Home   »   Geography   »   Natural Gas

Natural Gas, Distribution Map, Benefits, Uses, Importance, Limitations

Natural Gas

Natural gas is a natural mix of hydrocarbon gases. It mainly contains methane, along with other gases like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. You can find natural gas in deep underground rock formations and coal beds. It can also be found as methane clathrate or with other hydrocarbon deposits. Petroleum is often found near or with natural gas.

Read about: Energy Resources

Natural Gas Processes

There are two main processes that produce most natural gas:

  • Thermogenic
  • Biogenic

Methanogenic organisms produce biogenic gas in marshes, bogs, landfills, and shallow sediments. Thermogenic gas is produced from buried organic material at higher temperatures and pressures deeper in the soil. Natural gas must be processed to eliminate impurities such as water.  This is done to make it marketable before it may be used as fuel. Byproducts of processing include ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, water vapour, helium, and nitrogen.

Read about: Hydropower Plants in India

Global Distribution of Natural Gas

The USA is the largest producer accounting for 23% of the world’s natural gas production. It is followed by Russia, Iran, and Qatar. Some major oil fields are mentioned below:

Country/Continent Region/Location
Russia West Siberia east of the Gulf of Ob, Urengoy, and Yamburg.
Europe Norway: Troll field

Netherlands-Groningen

North America USA- Marcellus Shale, Hugoton

Canada-Elmworth

Mexico-Cantrell

Asia Arabian-Iranian basin

Qatar-North Field

Indonesia-North Sumatra

Africa Algeria- Hassi R’Mel

Read about: Nuclear Power Plants in India

Distribution of Natural Gas in India

  • Odisha, Assam, Tripura, the Gulf of Kutch, the Gulf of Khambhat, the Bassein field, the Bombay High, Barmer in Rajasthan, the KG basin, the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, etc. India has 541 BCM (on-shore, in Assam, and Gujarat) of economically feasible natural gas reserves, plus an additional 190 BCM offshore in the Gulf of Cambay and 190 BCM in the Bombay High.
  • A vast deposit of 400 BCM was just found in the Tripura Basin. In addition to these, there is a sizable reserve near the Andaman and Nicobar islands, and 72 BCM is located in the Rava structure. Based on remote sensing data, the reserves in Andaman and Nicobar are projected to be over 1700 BCM. Production has not yet started because it hasn’t been determined whether it would be profitable.
  • This reserve will meet India’s demands for the next 100 years. This could lead to an economic revolution in Eastern India.

Read about: Major Ports in India

Natural Gas Benefits

Here are the various benefits of Natural Gas described below:

  • It is used for heating, cooking, and power generation.
  • It is also used as car fuel and a chemical feedstock for making plastics.
  • It burns completely. Hence, it is cleaner as compared to other energy sources.
  • It emits 70% less carbon dioxide when compared to other fossil fuels. It does not create ashes after releasing energy.
  • Natural gas was predominantly employed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries for lighting residential and commercial areas.
  • It now has a far larger range of industrial and home applications.
  • Turbines are turned by it to produce wind and sun energy.
  • It is a domestic fuel as well. It operates heaters, ovens, boilers, and other appliances while heating our homes.
  • For cooking and heating, some families utilise compressed natural gas (CNG), which is gas that has been held under high pressure.
  • For low-load cars that demand excellent fuel economy, CNG is also a reasonably priced and environmentally beneficial transportation fuel.
  • Off-road trucks and trains are powered by LNG or liquefied natural gas.

Read about: Manganese Ore

Natural Gas Importance

  • Currently, about 40% of natural gas is used to make fertilizers. Around 10% is used for LPG, and about 30% for electricity. Natural gas production has grown, especially since 1971.
  • Nearly 10% of India’s electricity comes from gas-powered plants, but many aren’t running due to a lack of fuel. Existing plants use expensive imported LNG at less than full capacity.
  • India doesn’t have enough oil to meet its energy needs, and slow policy decisions make the problem worse. To protect against external shocks, we need to diversify our energy sources with alternative fuels.
  • Globally, natural gas provides about 25% of energy, but in India, it only accounts for 6%, with coal and oil being more common. The Indian government aims to increase natural gas use to 15% by 2030.

Read about: Chromite Ore

Natural Gas Usage Limitations

  • Natural gas is a finite, non-renewable resource. It is found extremely deep within the earth.
  • We can not collect all the gas from a deposit because our technology is not advanced enough.

Read More: Iron Ore

Natural Gas UPSC

Up until 2024, the government will spend over 60 billion dollars on gas infrastructure across the nation, with a goal of raising gas’s proportion in the energy mix to 15% by 2030. Currently, gas makes up 6% of the nation’s overall energy mix. Currently, imports satisfy about half of the world’s demand for natural gas. India is currently the fourth-largest LNG importer. According to the Indian government, natural gas will make up 15% of the nation’s energy mix by 2030.

Read More: Minerals

Other Indian Geography Topics

Seasons of India Mountains of India
Mangrove Forests in India Important Mountain Passes in India
Monsoon in India
Indus River System
Climate of India
Rivers of India
Tributaries of Ganga
National Parks in India
Important Dams in India
Wildlife Sanctuaries of India
Tiger Reserves in India
Northern Plains of India
Physiography of India
Important Lakes of India
Wetlands in India
Biodiversity in India
Natural Vegetation in India Earthquakes in India
Types of Soil in India
Ramsar Sites in India
Brahmaputra River System
Hydropower Plants in India
Nuclear Power Plants in India
Major Ports in India
Biosphere Reserves in India
Waterfalls in India

Other Fundamental Geography Topics

Solar System Types of Clouds
Structure of the Atmosphere Himalayan Ranges
Component of Environment
El Nino and La Nina
Coral Reef
Continental Drift Theory
Endogenic and Exogenic Forces
Indian Ocean Region
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean Dipole
Air Pollution
Environmental Impact Assessment
Tropical Cyclone
Western Disturbances
Types of Rocks

Sharing is caring!

FAQs

What is in a natural gas?

Methane makes up the majority of the odourless, gaseous combination of hydrocarbons known as natural gas (CH4).

What are the 4 main natural gases?

They combine to form natural gas when the proper ratios are used. Methane, ethane, butane, and propane are the first four alkanes and collectively known as the "four natural gases".

What is natural gas called?

Natural gas is a colourless, extremely flammable gaseous hydrocarbon that is mostly composed of methane and ethane. It is also known as methane gas or natural methane gas. This particular type of petroleum commonly coexists with crude oil.

How is natural gas made?

Drilling is used to extract natural gas from underground rock formations. Large amounts of shale-derived natural gas are now accessible because of developments in hydraulic fracturing technology.

Is LPG a natural gas?

LPG is propane, but natural gas is methane, therefore they are not the same thing. Processing of natural gas and refining of crude oil result in the production of LPG. LPG is processed and then kept in gas cans or tanks under pressure as a liquid.

TOPICS:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *