”. This will enable one to realize that natural gas pipelines, unlike others, were not designed as common carriers, however according to Order No. 636 and 636 the FERC has the mandate to change natural gas pipelines into common carriers.

The FERC attempted to change the pipelines transformation into common carrier in 1992 through revolutionizing the natural gas industry by authorization of pipelines unbundling their services to natural gas end users. In capacity release, the determination that the capacity will be utilized over a certain period of time enables determination of period of release, quantity to be released, whether or not the release is recallable among others.

The capacity release is transacted through pipeline’s ebb and though it is initiated by the seller, buyers also have the potential of triggering them (Dooley, 213).

There are important variables which are the key determinants of the prices for release capacity. According to Dahl (372), “the price of release capacity of natural gas industry is influenced by several factors which include; the distance over which the capacity release is effective, amount of capacity release, the number of releasing shippers on a given pipeline, the discounted interruptible rate of transportation on pipelines where the release is undertaken and the time length under which the release operation is effective, the capacity utilization degree on the pipeline, the specified minimum rate in posting of the release capacity, consideration whether deals contain recall right or not and whether the deal was prearranged or not among others.”

Natural gas industry has developed research and technology where development programs, research and designs were appropriated $246 million in 1999 at the Department of Energy. Adoption of intensive natural gas technology were also announced by Gas Research Institute which aimed at implementing natural gas cooling technology and natural gas micro turbines among other.

This saw “Enron Gas Pipeline Company being awarded in 1999 for surveying fugitive emission compressor stations which was a promising undertaking in helping the industry to secure co-funding and consortium for testing natural gas such like methane”.

The overall effort in improving the research and technology of the natural gas industry is aimed at enhancing expansion of natural gas market as well as improving natural gas conveyance. The evolution of natural gas fueled vehicle contributed to an increase of natural gas consumption by 26 percent despite the fact that it accounted for a minimal fraction of U.S natural gas consumption (Hackworth, Koch & Rezaiyan 413).

In addition, the industry have been able to introduce a residential natural gas dehumidifier which have since replaced air conditioning units which used electricity in private homes, industrial and commercial applications. Notably, United Technologies manufactured “natural gas fuel cells which could produce heat and electricity by combining oxygen and hydrogen”.

The low emission by these cells has made the technology look more suitable when used inside buildings. These natural gas fuel cells have been used in various industries such as food processing, hospitals and mass transit agency.

Works Cited

Dahl, Carol. “International Energy Markets.” Understanding Pricing, Policies and Profits . 2004.

Dooley, John. “Unintended consequences: energy R&D in a deregulated energy market.” 27 th August 1998.

Hackworth, John, Koch Robert, & Rezaiyan, John. “Economic Evaluation and Market Analysis for Natural Gas Utilization.” April 1995.

Lautzenhiser, Stephen & MacDonald Scott. “Evaluation of Capacity Release Transactions in the Natural Gas Industry.” June 1994

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Essay on Greenhouse Effect for Students and Children

500 words essay on greenhouse effect.

The past month, July of 2019, has been the hottest month in the records of human history. This means on a global scale, the average climate and temperatures are now seen a steady rise year-on-year. The culprits of this climate change phenomenon are mainly pollution , overpopulation and general disregard for the environment by the human race. However, we can specifically point to two phenomenons that contribute to the rising temperatures – global warming and the greenhouse effect. Let us see more about them in this essay on the greenhouse effect.

The earth’s surface is surrounded by an envelope of the air we call the atmosphere. Gasses in this atmosphere trap the infrared radiation of the sun which generates heat on the surface of the earth. In an ideal scenario, this effect causes the temperature on the earth to be around 15c. And without such a phenomenon life could not sustain on earth.

However, due to rapid industrialization and rising pollution, the emission of greenhouse gases has increased multifold over the last few centuries. This, in turn, causes more radiation to be trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. And as a consequence, the temperature on the surface of the planet steadily rises. This is what we refer to when we talk about the man-made greenhouse effect.

