Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 2.5.
An oil field near Bakersfield, California.
Source:
Gian Andrea Pagnoni.
Natural Gas: The Lesser of Three Evils
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gaseous mixture that consists mainly of methane.
Unlike coal or oil, methane does not take millions, thousands or even tens of years to form.
It can form in a matter of hours as organic matter is digested in the gut of an animal.
Methane is odourless, and it is the sulphur and other gases produced in the animal's gut that
produce the characteristic smell. Modern biogas plants produce methane for commercial
use by replicating the conditions inside a cow's gut. Natural gas, however, is a fossil
fuel, formed, like oil, millions of years ago, and tends to be found alongside oil and coal
deposits.
Greek legend has it that a goatherd first discovered a natural gas flare, the 'eternal
flame', on Mount Parnassus. Believing this fire to be of divine origin, the ancient Greeks
builtatempleonthesite.ItwasherethatthepriestessknownastheOracleofDelphiissued
prophecies inspired by the flame. Despite such auspicious beginnings, the value of natural
gas as an energy source was largely overlooked until recently. In fact, in the early years of
oilexploration itwasregarded moreasanuisance thanaboon,adangerousaccessory tooil
that was burned off to prevent explosions. It wasn't until the technology to safely extract,
store and distribute natural gas was developed that its value could be appreciated.
