Natural Gas Facts
- Natural gas is the cleanest-burning fossil fuel.
- Natural gas is safe, clean and affordable.
- Natural gas is naturally colorless, odorless, lighter than air and non-toxic.
- Methane is the primary hydrocarbon in natural gas.
- The chemical symbol for methane is CH4.
- A blue flame indicates a complete gas/oxygen mixture during combustion.
- During complete combustion of natural gas, only carbon dioxide, essential for plant life, and water are produced as byproducts.
- One hundred cubic feet equals approximately one therm of natural gas
- One therm of natural gas equals 100,000 British thermal units (BTUs).
- A gas meter measures the flow of natural gas in cubic feet.
- Natural gas is found throughout the world. New natural gas deposits are being found deeper within the earth, both offshore and onshore. These will add to the amount of natural gas we know that is available.
- Over 90 percent of natural gas used in the United States is domestically produced.
- Scientists have found a way to reduce air pollution from coal by burning it with natural gas. This process, known as "select use," allows us to burn our nation's vast coal supplies and still keep the air clean.
- Coal gasification can change solid coal into vapor like natural gas. Huge reserves of coals can be converted into clean-burning gas which can be moved by pipeline.
- Gas pipelines are located underground.
- Over one million miles of gas pipelines serve the United States.
- Steel gas mains and plastic service lines provide gas distribution from the local utility.
- Natural gas is being used to replace gasoline as a fuel for automobiles; it emits less pollution and is less expensive to use.
- Experiments with biomass are showing how to produce natural gas from plants and waste products. Methane gas is already being recovered from sanitary landfills.
- New furnaces and other equipment which use natural gas are being designed to operate more efficiently, allowing for the best use of our resources.
- Gas water heaters heat water approximately twice as fast as electric water heaters.
- Electronic ignition on gas ranges conserves natural gas by eliminating the pilot.
- Energy guide labels on major appliances identify estimated annual fuel usage.
- Natural gas can be used for cogeneration, a process by which electricity and useful heat are produced from a single source, cutting down on waste.
- Natural gas can be used in a device called a fuel cell to produce electricity, much like a battery does. This may improve the efficiency of electrical generation.