Causes of Greenhouse Effect

As we saw earlier in this essay on the greenhouse effect, the phenomenon itself is naturally occurring and an important one to sustain life on our planet. However, there is an anthropogenic part of this effect. This is caused due to the activities of man.

The most prominent among this is the burning of fossil fuels . Our industries, vehicles, factories, etc are overly reliant on fossil fuels for their energy and power. This has caused an immense increase in emissions of harmful greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfides, etc. This has multiplied the greenhouse effect and we have seen a steady rise in surface temperatures.

Other harmful activities such as deforestation, excessive urbanization, harmful agricultural practices, etc. have also led to the release of excess carbon dioxide and made the greenhouse effect more prominent. Another harmful element that causes harm to the environment is CFC (chlorofluorocarbon).

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Some Effects of Greenhouse Effect

Even after overwhelming proof, there are still people who deny the existence of climate change and its devastating pitfalls. However, there are so many effects and pieces of evidence of climate change it is now undeniable. The surface temperature of the planet has risen by 1c since the 19th century. This change is largely due to the increased emissions of carbon dioxide. The most harm has been seen in the past 35 years in particular.

The oceans and the seas have absorbed a lot of this increased heat. The surfaces of these oceans have seen a rise in temperatures of 0.4c. The ice sheets and glaciers are also rapidly shrinking. The rate at which the ice caps melt in Antartica has tripled in the last decade itself. These alarming statistics and facts are proof of the major disaster we face in the form of climate change.

600 Words Essay on Greenhouse Effect

A Greenhouse , as the term suggests, is a structure made of glass which is designed to trap heat inside. Thus, even on cold chilling winter days, there is warmth inside it. Similarly, Earth also traps energy from the Sun and prevents it from escaping back. The greenhouse gases or the molecules present in the atmosphere of the Earth trap the heat of the Sun. This is what we know as the Greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse Gases

These gases or molecules are naturally present in the atmosphere of the Earth. However, they are also released due to human activities. These gases play a vital role in trapping the heat of the Sun and thereby gradually warming the temperature of Earth. The Earth is habitable for humans due to the equilibrium of the energy it receives and the energy that it reflects back to space.

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect

The trapping and emission of radiation by the greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere is known as the Greenhouse effect. Without this process, Earth will either be very cold or very hot, which will make life impossible on Earth.

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon. Due to wrong human activities such as clearing forests, burning fossil fuels, releasing industrial gas in the atmosphere, etc., the emission of greenhouse gases is increasing.

Thus, this has, in turn, resulted in global warming . We can see the effects due to these like extreme droughts, floods, hurricanes, landslides, rise in sea levels, etc. Global warming is adversely affecting our biodiversity, ecosystem and the life of the people. Also, the Himalayan glaciers are melting due to this.

There are broadly two causes of the greenhouse effect:

I. Natural Causes

• Some components that are present on the Earth naturally produce greenhouse gases. For example, carbon dioxide is present in the oceans, decaying of plants due to forest fires and the manure of some animals produces methane , and nitrogen oxide is present in water and soil.
• Water Vapour raises the temperature by absorbing energy when there is a rise in the humidity.
• Humans and animals breathe oxygen and release carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

II. Man-made Causes

• Burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal emits carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which causes an excessive greenhouse effect. Also, while digging a coal mine or an oil well, methane is released from the Earth, which pollutes it.
• Trees with the help of the process of photosynthesis absorb the carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Due to deforestation the carbon dioxide level is continuously increasing. This is also a major cause of the increase in the greenhouse effect.
• In order to get maximum yield, the farmers use artificial nitrogen in their fields. This releases nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere.
• Industries release harmful gases in the atmosphere like methane, carbon dioxide , and fluorine gas. These also enhance global warming.

All the countries of the world are facing the ill effects of global warming. The Government and non-governmental organizations need to take appropriate and concrete measures to control the emission of toxic greenhouse gases. They need to promote the greater use of renewable energy and forestation. Also, it is the duty of every individual to protect the environment and not use such means that harm the atmosphere. It is the need of the hour to protect our environment else that day is not far away when life on Earth will also become difficult.

