Texas And Natural Gas: A Powerful Partnership

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Texas is perhaps best known for its connection with the petroleum industry

. The idea of the Lone Star State oilman is a romantic one, evoking visions of prospectors who, with a little luck, turn hard work into a fortune. While the bubbling crude remains prominent in the Texas energy picture (your car doesn't run on water, after all), the burning of petroleum makes up a surprisingly small fraction of the electricity in your home. That honor goes to natural gas, which is used to generate over sixty percent of the juice that powers your appliances.

Natural gas is a hydrocarbon substance that, just like oil, is the result of the decomposition of organic material. While it contains a great deal of energy, it has traditionally been a little more difficult to harness because it is a gas, rather than a pourable liquid (like oil) or a stackable solid (like coal). Natural gas is often found alongside petroleum. According to the Energy Information Administration, it was seen as a nuisance in the early days of oil drilling. Instead of being collected, it was simply burned off at the top of the rig.

Texas is also a focus of the natural gas industry, possessing seven "hubs," or large distribution centers. These hubs are fed by the many gas wells located in the state's territory, both on land and on the water. In May 2010, Businessweek reported that, while the number of rigs nationwide decreased, the number of natural gas wells continued to grow. Texas now has 654 operational rigs, eleven more than it did in the last reporting period.

Even though there is an extensive infrastructure built around natural gas, it is also possible for the fuel to help residential and commercial customers to be more energy-independent. For example, many ranch owners and farmers have wells on their property. The gas is treated like any other natural resource; a landowner will sign a lease with a gas company and receive money or gas in exchange for permission to remove the gas. Well Servicing Magazine points out that one of the benefits of having a nearly depleted personal well is that while there is not enough in the ground to sell, it is possible, with the correct equipment, to power a factory or ranch with the fuel in the ground, instead of with the electricity in the grid.

There's always a catch, unfortunately. Natural gases are obviously, quite combustible. If the gas is not handled properly, nearby people and property are at risk. There have been a great number of accidents in Texas' past, but the goal of agencies such as the Texas Gas Association is to ensure that people have as safe and ready supply of gas as possible.

One of the most important reasons to be cognizant of the place it has in the American energy profile is the fuel's positive future. It is much more plentiful within our borders than petroleum, so it is particularly important that scientists are looking for new ways to use it. Many scientists are trying to figure out ways for natural gas to replace gasoline in transportation. In fact, many municipal buses around the country are fueled by it. People such as Castlen Kennedy, however, are trying to advance the use of it in automobiles. As part of her Master's thesis in Public Affairs, Kennedy set off in a Chevrolet Tahoe that was converted to use it instead of gasoline, intending to drive from Austin to Boston. (That's a pretty catchy-sounding plan!) As NGV Global News confirmed, one of the main problems facing the wide-scale use of CNG cars is the underdeveloped infrastructure. One of the reasons companies and consumers are wary of making the change is because there are not as many CNG stations as there are gas stations. No one wants to be stranded with an empty gas tank, no matter what fuel they are using.

Thanks to continued experimentation by universities and the commitment of the private sector, Texans will continue to reap the benefits of natural gas for years to come. Best of all, Texas has established itself as a center for innovation which provides a boost to the local economy. In this way, a petroleum byproduct that was once thought an annoyance has become a vital part of our technology-filled twenty-first century lifestyles.

by: Terry Mickelson

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