subject: How Does Gas get to Your House? [print this page] How Does Gas get to Your House? How Does Gas get to Your House?
Of all the fossil fuels, natural gas has proven to be the least polluting among coal and petroleum for providing fuel that we use to heat our homes. Natural gas forms deep within the earth when organic material like dead plants and animals get buried under sediment. As time passes, heat and pressure within the earth help to transform the carbon in the organic matter into petroleum and natural gas. Natural gas has a variety of uses in the home and its use can be tracked with an energy monitor. The process by which gas makes it to your home from a gas supplier is outlined below.
Four distinct phases are involved in the distribution of natural gas services from its source to your home. The first step in gas's journey from the ground to a house is the exploration process. In order to have natural gas, energy companies first have to be able to locate it. Petroleum geologists are scientists who are trained in methods used to find deposits of oil and natural gas deep within the earth. Using sophisticated tools and techniques such as analysing seismic data and using computer models, these scientists can make an educated guess about where a pocket of oil or gas might be. After they have chosen a location, the energy company begins drilling a hole to tap into the well. If the well is viable for industrial use, a permanent facility is set up, which delivers the gas to the surface.
After the gas reaches the surface, the raw gas needs to be processed. In this phase, the natural gas is refined so that impurities are removed. The gas that is used in your home is called methane. Natural gas in its raw state contains methane, but also other trace gases and elements that have to be removed to provide maximum efficiency. Once the impurities have been removed, the gas must be transported to local utilities.
The third stage of natural gas's journey from the ground to your home is the transportation stage. In this phase, refined natural gas is transported across the country through large pipes under high pressure. The gas is sent to local utilities for distribution or may be stored for later use during times when demand is high.
Once the gas has made it to the local utility, it is ready to be distributed to homes. At the local utility plant, the gas is depressurized and sent into smaller pipes called main lines that run under most major streets. Branching off of main lines are yet smaller pipes called service lines, which are responsible for bringing gas to your house.
