Gas production. Methods of gas production. Gas production in Russia

Natural gas is formed as a result of the mixing of various gases in the earth's crust. In most cases, the depth of occurrence varies from a few hundred meters to a couple of kilometers. It is worth noting that the gas can form at high temperatures and pressures. At the same time, there is no access of oxygen to the site. To date, the extraction of gas is realized in several ways, each of which we will consider in this article. But let's talk about everything in order.

General information

It should be understood that natural gas is about 98% methane. In addition, it may include ethane, propane, butane, etc. There is also the term "unconventional gas". It denotes natural gas, which is mainly extracted from clay rocks. It lies deep underground in coal seams, sandstones and other geozones, under extremely high pressure. To date, the share of non-traditional gas is slightly less than half, and by 2030 it is planned to increase this figure to 56%. Currently, almost all countries for gas production have drilling rigs. But most of them, approximately 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 understand the issues that are of interest to us.

Extraction of gas in the world

For many hundreds of years, people have sought to improve the ways of mining, which in principle is quite normal. Human needs are growing day by day, and there is a need for new mining technologies. To date , natural resources such as natural gas are mined all over the world from oil and gas fields and can also be found in a dissolved state in oil or water. Speaking specifically about Russia, in our country it is extracted from the depths of the planet Earth. It is noteworthy that the gas in its pure form has neither color nor smell. To determine the gas leak as quickly as possible, odorants are added to it, which have a sharp unpleasant odor. This approach helps to reduce mortality among the population as a result of gas leakage. Undoubtedly, gas production in the world means 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 the gas could 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 industry. Every day more and more talk about the fact that on the ocean floor there are large concentrations of greenhouse gases that are there in the form of hydrates. Hydrates have not yet found wide application, but they are already used for desalination of water, in addition, it is planned to use such deposits for gas storage. In fact, the areas of gas production may expand somewhat, since where there are hydrates, there may be other deposits of minerals. Well, now let's go ahead and consider something else interesting.

Natural gas deposits

There are data that indicate that in the sedimentary cover of the earth's crust there are simply huge deposits of natural gas. There is a biogenic theory that suggests that gas, like oil itself, is formed as a result of the long decomposition of living organisms under the influence of high temperatures and pressure. In addition, the temperature regime is usually slightly higher, just like pressure, rather than in oil deposits. This is due to the fact that the gas is below oil. Today, Russia has the largest deposits. By and large, the reserves of this natural fossil can last for many years. Gas production in Russia is established practically in all places. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, total volumes are estimated at 48.8 trillion m ³ .

Natural gas reserves by countries

At present, it can be said that according to official data, 101 countries have reserves of this mineral on their territory. In the last place is Benin - 0, 0011 trillion m ³ , and in the first place Russia - 47.800 trillion m ³ . But these figures are given by the CIA, so in reality the data may vary slightly. Another country that has inexhaustible reserves is Iran. In addition, the Persian Gulf countries, such as the US and Canada, also boast rich natural gas deposits. If you list the countries of Europe, then the first places will be Norway and the Netherlands. It is also noteworthy that the countries that once belong to 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. And there are reserves both at great depths and under the ocean floor.

Gas production methods

Currently, the 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 bowels, it is in the pores under high pressure. Gradually, it passes into the pores with less pressure and so on until it gets directly into the well.

The main way of production is drilling of wells. Usually there are several wells on the territory of the field. And they are trying to drill evenly so that the reservoir pressure is approximately equally distributed to several wells. If the well is only one, then it is likely its premature watering. To date, there are practically no other methods of gas production. By and large, this is due to the fact that it is impractical to invent something new, especially if the technology becomes more complex. It is unlikely that in the near future something will replace the wells.

Gas preparation for transportation

After the natural fossil has entered the well from the bowels of the earth, it must be delivered to the user. It can be a chemical plant, a CHP plant and other gas networks. Its preparation for transportation is due to the fact that in addition to the necessary components in the composition there are also other impurities that make it difficult to continue using it and moving along the highways. It is necessary to remove water vapor that can accumulate in the mains and make it difficult to move. It is also necessary to remove hydrogen sulphide, which poses a serious threat to gas equipment (cause corrosion). Various schemes can be used for preparation. The most appropriate is the one in which the treatment plant is located in close proximity to the field. Here, drying and cleaning are carried out. In the case of a large content of hydrogen sulphide or helium, the fossil is sent to a gas processing plant. In principle, gas production in Russia is usually sold through factories, since the quality of the source product is not always at the proper level.

Gas transportation

Currently, the main mode of transport is the pipeline. The diameter of the pipe can reach 1.4 meters, and the pressure in the system is 75 atmosfer. However, during the advance along the main, the pressure is lost and the product heats up. For this simple reason, compressor stations are built at certain intervals . There, the gas pressure is raised to 55-120 atm and cooled. Despite the fact that it is very expensive to build a gas main, today it is the most expedient method of supplying natural minerals to medium and short distances. In some cases, gas carriers are used, they are 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 examined the technology of gas production. In principle, the downhole method is the most popular. Other methods, if implemented, did not find application for various reasons. As for the sphere of application of gas, first of all it is fuel. As a fuel it is used for heating residential premises, as well as heating water, cooking, etc. In view of the high prices for electricity - this is one of the cheapest methods of heating. Gas is also used as fuel for motor vehicles, thermal power plants, and boiler houses. Chemical plants use it to produce plastics and other organic substances. Well, that's all for this topic. Remember that improper handling of gas can lead to death.