Gas production. Gas production methods. Gas production in Russia

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Natural gas is formed by mixing various gases in the earth's crust. In most cases, the depth of occurrence ranges from several hundred meters to a couple of kilometers. It is worth noting that gas can form at high temperatures and pressures. In this case, there is no access of oxygen to the place. To date, gas production has been implemented in several ways, each of which we will consider in this article. But let's talk about everything in order.

General information

Natural gas is about 98% methane. In addition, it may include ethane, propane, butane, etc. There is also the term "unconventional gas". It refers to natural gas, which is mainly produced from clayey rocks. It lies deep underground in coal seams, sandstones and other geofences, under extremely high pressure. To date, the share of unconventional gas is severalless than half, and by 2030 it is planned to increase this figure to 56%. At present, almost all gas producing countries have drilling rigs. But most of them, about 40%, belong to the United States. After all, it is this state that sells a huge amount of gas every year. Let's talk in more detail on this topic and deal with the issues that interest us.

Global gas production

For hundreds of years, people have striven to improve the way they extract minerals, which is, in principle, quite normal. Human needs are growing every day, and there is a need for new mining technologies. Today, such a mineral as natural gas is extracted all over the world from oil and gas fields, and it can also be found in a dissolved state in oil or water. If we talk specifically about Russia, then in our country it is mined from the bowels of the planet Earth. It is noteworthy that the gas in its pure form has neither color nor smell. In order to quickly determine the leakage of gas, odorants are added to it, which have a sharp unpleasant odor. This approach reduces the death rate among the population as a result of gas leakage. Of course, gas production in the world implies the use of safe equipment, since any open fire can lead to a large number of victims at the well site.

Gas hydrate deposits

Not so long ago it was determined that gas can be underground in a solid state. If earlier scientists knew only about the liquid and gaseous state,today it is known about solid deposits, which are also of great importance for the industry. Every day more and more people say that there are large accumulations of greenhouse gases at the bottom of the ocean, which are there in the form of hydrates. Hydrates have not yet found wide application, but are already being used for water desalination, in addition, it is planned to use such deposits for gas storage. In fact, gas production areas may expand somewhat, since where there are hydrates, there may be other deposits of minerals. For now, let's go ahead and look at something else interesting.

Natural gas deposits

There is evidence that indicates that there are simply huge deposits of natural gas in the sedimentary shell of the earth's crust. There is a biogenic theory that says that gas, like oil itself, is formed as a result of long-term decomposition of living organisms under the influence of high temperatures and pressure. In addition, the temperature regime is usually somewhat higher, just like the pressure, than in oil deposits. This is due to the fact that gas is located below oil. Today, Russia has the largest deposits. By and large, the reserves of this natural resource can last for many years. Gas production in Russia is established in almost all places. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, total volumes are estimated at 48.8 trillion m3.

Natural gas reserves by country

Currentlywe can say that, according to official data, 101 countries have reserves of this mineral on their territory. Benin is in last place with 0.0011 trillion m³, and Russia is in first place with 47.800 trillion m^{3. But these are figures given by the CIA, so in reality the data may vary slightly. Another country with inexhaustible reserves is Iran. In addition, the Gulf countries, such as the US and Canada, also boast rich natural gas deposits. If you list the countries of Europe, then Norway and the Netherlands will be in the first places. It is also noteworthy that the countries that were once part of the USSR, such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, also have a lot of natural gas. As noted above, gas hydrates were discovered in the second half of the 20th century. Today it is known that their deposits are simply huge. Moreover, there are reserves both at great depths and under the ocean floor.}

Methods of gas production

Currently, deposits are located at a depth of 1-3 kilometers. One of the deepest wells is located near the city of Novy Urengoy, it goes underground for 6 kilometers. In the depths, it is in pores under high pressure. Gradually, it passes into pores with less pressure and so on until it enters directly into the well.

The main method of production is drilling. Usually there are several wells on the territory of the field. Moreover, they are trying to drill evenly so that the reservoir pressure is approximately the samedistributed over several wells. If there is only one well, then it is likely that it will be flooded prematurely. To date, there are practically no other methods of gas production. By and large, this is due to the fact that it is not advisable to come up with something new, especially if the technology becomes more complicated. It is unlikely that anything will replace wells in the near future.

Preparation of gas for transportation

After a natural resource has arrived through a well from the bowels of the earth, it must be delivered to the user. This may be a chemical plant, thermal power plant and other gas networks. Its preparation for transportation is due to the fact that, in addition to the necessary components, there are other impurities in the composition that make it difficult to further use and move along highways. It is necessary to remove water vapors that can accumulate in the lines and make it difficult to move. It is also necessary to remove hydrogen sulfide, which poses a serious threat to gas equipment (causes corrosion). Various schemes can be used for preparation. The most appropriate is the one in which the treatment plant is located in the immediate vicinity of the deposit. This is where drying and cleaning takes place. In the case of a high content of hydrogen sulfide or helium, the fossil is sent to a gas processing plant. In principle, gas production in Russia is usually sold through plants, since the quality of the initial product is not always up to par.

Gas transportation

Currently, the main mode of transport ispipeline. The pipe diameter can reach 1.4 meters, and the pressure in the system is 75 atmospheres. However, in the course of moving along the line, pressure is lost, and the product heats up. For this simple reason, compressor stations are built at regular intervals. There, the gas pressure is increased to 55-120 atm and cooled. Despite the fact that laying a gas pipeline is very expensive, today it is the most expedient method of supplying a natural resource over medium and short distances. In some cases, gas carriers are used, they are also very often called tankers. The gas is in special containers in a liquefied state. The temperature during transportation should be in the range of 150-160 degrees Celsius. This method has a significant advantage, such as the safety of liquefied gas.

Conclusion

This article briefly reviewed the technology of gas production. In principle, the borehole method is the most popular. Other methods, if implemented, were not used for various reasons. As for the scope of gas, in the first place it is fuel. As a fuel, it is used for heating residential premises, as well as heating water, cooking, etc. Due to high electricity prices, this is one of the cheapest ways of heating. Gas is also used as a fuel for vehicles, thermal power plants, and boiler houses. Chemical plants use it to produce plastics and other organic substances. Well, that's all on this topic. Please note that mishandlinggas can be fatal.