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Natural gas FAQ (frequently asked questions)

Need to write a report about natural gas? Want to know more about some aspect of natural gas that's caught your interest? Click on the questions below, and you'll be on your way!

1. What's in natural gas?
2. What is methane?
3. What makes natural gas a clean fuel?
4. How much of our nation's energy needs are served by natural gas?
5. Are more homes heated by natural gas or electricity?
6. Where in the United States is natural gas located?
7. How much natural gas is produced in the world?
8. How much natural gas do we use?
9. How long will our natural gas supplies last?
10. Why is natural gas used to run electric power plants?
11. How many miles of natural gas pipelines are there in the U.S.?
12. When was natural gas first used in the United States?
13. Why does natural gas smell like rotten eggs?
14. What is liquefied natural gas?
15. What is a "smart pig?"
16. How fast does natural gas move through pipelines?

 

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1. What's in natural gas?
   Natural gas found in the ground contains methane, ethane, propane, pentane and traces of hexane and heptanes. Gas utilities remove almost everything but the methane so the natural gas delivered to your home will burn cleanly.
   
   
   
   
2. What is methane?
   Methane is a molecule made up of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Its chemical formula is CH₄.
   
   
   
   
3. What makes natural gas a clean fuel?
   The main products released when natural gas is burned are carbon dioxide and water vapor. Coal and oil are more chemically complex than natural gas, so when burned they release a variety of potentially harmful chemicals into the air.
   
   
   
   
4. How much of our nation's energy needs are served by natural gas?
   Natural gas supplies about a fourth of all energy used in the United States. (Source: EIA Annual Energy Review 2009)
   
   
   
   
5. Are more homes heated by natural gas or electricity?
   More homes in the U.S. are heated by natural gas than by electricity.
   
   
   
   
6. Where in the United States is natural gas located?
   Natural gas is found in 33 states. The dark blue states on this map show where large amounts of natural gas are extracted. In the medium blue states, moderate amounts of natural gas are extracted. And in the light blue states, just a little natural gas is extracted. Natural gas is not extracted at all in the white states.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. How much natural gas is produced in the world?

   Natural gas is found in about 50 countries. About 3,193 billion cubic meters of natural gas was taken out of the ground and processed for use in 2010. Here is a breakdown of how much of that was produced by various countries and regions:
   
   
   • Europe and Eurasia 32.6%
   • United States 19.3%
   • Asian and Pacific countries 15.4%
   • Middle East 14.4%
   • Africa 6.5%
   • Canada 5.0%
   • Central and South America 5%
   • Mexico 1.7%
   
   (Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
   
   
   
   
8. How much natural gas do we use?
   About 3,169 billion cubic meters of natural gas was used in the world in 2010. Here is a breakdown of how much of that was used by various countries and regions:
   
   
   • Europe and Eurasia 35.8%
   • United States 21.73%
   • Asian and Pacific countries 17.9%
   • Middle East 11.5%
   • Central and South America 4.7%
   • Africa 3.3%
   • Canada 3%
   • Mexico 2.2%
   
   (Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
   
   
   
   
9. How long will our natural gas supplies last?
   If natural gas production continues throughout the world at the level it did in 2010, the world's known gas reserves are expected to last about 59 years.
   
   (Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
   
   
   
   
10. Why is natural gas used to run electric power plants?
    After coal, natural gas is the most commonly used fuel for electricity generation, producing about 23 percent of the nation's electricity supply. Natural gas burns cleanly and results in fewer emissions than coal or oil. Natural gas-fueled power plants can start up and shut down quickly, which means they can be switched on or off to maintain just the amount of electricity needed to meet demand.
    
    
    
    
11. How many miles of natural gas pipelines are there in the U.S.?
    About 2.4 million miles of underground pipelines deliver natural gas to 70 million customers in the U.S. (Source: American Gas Association)
    
    
    
    
12. When was natural gas first used in the United States?
    The first widespread use of gas energy in the United States occurred in 1816, when gaslights illuminated the streets of Baltimore, Maryland.
    
    
    
    
13. Why does natural gas smell like rotten eggs?
    In its natural state, natural gas has no odor. Utility companies add a chemical odorant called mercaptan to natural gas to help make gas leaks easier to notice. If you have a natural gas stove, you may have smelled this rotten egg odor when the pilot light has gone out.
    
    
    
    
14. What is liquefied natural gas?
    When natural gas is cooled to 260 degrees below zero, it changes from a gas into a liquid. Liquid natural gas takes up much less space than natural gas, making it easy to transport and convenient to store. Six hundred cubic feet of natural gas turns into just one cubic foot of liquid gas.
    
    
    
    
15. What is a "smart pig?"
    A smart pig is an electronic device that can be used to inspect the insides of natural gas pipelines. The device travels through a pipeline and transmits images of the inside of the pipeline so inspectors can tell if the pipeline needs repairs.
    
    
    
    
16. How fast does natural gas move through pipelines?
    Natural gas travels through pipelines at the slow and steady pace of 15 miles per hour.