Energy Sources In the 21st Century - Research Paper Example

of the Energy sources in the 21 st century: Is natural gas an environmentally and economically viable alternative to oil? Energy sources in the 21st century: Is natural gas an environmentally and economically viable alternative to oil? Introduction The aim of this paper is to present an insightful analysis of the United States’ natural gas reserves and their usefulness in alleviating America’s oil dependence. The paper presents the background information about the energy consumption and the status of natural gas and its uses in the United States. It further discusses the key factors like geological factors, natural gas reserves, transportation, environmental factors and economic factors about the natural gas in the United States. The paper also explores the economic and environmental viability of the natural gas as an alternative to oil. Background Information The major sources of energy in the United States are fossil fuels like oil, natural gas and coal which are used for generating electricity, driving cars and other vehicles, running industries, etc. The fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy which constitute for major consumption while renewable sources such as solar energy or wind energy contribute marginally to the total energy consumption in the United States. The energy-needs of the United States depend primarily on import which is increasing continuously. In 1995, the United States imported 44.5% of its total consumption which reached to 57% in 2010. The consumption of fossil fuel by the US is 25% of the total consumption in the world or more than the fuel consumed by Russia, China, India and Japan together. The daily consumption of fossil fuel in the US is 19.5 million barrels which is equivalent to 2.7 gallons per capita consumption daily. The major concern in the United States is to reduce the dependency of energy on foreign oil. Many organizations have been continuously demanding to find an alternative resource of the foreign oil and natural gas has emerged as a source of alternative energy which is considered environmentally and economically friendly (Cathy Proctor, 2013). Key Factors about Natural Gas (a) Geological factors Natural gas is an energy source which occurs naturally and it is a mixture of hydrocarbons primarily methane and other higher alkanes in various proportion and it also contains nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide in lesser proportions. It is found in deep underground formations of natural rock along with other hydrocarbons like coal, methane clathrates, etc. (b) Natural Gas Reserves According to a recent assessment by the Potential Gas Committee the reserves of natural gas in the US have increased by 26 percent by the end of 2012 than it used to be in 2010. Now the present estimated reserve is 2,384 trillion cubic feet. The reserves of the natural gas in the US are primarily located in Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Federal Offshore, Alaska, California, and North Dakota and Texas is the largest reserve (Cathy Proctor, 2013). Extracting natural gas from the ground is a complicated and expensive process. The gas is odorless and colorless requiring extra precautions. Extracting the gas from deep underground decreases the pressure in the reservoir and decrease in pressure might cause sinking of the above ground affecting ecosystem, water and sewer systems, water ways, foundations, etc. The process used to release the natural gas from low-permeability reservoir is called hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracking". Water is forced inside the shale to release the natural gas which breaks or fracks the shale for releasing the gas. Sand and chemicals are added to the frack fluid for reducing friction and combating corrosion. It is a challenge to deal with fracking fluid (Cathy Proctor, 2013). (c) Transportation The reserves of the natural gas in the US are primarily located in Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Federal Offshore, Alaska, California, and North Dakota and fortunately most of them are close to either major cities or ports or train tracks, etc. The low density of natural gas makes it difficult to store or transport it by vehicle. In America, they are transported through pipelines but they have reached their optimum limit and transportation through pipelines is not possible across oceans (EIA, 2012). (d) Environmental factors Burning natural gas is comparatively more environmentally friendly than burning coal or other fossil fuel or hydrocarbons. But it also emits CO2 and other pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides, etc. The extraction of natural gas is not environmentally friendly as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that the environment of the area where oil wells are situated contains twice the amount of methane. The extraction of natural gas produces a lot of noise affecting the habitat of the area. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is the process used to release the natural gas from low-permeability reservoir by forcing water in the reservoir with high pressure. The release of natural gas decreases the pressure in the reservoir which might cause sinking of the above ground affecting ecosystem, water and sewer systems, water ways, foundations, etc. Fracking and its impact on the environment has been in the news a lot recently. It was observed that about 30 to 70 per cent of the frack fluid laced with chemicals returns or flows back to the surface with the release of the natural gas. It was also found that the released natural gas also contain a remarkable quantity of brine, containing salt and other minerals. Scientists are working hard to overcome the environmental issues associated with fracking so that the extraction of natural gas becomes more environmental friendly (EIA, 2012). (e) Economic factors Natural gas is measured in cubic meter or cubic feet at specific temperature and pressure. The cost to extract natural gas varies according to different locations and the technologies used for extraction. In 2004, the average extraction cost in the United States was $ 3.02 per 1000 cubic feet or per 28 cubic meters. It is expected that the expanded use of fracking will increase the cost to extract natural gas. The cost of natural gas is measured in cubic feet or cubic meter while the oil is measured in barrels. The oil prices are higher than that of natural gas (EIA, 2012). “Is natural gas an environmentally and economically viable alternative to oil?” Natural gas is also a non-renewable source of energy and there is often a debate whether natural gas is an environmentally and economically viable alternative to oil. Generally, natural gas is considered as cost effective as compared to oil, but there are many pros and cons associated with this believe due to its environmental impacts and production costs involved. Natural gas prices at the Henry Hub in US Dollars per MMBtu for the 2000-2010 decade.(Image Credit: Wikipedia) It is considered as a miracle in the American economy as an alternative source of energy. “Fracking” enabled the U.S. to increase the extraction of natural gas by manifolds as compared to extraction by fracturing. Fracking refers to extract natural gas by horizontal drill through dense shale, then fracturing refers to release the gas with high-pressure of water. The production of 0.4 trillion cubic feet in 2003, reached to 4.8 trillion cubic feet in 2010. The increase in production reduced the price of natural gas (EIA, 2012). Natural gas has helped in reduction of pollution and maintenance of a clean and healthy environment. The following chart compares the emissions from different fuels: Fossil Fuel Emission Levels  - Pounds per Billion Btu of Energy Input Pollutant Natural Gas Oil Coal Carbon Dioxide 117,000 164,000 208,000 Carbon Monoxide 40 33 208 Nitrogen Oxides 92 448 457 Sulfur Dioxide 1 1,122 2,591 Particulates 7 84 2,744 Mercury 0.000 0.007 0.016 Source: EIA - Natural Gas Issues and Trends 1998 Hence, natural gas can help in solving some major environmental issues like Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Smog, Air Quality and Acid Rain, Industrial and Electric Generation Emissions, Pollution from the Transportation Sector - Natural Gas Vehicles. Etc. References Cathy Proctor, U.S. natural gas reserves at record levels, Denver Business Journal, 2013 Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Proved Reserves, 2010, Independent Statistics & Analysis, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585, 2012. Read More