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Crews repairing ruptured gas line on east side of des moines.

MidAmerican Energy tells KCCI this is the result of a line being hit by a contractor. The company says the situation is safe and crews are working on repairs.

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MidAmerican Energy crews are on the scene Friday night of a ruptured natural gas line on the east side of Des Moines.

At around 6:45 p.m., police said all lanes of East University Avenue between East 9th Street and East 12th Street were temporarily closed while Des Moines fire and repair crews worked in the area.

MidAmerican Energy tells KCCI this is the result of a line being hit by a contractor. At around 10:20p.m. Friday, the company confirmed with KCCI that the situation is safe and crews are working on repairs. A company spokesperson says there is no estimated time on a final fix yet.

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Natural Gas - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is found deep beneath the earth’s surface. It is comprised primarily of methane and is often found alongside oil deposits. It is a clean-burning fuel that produces less pollution than other fossil fuels, making it a popular energy source for power generation and heating. It is transported through pipelines and can also be compressed for use in vehicles. Natural gas is a finite resource and must be extracted from the earth through drilling or hydraulic fracturing, which can have environmental impacts.

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Read this essay to learn about Natural Gas. After reading this essay you will learn about: 1. Importance and Uses of Natural Gas 2. Reserves and Consumption of Natural Gas 3. Regions Producing.

Essay # Importance and Uses of Natural Gas :

During the late 1990s, among the different fossil fuels, natural gas has registered fastest growth in consumption. It now (2,000) contributes 23% of global commercial energy. Since 1975, production of natural gas has experienced a massive growth of 70%.

The major uses of natural gas are:

(a) It is widely used as fuel in industries and domestic cooking purposes.

(b) Petrochemical industry uses natural gas as fuel and raw material.

(c) Different industries, mostly chemical — artificial rubber, plastics, fertilizer, ink, car­bon—use natural gas as raw material.

(d) Natural gas is sometimes used for artificial lighting.

Essay # Reserves and Consumption of Natural Gas :

Proven natural gas reserves has increased significantly in the 1990s: Russian Federation possesses one-third of the proven gas reserves of the world (48,160 billion cubic meters in 1993), followed by Iran (20,659 billion cubic metres), U.A.E. (5,794 billion cubic metres), Saudi Arabia (5,620 billion cubic metres), U.S.A. (4,593 billion cubic metres) etc.

As far as consumption of natural gas is concerned, U.S.A.is well ahead of other coun­tries—consuming one-third of the world total. So, it is a deficient-producing country where bulk of the consumption is generally imported from Middle East countries. The other notable consumers of natural gas are Russia (20%), Germany, France, U.K. etc.

Essay # Regions Producing Natural Gas :

The natural gas producing nations are distributed in five geographical regions:

(a) American region:

U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, Venezuela etc.

(b) European region:

Russian Federation, U.K., France, Romania etc.

(c) Middle-East Asia:

Leading producers are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar etc.

(d) Far Eastern region:

Important producers are Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, India etc.

(e) African region:

Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria etc.

Secures second position in natural gas production, next only to Russia. In 2004, it produced 536,000 million m 3 natural gas. As far as reserves are concerned, U.S.A. secures fifth place, having 4,599 billion cubic metres of gas reserve. Much of the gas fields in U.S.A. are associated with crude oil fields within Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and California states.

A significant producer of natural gas, securing third place in the world. In 1995, it produced 6,137 pet joules of energy from natural gas. Canada has more than 2,500 billion cubic metres of gas reserve. The major gas-fields are situated at Alberta and British Columbia states.

More than 2,000 billion cubic metres of gas reserve. Most of its gas-fields are located within the Tampico and Tuxpum region.

(b) European region :

1. Russian Federation:

Russia is the undisputed world leader of natural gas production. In 2004, it produced 632,000 million m 3 natural gas.

Russia contains the largest reserves of natural gas—48,160 billion cubic metres, or one- third of the world.

