Natural Gas

By Sarah Dever, Marina Kahl, Shannon McIntyre

History

• Before it was understood, Lighting would ignite natural gas and create a fire

• Fires like these, called “burning springs”, would create myths

• The Greeks built a temple on one of these natural gas springs

How to get Natural Gas

• A thick black liquid called oil is where gas comes from.

• This oil is found under the ocean or underground.

• The workers use bulldozers to clear the land where the oil may be.

• The workers build a frame then add machines to the frame.

• This is called a rig. A rig is used to dig up oil

How to Get Natural Gas(continued)

• A worker runs the rig drill that digs a hole called a well.

• Some of these wells have no oil.• When they don’t have oil they have to move it

to find oil.• The oil comes up from the well into pipes.• It is carried into big tanks by these pipes.• The oil is taken to a factory by train, truck, or

ships in the tanks.

When the Oil Gets to the Factory

• The factory is also called a refinery.• A refinery looks like a big maze of pipes, tanks,

and towers.• Hot pipes are used to heat the oil.• The heat separates the oil into different parts,

gas is one of these parts.• Finally, the gas is taken to gas stations by truck,

train, or pipes.

Fossil Fuels Video/BrainPoP

http://www.brainpop.com/technology/energytechnology/fossilfuels/

Advantages

• Better for the environment than coal or oil• Less expensive than gasoline

The average household gasoline bill is $4,000 per year!

• Safely stored and burned• Produces less smog*. • Doesn’t produce ashes after energy release• Has many different purposes • Can be used in any type of weather

*Smog is smoke combined with fog to create air pollutants.

Disadvantages

• Highly flammable• Managing pipes can be expensive• Non-renewable energy source• Hard to find a leak because it is odorless,

colorless, and tasteless• Can be toxic• Can contribute to air and water pollution

Questions and Answers

• What can natural gas be used for in your home?• Water Heaters • Clothes Dryers• Outdoor Lights• Barbecues• Stoves

• Can Natural gas easily be renewed?

It can not be renewed because it comes from the ground and it is not a renewable resource.

More Questions and Answers• What are the waste by-products of natural

gas?Humidity, because natural gas contains hydrogen combined with carbon, then combined with oxygen creates humidity in the air.

• Is natural gas renewable or nonrenewable?Natural gas is nonrenewable because the process of making it is much slower than it is used.

Extra Questions and Answers

• What country uses natural gas the most?United States (2009)

• Does every country use natural gas?NO. These are some countries that don’t use natural gas: Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti, and Costa Rica.

They dig oil for 9 Empire state buildings deep!That is 11,250 feet!

A drill site and more…

There is a rig that is built and it goes deep, deep down.

As you can see, there is a specific place where they make the rig.

Fun Facts

Total Energy Consumed in the U.S. - 2000 Source: EIA - Annual Energy Outlook 2002

Oil(40%)

Natural Gas(24%)

Coal(23%)

Nuclear(8%)

Renewable Energy(7%)

Electricity Imports(0.10%)

2000

2010

Energy Used in the U.S.A in 2010Source: Alternative Energy Beyond Fossil Fuels. By Dana Meachen Rau.

As you can see, there is not a significant change between 2000-2010

Bibliography

• naturalgas.org• Rau, Dana Meachen. Alternative Energy:

Beyond Fossil Fuels. Mankato, MN: Compass Point, 2010. Print.

• Zemlicka, Shannon. From Oil to Gas. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2003. Print.

• http://www.powerincooperation.com