Laura Hernndez

Origin

Natural gas is more common than oil. Its obtained from both land plants and aquatic organic matter and is generated above, throughout, and below the oil window. All source rocks have the potential for gas generation. Many of the source rocks for significant gas deposits appear to be associated with the worldwide occurrence of coal dated to Carboniferous and Early Permian times. The origin of natural gas and oil has been debated by geologists and chemists for a long time. The most generally accepted theory is that natural gas has been formed by a chemical action in the earth that involved the marine organisms that were buried in the sands of what was then the seashore. As the ages passed, these sands settled very slowly and were overlaid with sediments. As this overburden increased, the resulting pressure and heat solidified some of the sand and other materials into rock formations.

Uses
Natural gas meets 24 percent of U.S. energy demand. Natural gas now heats 51 percent of U.S. households. It also cools many homes and provides fuel for cooking. Because natural gas burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel, many companies and municipalities are deploying fleets of natural gas-powered cars, trucks and buses to reduce emissions. There are over 120,000 natural gas vehicles operating on American roads. There are so many different applications for this fossil fuel that it is hard to provide an exhaustive list of everything it is used for. And no doubt, new uses are being discovered all the time.

Economical Impact

This industry provides tremendous advantages for American consumers and businesses in the form of reliable, affordable and clean fuel for power generation, manufacturing and other industries; feedstocks for chemical and agricultural products; and jobs and government revenue associated with natural gas production. Virtually all of the natural gas used in the United States is produced in North America, creating American jobs far beyond those directly involved with drilling and production while generating important state, local and federal government revenue and bolstering local economies. In fact, a recent economic impact study found that the natural gas industry contributed more than $380 billion to the U.S. economy in a single year and is responsible for 2.8 million American jobs.

Prospects
Declinig sources of Natural Gas have pushed for innovative ways to increase the supply. The US Goverment is now implementing an Unconventional Gas Recovery (UGR) project, four UGR projects are currently been assessed: western tight gas sands, geopressured reservoirs, Devonian shales, and methane from coalbeds. The Devonian shales have the potencial to produce 250,000 sq. Feet of Natural Gas and are located in the Eastern part of the country (Michigan and Illinois) While coal itself is recognized as a major energy source, it also contains vast quantities of methane gas. This methane source is not new, since coal mine operators have been aware of its presence and release into the atmosphere during mining operations. Technology studies are being conducted to learn the production potential of this methane and to show how this gas may be put to widespread use.

Opinion

My opinion is that society as we know it today would be entirely different if we didnt know the possibilities and the amount of things made possible thanks to fossil fuels natural gas included- and its amazing how much we have come to depend on this industry. Thanks to natural gas, as well as other fossil fuels and the advantages gotten from them, technology has advanced to everything we have nowadays. Fossil fuels are natural energy sources, which we cannot live or properly develop without, and its worrying to know that maybe in about fifty years these resources will disappear and humanity wont be evolving fast enough to adapt to this fact.