Natural Gas and other Fossil Fuels
Natural Gas History of Use Formation Production Reserves
History China—first recorded use, piped through bamboo Europe-gas lights used in Belgium and England (this gas was distilled from coal, wood, and peat) William Murdoch: Scottish Engineer –Put coal gas lights in cotton mills
History cont’d 1821, Fredonia New York William Hart drilled a well 27’ deep and piped the gas to a local inn—where it lit 66 lights Natural gas also found at Titusville in : long-distance pipelines made 1879: Thomas Edison
Modern Use of Natural Gas Seamless pipes available in 1920’s but it wasn’t until after World War II that it became really important for heating Why is it a good fuel? –No refining –Burns cleanly –More heat/unit weight than any other fossil fuel
Natural Gas History of Use Formation Production Reserves
Formation Formed in the same manor as petroleum –Thermogenic-->4km and >150°C Formed during the petrogenesis of coal
Natural Gas History of Use Formation Production Reserves
Production Similar to oil but easier to release because it is much less viscous—
Composition of Natural Gas Mostly methane CH 4 Some ethane C 2 H 6 PropaneC 3 H 8 ButaneC 4 H 10 HydrogenH 2 Some Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide
Production Impurities removed Coal scent added Then piped –> 1.8 million km of high pressure pipe in U.S. Middle East, Africa, South America –LNG at -162°C
Production-past and projected Report #:DOE/EIA-0484(2006) Release Date: June 2006
In Billion cubic feet
Reserves
Natural Gas History of Use Formation Production Reserves
Reserves-countries with > 200 trillion cubic feet U.S.A.204 Russia1688 Iran974 Qatar910 Saudi Arabia244 United Arab Emigrates214 –These countries account for 67% of the world’s reserves
Reserves—how long will they last? At the current rate? –100 trillion cubic feet per year—about 62 years At projected rates? –About 150 trillion cubic feet per year—about 41 years
Heavy Oils and Tar Sands Definition Formation Pilot Plants
Heavy Oils and Tar Sands Characterized by being –A. Dark in colour –B. So viscous that they don’t respond to either primary or secondary recovery techniques –High in sulphur, Ni, V –Rich in asphaltines
Heavy Oils and Tar Sands Example Bitumen—black viscous to semisolid HC material found when oil has lost its light weight volatile components
Heavy Oils and Tar Sands Definition Formation Pilot Plants
Formation of Heavy Oil/Tar sand 1. oxidation and loss of lightweight fractions 2. Thermal maturation 3. Biodegration
Heavy Oils and Tar Sands Definition Formation Pilot plants no more
Athabasca Tar (Oil) Sands
In 2003, Alberta’s reserves estimates of remaining established reserves are billion barrels (Gb), comparable with the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. In 2001, Alberta’s production of raw bitumen and synthetic crude oil (SCO) exceeded that for conventional crude oil, accounting for 53% of Alberta’s oil production. This trend is expected to increase to about 80% of Alberta’s oil production by 2013.
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Countries with large tar sand deposits Canada Venezuela Middle East
Extracting oil from tar sands cfmhttp://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/tarsands/index. cfm
Oil Shale Definition Formation Fuels of the future Mining techniques
Definition Fine-grained sedimentary rocks containing waxy insoluble hydrocarbons called kerogen Can be converted to oil at temperatures in excess of 500°C
Oil Shale Definition Formation Fuels of the future Mining techniques
Formation Deposited with fine-grained sediments (mud) that are rich in organic material. Anoxic environment. The lighter fraction is lost with temperatures in excess of 150. Organic material is heavy 5 to 25% is recoverable organic material Rich oil shales burn like coal
Oil shale from AAPG
Oil Shale Definition Formation Fuels of the future Mining techniques
Reserves
Oil Shale
Definition Formation Fuels of the future Mining techniques
Revert to notes
Comparison of Major Types of Fossil Fuel 1. Carbon content 2. Heat Content 3. Efficiency in Producing Electricity 4. Environmental Concerns
Carbon Content Oil contains 17% less C/unit energy than coal Natural gas contains 43% less C/unit energy than coal Natural gas contains 31% less C/unit energy than oil Gas<Oil<Coal
Comparison of Major Types of Fossil Fuel 1. Carbon content 2. Heat Content 3. Efficiency in Producing Electricity 4. Environmental Concerns
Heat content UnitHeat (10 6 Btu) CoalShort ton AnthraciteShort ton Natural Gas1000 ft Gasolinegallon Heating OilGallon6.49 ElectricityKwh WoodCord21.5
Comparison of Major Types of Fossil Fuel 1. Carbon content 2. Heat Content 3. Efficiency in Producing Electricity 4. Environmental Concerns
Efficiency in Producing Electricity From Coal28% From Oil35% From Natural Gas40%
US existing power plants
Electric Power USA 2005
Comparison of Major Types of Fossil Fuel 1. Carbon content 2. Heat Content 3. Efficiency in Producing Electricity 4. Environmental Concerns