facts
- There are more than 2.1 million miles of underground gas pipelines across the United States.
- More than half of all the homes in the United States use natural gas - almost 62 million families.
- When natural gas is cooled to 260 degrees below zero, it changes from a gas into a liquid.
- Natural gas is odorless, colorless and flammable. It is non-toxic and lighter than air; utility companies add the smell of rotten eggs – a product called mercaptan – to make leaks easier to detect.
- The first pipelines were built in China in 500 BC. The lines, made out of bamboo, moved gas which was used to make evaporated salt brine.
- There are over 15.2 million road vehicles worldwide that run on natural gas as a fuel. The gas is used in a compressed or liquefied state to power cars, buses, taxis, and trucks.
- Natural gas comes in two forms – dry or wet. Dry natural gas is what is commonly referred to by the media and is used for heating and for electrical power generation. Dry natural gas is almost completely methane (the higher the methane concentration within the gas, the drier it is). In comparison wet natural gas contains less than 85% methane and has a higher percentage of liquid natural gasses such as ethane and butane.
- Natural gas produces less than half the CO2 emissions of coal when burned and far fewer other particulates and emissions. When burned to heat homes or for industrial uses, it releases 25-30% less CO2 than oil and 40-50% less than coal in electricity production.
- Natural gas has had a tremendous growth as part of the global energy mix, and today accounts for 20.3% of global primary fuel consumed.
- Natural gas isn’t just used for heating and cooking. Numerous every day products wouldn’t be possible without it! From vinyl flooring, carpeting, and piping to Aspirin, artificial limbs and heart valves to sun glasses, deodorant and cell phones.