Natural gas is produced by mixing various gases in the earth's crust. In most cases, the depth varies from several hundred meters to a couple of kilometers. It is worth noting that gas can form at high temperatures and pressure. Moreover, there is no access to oxygen to the site. To date, gas production has been implemented in several ways, we will consider each of them in this article. But let's talk about everything in order.
General information
It must be understood that natural gas is approximately 98% methane. In addition, it may include ethane, propane, butane, etc. There is also the term "unconventional gas." It refers to natural gas, which is mainly extracted from clay rocks. It lies deep underground in coal seams, sandstones and other geofences, under extremely high pressure. To date, the share of unconventional gas is slightly less than half, and by 2030 it is planned to increase this figure to 56%. Currently, almost all gas producing countries have drilling rigs. But most of them, about 40%, belong to the United States. After all, it is this state that sells a huge amount of gas every year. Let's talk in more detail on this topic and deal with issues that interest us.
World gas production
For many hundreds of years, people have sought to improve methods of mining, which, in principle, is quite normal. Human needs are growing every day, and there is a need for new production technologies. Today, such minerals as natural gas are extracted all over the world from oil and gas fields, and can also be found in dissolved form in oil or water. Speaking specifically about Russia, in our country it is mined from the bowels of the planet Earth. It is noteworthy that the gas in its pure form has no color or smell. In order to detect gas leaks as quickly as possible, odorants are added to it, which have a sharp unpleasant odor. This approach allows reducing mortality among the population due to gas leakage. Of course, gas production in the world implies the use of safe equipment, since any open fire can lead to a large number of victims at the well site.
Gas hydrate deposits
Not so long ago, it was determined that gas can be underground in the solid state. If earlier scientists knew only about the liquid and gaseous state, today it is known about solid deposits, which are also of great importance for industry. Every day more and more they say that at the bottom of the ocean there are large accumulations of greenhouse gases, which are there in the form of hydrates. Hydrates have not yet been widely used, but are already used for desalination, in addition, it is planned to use such deposits for gas storage. In fact, gas production areas may expand somewhat, since where there are hydrates, there may be other mineral deposits. Well, now let's go ahead and look at something else interesting.
Natural gas deposits
There is evidence that there are simply huge deposits of natural gas in the sedimentary shell of the earth's crust. There is a biogenic theory, which says that gas, like oil itself, is formed as a result of prolonged decomposition of living organisms under the influence of high temperatures and pressure. In addition, the temperature regime is usually slightly higher, in the same way as pressure, than in oil deposits. This is due to the fact that the gas is located below oil. Today, Russia has the largest deposits. By and large, the reserves of this natural resource can last for many years. Gas production in Russia has been established in almost all places. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, total volumes are estimated at 48.8 trillion m 3 .
Natural Gas Reserves by Country
At present, it can be said that according to official data, 101 countries have reserves of this mineral in their territory. In the last place is Benin - 0, 0011 trillion m 3 , and in the first place Russia - 47,800 trillion m 3 . But these are figures given by the CIA, so in reality the data may vary slightly. Another country with inexhaustible reserves is Iran. In addition, Gulf countries such as the United States and Canada also boast rich natural gas deposits. If we list the countries of Europe, then in the first places will be Norway and the Netherlands. It is also noteworthy that countries that were once part of the USSR, such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, also have a lot of natural gas. As noted above, gas hydrates were discovered in the second half of the 20th century. Today it is known that their deposits are simply huge. Moreover, there are reserves both at great depths and under the ocean floor.
Gas production methods
Currently, the deposits are located at a depth of 1-3 kilometers. One of the deepest wells is located near the city of Novy Urengoy, it goes underground for 6 kilometers. In the bowels it is in the pores under high pressure. Gradually, it passes into the pores with less pressure and so on until it gets directly into the well.
The main method of production is drilling wells. Usually, several wells are located in the field. Moreover, they try to drill evenly so that the
reservoir pressure is approximately equally distributed over several wells. If there is only one well, then its premature flooding is likely. To date, there are practically no other methods of gas production. By and large, this is due to the fact that it is impractical to come up with something new, especially if the technology becomes more complicated. It is unlikely that in the near future something will replace the wells.
Gas preparation for transportation
After the natural mineral has arrived through the well from the bowels of the earth, it must be delivered to the user. It can be a chemical plant, thermal power station and other gas networks. Its preparation for transportation is due to the fact that in addition to the necessary components, there are other impurities in the composition that impede its further use and movement along highways. It is necessary to remove water vapor that can accumulate in the mains and make it difficult to move. It is also necessary to remove hydrogen sulfide, which poses a serious threat to gas equipment (cause corrosion). Various schemes can be used for preparation. The most appropriate is the one in which the treatment plant is located in the immediate vicinity of the field. Here drying and cleaning are carried out. In the case of a high content of hydrogen sulfide or helium, the fossil is sent to a gas processing plant. In principle, gas production in Russia is usually realized through factories, since the quality of the initial product is not always up to standard.
Gas transportation
Currently, the main mode of transport is the pipeline. The diameter of the pipe can reach 1.4 meters, and the pressure in the system is 75 atmospheres. However, as you move along the highway, pressure is lost and the product heats up. For this simple reason, compressor stations are built at regular intervals. There they increase the gas pressure to 55-120 atm and cool. Despite the fact that it is very expensive to lay a gas pipeline, today it is the most expedient method of supplying natural minerals to medium and small distances. In some cases, gas carriers are used, they are often called tankers. Gas is in special containers in a liquefied state. The temperature during transportation should be in the range of 150-160 degrees Celsius. This method has a significant advantage, such as the safety of liquefied gas.
Conclusion
This article briefly reviewed gas production technology. In principle, the downhole method is the most popular. Other methods, if implemented, did not find application for various reasons. As for the scope of gas, in the first place - it is fuel. It is used as fuel for heating residential premises, as well as heating water, cooking, etc. Due to high electricity prices, this is one of the cheapest methods of heating. Gas is also used as fuel for vehicles, thermal power plants, as well as boiler houses. Chemical plants use it to produce plastics and other organic substances. Well, that's all on this topic. Remember that improper gas handling can be fatal.