Introduction
Natural gas is the cleanest and most abundant fossil fuel available to humans at this point in time. This fossil fuel does not have the same energy output that coal or oil do but it is used in power stations, is cheap, and is used in some cars in the United States. Other nations such as Iran are mandating that it be used in all cars. What makes natural gas unique is that it is cleaner than the other fossil fuels; it only emits carbon dioxide and water vapor. Natural gas can also be used in both cars and power stations. Coal cannot, and oil can be used in power plants, but because of its high demand for car fuel this is not likely in nations such as the United States.
Formation
Natural gas is usually found in areas with high concentrations of oil which suggests that the way it forms is similar to the way oil forms. It is formed by dead plant and animal matter, which to become natural gas is decomposed by bacteria. For the bacterium to effectively decompose and breakdown the plant and animal matter, there must be low oxygen levels present. This fact suggests that the animal and plant matter was buried under water. Intense heat and pressure generated by the sediment and water on top of the matter, alongside the bacteria broke down and cooked the dead matter into a variety of different hydrocarbons. Natural gas contains butane, hexane, methane, ethane, and propane.
Drilling
Natural gas is drilled similar to the way oil is produced. Drilling for natural gas can simply be explained. First natural gas is located by geologists who study certain types of rocks known to contain natural gas. Once confirmed that there is gas in the site the geologists have investigated, production begins. Large wells are inserted into the ground the gas then spews up to the top of the pipe where it is extracted and transported to a processing station. In the dawn of oil production people used to burn off the natural gas near the oil directly at the well without using it for energy production.
Power Generation
Natural gas is burned in power stations to generate electricity. Natural gas can produce large amounts of heat, which boils water in steel pipes that becomes steam. The steam like the coal plant is transferred to the electric generators then the steam travels to a cooling tower. Here, the steam is converted back into water. The emissions of the plant are only carbon dioxide and water vapor. Rarely the propane in the natural gas does not receive enough oxygen and when burned can form carbon monoxide.