Natural Gas - Formation And Composition Of Natural Gas, History Of The Discovery And Use Of Natural Gas, Liquefied Natural Gas
hydrocarbon gases specific source
Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons (molecules that contain only carbon and hydrogen) and gases (most notably methane, ethane, propane, and butane) that exist naturally in rocks beneath the surface of the earth. It is widely used as a heating source, and in some cases specific portions of the natural gas are used as starting materials in industrial processes. Natural gas is the product of the decaying of living matter over millions of years (as is also true for petroleum). Specific conditions (including low oxygen levels) are necessary for this to occur. The hydrocarbon gases are trapped in geological formations known as anticlines. Each of the major hydrocarbon components of natural gas is used as a fuel source.
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Natural gas has its origins in decayed living matter, most likely as the result of the action of bacteria upon dead animal and plant material. In order for most bacteria to effectively break down organic matter to hydrocarbons, there must be low levels of oxygen present. This would mean that the decaying matter was buried (most likely under water) before it could be completely degraded to carbon d…
An offshore natural gas drilling platform. Photograph by Byron F. Peterson. Stock Market. Reproduced by permission.
containers of natural gas were used as heat sources for cooking in homes but for little else. As the technology for piping gas from the source began to improve, it became possible to pipe natural gas over thousands of miles. This has meant that natural gas has become as conven…
Since gases take up large amounts of space, they can be inconvenient to transport and store. The ability to liquefy the components of natural gas (either as a mixture or in isolation) has made natural gas much more practical as an energy source. The liquefaction of natural gas takes advantage of the different boiling points of methane, ethane, and other gases as a way of purifying each substance. …
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User Comments
11 days ago
mikal
this is auwsome!!!