Natural Gas

India’s fossil fuels are available in the form of coal, oil and natural gases.  Coal has been majorly considered and is the primary source of generating electricity in India.

Deep underground reserves of the porous rock typically contain natural gas, an explosive gaseous mixture of essential hydrocarbon molecules. Gases such as propane, methanol, butane, and methane are also present in minor amounts in natural gas at various geographies. Natural gas is mainly composed of methane.

Natural Gas Sectors in India

 India holds about 43 (Tcf) of natural gas as a reserve which makes India ranked 22 in a total number of natural gas reserves in the world. The major natural gas sites in India are Rajasthan, Tripura, and the delta of Krishna and Godavari and in Maharashtra. The major producer of natural gas in India is Tripura. The leading “natural gas” and oil industry in India are “Indian oil corporation limited” followed by “ONGC” and “Bharat Petroleum”. 

The formation of natural gas can be classified in two categories:

• Thermogenic gas is developed naturally under the seafloor due to the composition of organic material in immense pressure.
• Biogenic gas is a bi-product of organic material consumed by methanogenic archaea which are microorganism and produces methane gas The exploration, refining, production, distribution, import, marketing, export and preservation of oil, commodities and natural gas are all overseen by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in India, 

Types of Natural Gas

As a general rule, there are four types of natural gas. Natural gas is formed when these two substances are combined in precise amounts. The first four hydrocarbons — formaldehyde, propane, acetylene, and ethylene — are known as the “synthetic natural gases.” Each atom is linked to the other in various alkenes by only one solitary bond. The alkenes that make up natural gas have many properties, such as ethane, methane, propane, and butane. There is no discernible smell or colour to any of them. Different chemical architectures and specific applications, however, make them all distinctive.

Uses of Natural Gas

Naturalistic gas is utilised as a base material and a heat source, and it is used to manufacture chemicals, fertilisers, and hydrogen, among other things. Residential electricity can be cleaned up with the use of natural gas. Since natural gas ovens consume less energy than electric ovens, they are more cost-effective than electric ovens. Natural gas garments machines are much more cost-effective than electric clothes dryers, so they can conserve up to 50% of the energy that they consume compared to electric dryers. Natural gas is used to heat steel, glass, bricks, cement, tile, ceramics, food products and paper. It is also utilised for incineration in a large number of industrial sites.

Synthetic Natural Gas

Synthetic natural gas is a term that refers to several natural gas substitutes that are as near as feasible to natural gas in composition and qualities. Synthetic natural gas is produced from coals, biomass from waste, or renewable energy sources.

The Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural gas of India, has announced that Odisha might shortly host two “Synthetic Natural Gas” projects, one in Talcher and one in Paradip, where gas will be generated from coal. With an investment of eight thousand hectares, Talcher would be transformed into an integrated coal gasification-cumulative fertiliser facility. Modern tech provided by Shell Global will be used at the plant to manufacture synthetic natural gas (syngas) and fertiliser, which will power the plant. Syngas, according to him, is a clean and pollution-free fuel. He considered Odisha as the perfect geography for hosting those projects.

Compressed Natural Gas

Methane is a primary component of compressed natural gas, a combination of hydrocarbons. Low energy density means that it must be compressed at 200 to 250 kg/cm2 for onboard storing in a cylinder; this is why it is known as Compressed Natural Gas. CNG is non-carcinogenic, colourless and non-toxic, and it burns out faster than a matchstick.

Compressed natural gas is being used in India’s pickup trucks, cars, auto-rickshaws, railways, public transportation and school buses due to this country’s high gas prices and environmental impacts. In order for compressed natural gas to be quickly and widely adopted as a fuel, location and cost of fuel storage units must be overcome. Also, municipal government and public transit vehicles were first to embrace it since they can amortise the cost of new and probably cheaper gasoline more quickly.

Conclusion

India’s government supports the usage of natural gas in energy plants and public transit vehicles over other fossil fuels, which implies that natural gas has a bright future. Natural gas can be considered a much cleaner gas. The real benefit of using natural gas over all the other fossil fuels is that it is a clean energy source that has no impact on the air and environment because it produces no pollutants, residue, smoke, or odour.