Major gas-producing regions are:

(i) Black Sea region—Maikop, Berezanskoe, old gas fields, still produce huge amount.

(ii) Volga basin—Buguruslan, Verkhnie etc. produce both oil and gas.

(iii) Sakhalin islands—Tungor in Sakhalin is one of the greatest gas producing regions on the earth.

Besides these regions, Pechora Valley and Taz River Valley are other important gas-producing regions.

2. United Kingdom:

Of late, U.K. has emerged as a leading gas-producing country in Europe. Exploration of new oil and gas fields in the off-shore regions of North Sea enabled it to export sizable portions of its product.

(c) Middle-East Asia :

1. Saudi Arabia:

Saudi Arabia holds 5,620 billion cubic metres of gas reserve—the fourth largest in the world. In 2004, it produced more than 64,000 million m 3 natural gas. Most of the natural gas here comes from oil-wells.

Iran possesses the second largest gas reserve in the world (20,659 billion cubic metres). In 2004, it produced 85,500 million m 3 gaseous fuel. Oil-fields in Iran produce the natural gas.

United Arab Emirates has the third largest gas reserve in the world (5,794 billion cubic  metre). In 2004, it produced 45,800 million m 3 natural gas. Bu-Musa, A1 Bandus are the major gas-fields in U.A.E.

4. Other producers:

Qatar and Iraq are the other noted gas-producing countries in the world.

(d) African region :

In the African continent, Libya and Nigeria are two important gas-producing countries. It has been estimated that Algeria possesses more than 3,500 billion cubic metres of gas, mostly concentrated in and around Hassi Massaud area.

(e) Far Eastern Asia :

Bangladesh — in far East, is a leading gas-producing country. Here, huge natural gas re­serves have been earmarked in the eastern hilly tracts.

Indonesia— is another leading gas-producing country where estimated reserve is around 2,000 billion cubic metres.

Pakistan — is a surplus gas-producing country. In near future, natural gas production may experience a big boost here.

India— possesses some amount of natural gas, mostly concentrated in Bombay High, Tripura, Gujarat and Assam oil-field areas.

Related Articles:

• Production and Distribution of Natural Gas around the World
• Natural Gas of the World and their Uses (with statistical information)

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Natural Gas and Its Role In the U.S. Energy Endgame

By Kevin Doran and Adam Reed • August 13, 2012

The United States has won the lottery on natural gas. According to the most recent estimates by the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. has some 2,214 trillion cubic feet cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas — enough to satisfy all of our natural gas demands for the next century at current consumption levels. The extraction of shale gas, enabled by technological advances such as hydrofracturing and horizontal drilling, has led the way in creating this largely unforeseen cornucopia. Domestic natural gas is now a cheaper fuel for electricity generation than coal — long our go-to fuel for power around the clock — and emits roughly half the greenhouse gas emissions. It appears that our energy problems are over — or are they? A full-throttle shift to a gas-dominated electricity system, which now appears to be the ordained path forward in many parts of the country , will flash through our newfound abundance more quickly than we realize, and will not ultimately stave off catastrophic climate change, which by any reasonable measure of sanity is still the defining challenge of the 21st

The rose of abundant gas is not without thorns, including the risk of price increases.

The natural gas boom presents the prospect of imminent harm to the deployment of renewable energy.

We should ensure that renewables are used as a hedge against the risk of increased reliance on natural gas.

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Natural gas as source of energy

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Introduction to natural gas : as a source of energy.

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Description/technical characteristics

Occurance of natural gas, natural gas – chemical composition..

• Electric power sector – 6.7 trillion cubic feet (Tcf)
• Industrial sector – 7.9 Tcf
• Residential sector – 4.9 Tcf
• Commercial sector – 3.1 Tcf

Fossil fuel

Liquefied natural gas & uses as source of energy, residential uses as source of energy, commercial uses as source of energy, compressed natural gas as a source of energy, uses as source of energy for transportation, natural gas vehicles (ngvs), rating in world in transportation fuel, domestic use as a source of energy, biogas part of natural gas, power genration, advantages of natural gase, cost-effective, disadvantages, combustible, bibilography:-.

