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From Oil to Fuel: What is Natural Gas' Mysterious Journey?
The formation of oil and natural gas began millions of years ago when ancient organic matter changed under high pressure and temperature, eventually evolving into the fossil fuels we are familiar with. This process is not only geologically fascinating, but also has profound implications for global energy supplies. Natural gas, as a clean fossil fuel, has many unknown mysteries hidden in its production and refining process.
Origin and formation of natural gas
Natural gas often coexists with petroleum, both originating from the same geological thermal cracking process. When organic sediments are buried deep underground and are subjected to sufficient temperature and pressure, they are converted into natural gas. Generally speaking, sediments located between 1,000 and 6,000 meters deep produce oil, while deeper and hotter sediments are more likely to produce natural gas.
Differences between natural gas and oil
An area of deposits rich in petroleum is called an oil field, while an area dominated by natural gas is a natural gas field.
Natural gas fields such as South Pars, shared by Iran and Qatar, are the world's largest, followed by Russia's Urengoy and Yamburg fields. The extraction of this type of resource is not limited to onshore areas; many natural gas fields are also located on the seabed, which requires special extraction and transportation technologies.
How to discover and evaluate reserves
When a geologist makes an initial survey pointing to an area where oil and gas may be present, geologists conduct further evaluation. The usual procedure involves conducting seismic surveys to determine the size of potential oil reserves. On this basis, appraisal wells are used to determine the exact location of oil-water contact points, which enables industry insiders to make more precise estimates of reserves.
According to some studies, geological structures that store oil and gas are often not homogeneous.
The diversity and variability of reservoirs complicates the assessment of their potential production, and the use of computer modeling techniques becomes necessary. Collaboration between geologists, geophysicists and reservoir engineers will help create a platform to improve resource estimability.
Extraction techniques and challenges
The extraction of natural gas requires drilling holes into the Earth's crust, although some areas, such as the La Brea Tar Pits in California, have natural outcrops. As production progresses, reservoir pressure decreases, which affects the output of the resource. Therefore, many techniques such as gas injection, water injection, etc. are introduced to maintain the pressure inside the reservoir.
A new technology and relatively low production costs, combined with the discovery of new mineral deposits, make mining activities more feasible.
In the process of extracting natural gas from the seabed, many technologies face cost and technical challenges. For example, the high construction and operating costs of offshore facilities put pressure on mining activities.
Environmental impact and future prospects
Although natural gas is considered a cleaner fossil fuel than oil and coal, its extraction and transportation still have some impact on the environment. As interest in renewable energy grows, the market's reliance on natural gas may change.
As the world’s demand for energy continues to increase, we must ask: how should we view the role of natural gas in this transition as we pursue more sustainable energy solutions?
