Unconventional Gas
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011In today’s world unconventional gas is becoming more and more relied upon. For centuries we turned to conventional natural gas to mine. This is the easiest and the cheapest to extract from.
Unconventional gas then would be those deposits which are not as easy or economical to mine. While that seems simple enough, the explanation doesn’t end there. As technologies improve, and new processes evolve to mine these gases, what is considered unconventional today may be considered the conventional gas of tomorrow, and some others may take their place in the unconventional sector.
Places like Anadarko basin in Western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle were once considered to have unconventional gas deposits. Not any more, because in the 20 years or so there have been laws passed, polices changed, like the Natural Gas Policy Act, and more.. Today they have become conventional areas.
Incentives were given to explore, extract, and develop deep exploration technologies in this area, as well as others. Costs were driven down as new ways to drill were discovered, and the shift occurred.
What Is Unconventional Gas?
1 – Coalbed Methane is coal that is deep underground and runs in seams; this is where methane gas builds up. It still is dangerous for miners but it is a great form of unconventional gas.
2 – The second is Deep Natural Gas. This is natural gas that is found deep in the earth. It is normally at lest 15,000 ft beneath the earths surface. This gas is much harder to get to than others. The advancement in technology has made it possible over recent years; it is still easier to extract conventional gas.
3 – When clay is compressed very quickly a natural gas is formed, and deposited into porous materials like salt and sand. This is called geopressurized zones. The zones can be located anywhere for 10,000 ft 25,000 ft down deep under the earth’s surface.
4 – Shale Gas is formed from shallow seas years before. This soft rock will not disintegrate over time when it gets wet. A gas is formed when a small piece of this rock is trapped between two bigger pieces. This is still an unconventional gas and it difficult and more expensive to extract.
5 – Methane Hydrates: This type of unconventional gas is still in its infancy, as it is the most recent to have been discovered. In simplest terms, methane molecules are caged within frozen water. It is thought that this gas may contain more organic carbon than unconventional gas, coal, and oil combined.
Reference: “Unconventional Natural Gas Resources”. NaturalGas.org. June 9, 2010
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