• www.ehow.com
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• http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas
• http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/afvs/cng.html
• www.ornl.gov/reporter/no16/methane.htm
• http://www.getenergyaware.org/energy-natural-gas.asp
• http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1423-fossil-fuel-energy

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The emerging global natural gas market and the energy crisis of 2021-2022

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Alex gilbert , alex gilbert project manager, nuclear innovation alliance, colorado school of mines - the payne institute for public policy morgan d. bazilian , and morgan d. bazilian director - payne institute, professor of public policy - colorado school of mines samantha gross samantha gross director - energy security and climate initiative , fellow - foreign policy , energy security and climate initiative.

December 2021

Executive Summary

The ongoing energy crisis of late 2021 looks sure to move into 2022. It has already had wide-ranging impacts on economics, the environment, and security. This essay considers a few of the tensions arising for government policy, investors, and consumers. The crisis has three distinct elements: COVID-19 and supply chain disruptions, greater interconnectedness of natural gas markets, and signs of energy price volatility during the energy transition away from fossil fuels.

As the global economy continues a halting recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, energy prices and availability threaten to derail it. The pandemic brought about a historic drop in energy demand and prices, but recovering demand is now straining fossil fuel markets for oil and gas, and even coal. Prices are skyrocketing as demand chases fuel supply that has not yet recovered from the pandemic drop.

Past global supply crises have typically been limited to oil, but fast-changing natural gas markets are in crisis as well. A growing and more flexible liquified natural gas (LNG) market has enabled global competition for gas supply, a situation that wasn’t possible when gas was supplied by pipeline or LNG under long-term contracts. Europe and Asia are competing for the same LNG supply, pushing prices up in both markets and extending today’s tight market to the United States. In a sense, natural gas is a victim of its own success: displacement of coal-fired power generation for economic or environmental reasons has been an important source of gas demand. However, with coal-fired generation on the decline in the United States, an important buffer for gas demand and prices is disappearing. With less ability to use coal for power generation when natural gas demand is high, gas demand is becoming less elastic and prices more volatile.

Energy markets are naturally price-inelastic and thus volatile. Nonetheless, recent emphasis on the environment and affordability during the early part of the energy transition may have led to less attention to energy security. The new interconnectedness of energy markets across fuels and geographies has also changed how crises spread. Measures like strategic reserves and demand response may need more attention, along with programs to help lower-income consumers, who are always most affected when energy prices are high. Diversifying energy supply with renewables will also help, as once built, these sources are not subject to the whims of global markets.

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What is natural gas?

Natural gas is a fossil fuel energy source. Natural gas contains many different compounds. The largest component of natural gas is methane, a compound with one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms (CH 4 ). Natural gas also contains smaller amounts of natural gas liquids (NGLs, which are also hydrocarbon gas liquids ), and nonhydrocarbon gases, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor. We use natural gas as a fuel and to make materials and chemicals.

How did natural gas form?

Millions to hundreds of millions of years ago, the remains of plants and animals (such as diatoms) built up in thick layers on the earth’s surface and ocean floors, sometimes mixed with sand, silt, and calcium carbonate. Over time, these layers were buried under sand, silt, and rock. Pressure and heat changed some of this carbon and hydrogen-rich material into coal, some into oil (petroleum), and some into natural gas.

Where is natural gas found?

In some places, natural gas moved into large cracks and spaces between layers of overlying rock. The natural gas found in these types of formations is sometimes called conventional natural gas . In other places, natural gas occurs in the tiny pores (spaces) within some formations of shale, sandstone, and other types of sedimentary rock. This natural gas is referred to as shale gas or tight gas , and it is sometimes called unconventional natural gas . Natural gas also occurs with deposits of crude oil, and this natural gas is called associated natural gas . Natural gas deposits are found on land, and some are offshore and deep under the ocean floor. Natural gas found in coal deposits is called coalbed methane .

