Natural Gas: Production and Consumption

In order to use natural gas as fuel, it must undergo some type of processing. Once refined, it can be used for a variety of things including electricity generation, heating, and cooking.

Changing raw gas into sales gas is done in processing plants such as the one pictured here. In a plant, the raw gas is purified into almost pure methane, which is then used by customers as consumer-grade gas. During purification, some of the by-products that are derived are also commercially usable, such as ethane, butane and propane.

Many homes use natural gas for heating and cooking. Natural gas also supplies our economy with a variety of commonly used fuels. Additionally, natural gas is used in the manufacture of many common products including fabric, glass and paper. It’s also used as a raw material in paints, plastics, and fertilizer.

Natural Gas Production

Russia has the world’s largest gas reserves. Qatar and Iran are home to the world’s two largest gas fields. The USA, a large producer of natural gas, was able to produce enough for the country’s consumption needs until 1986. Since then, gas imports have been necessary to meet demand. 90% of those imports arrive via pipeline, mainly from Canada. The remaining 10% arrive via tanker from overseas.

DID YOU KNOW? Gas is odorless and colorless so—during processing—they add a chemical to the gas which smells like rotten eggs.