Source: Adapted from United States Geological Survey factsheet 0113-01 (public domain)

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Operators preparing a hole for the explosive charges used in seismic exploration

Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)

How do we find natural gas?

The search for natural gas begins with geologists who study the structure and processes of the earth. They locate the types of geologic formations that are likely to contain natural gas deposits.

Geologists often use seismic surveys on land and in the ocean to find the right places to drill natural gas and oil wells. Seismic surveys create and measure seismic waves in the earth to get information on the geology of rock formations. Seismic surveys on land may use a thumper truck , which has a vibrating pad that pounds the ground to create seismic waves in the underlying rock. Sometimes, small amounts of explosives are used. Seismic surveys conducted in the ocean use blasts of sound that create sonic waves to explore the geology beneath the ocean floor.

If the results of seismic surveys indicate that a site has potential for producing natural gas, an exploratory well is drilled and tested. The results of the test provide information on the quality and quantity of natural gas available in the resource.

What happens when natural gas is found?

If the results from a test well show that a geologic formation has enough natural gas to make a profit, one or more production (or development ) wells are drilled. Natural gas wells can be drilled vertically and horizontally into natural gas-bearing formations. In conventional natural gas deposits, the natural gas generally flows easily up through wells to the surface.

In the United States and in a few other countries, natural gas is produced from shale and other types of sedimentary rock formations by forcing water, chemicals, and sand down a well under high pressure. This process, called hydraulic fracturing or fracking (sometimes referred to as unconventional production ), breaks up the formation, releases the natural gas from the rock, and allows the natural gas to flow to and up wells to the surface. At the top of the well, natural gas is collected in gathering pipelines and sent to natural gas processing plants.

did you know

Because natural gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, natural gas companies add mercaptan to natural gas to give it a distinct and unpleasant odor, which helps people detect leaks in natural gas pipelines. Mercaptan is a harmless chemical that smells like rotten eggs.

Natural gas is processed for sale and consumption

Natural gas withdrawn from natural gas or crude oil wells is called wet natural gas because, along with methane, it usually contains NGLs—ethane, propane, butanes, and pentanes—and water vapor. Wellhead natural gas may also contain nonhydrocarbons such as sulfur, helium, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide, most of which must be removed from natural gas before it is sold to consumers.

From the wellhead, natural gas is sent to processing plants where water vapor and nonhydrocarbon compounds are removed and NGLs are separated from the wet gas and sold separately. Some ethane is often left in the processed natural gas. The separated NGLs are called natural gas plant liquids (NGPLs), and the processed natural gas is called dry , consumer-grade , or pipeline-quality natural gas. Some wellhead natural gas is sufficiently dry and satisfies pipeline transportation standards without processing. Chemicals called odorants are added to natural gas so that leaks in natural gas pipelines can be detected. Dry natural gas is sent through pipelines to underground storage fields or to distribution companies and then to consumers.

In places where natural gas pipelines are not available to take away the associated natural gas produced from oil wells, the natural gas may be reinjected into the oil-bearing formation, or it may be vented or burned (flared). Reinjecting unmarketable natural gas can help to maintain pressure in oil wells to improve oil production.

Coalbed methane can be extracted from coal deposits before or during coal mining, and it can be added to natural gas pipelines without any special treatment.

Most of the natural gas consumed in the United States is produced in the United States. Some natural gas is imported from Canada and Mexico in pipelines. A small amount of natural gas is also imported as liquefied natural gas .

Last updated: December 27, 2022

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Methane Emissions Reduction Program and GHGRP Subpart W (Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems)

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The Inflation Reduction Act provides new authorities under the Clean Air Act to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector through the creation of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program . As part of this program, EPA released a final rule on May 6, 2024 to strengthen, expand and update methane emissions reporting requirements for petroleum and natural gas systems under subpart W of EPA's  Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP)  to ensure greater transparency and accountability for methane pollution from oil and natural gas facilities by improving the accuracy of annual emissions reporting from these operations. 

• August 19, 2024 –  EPA issues a technical correction notice to make minor technical corrections to the subpart W rule
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