Energy Sources In the 21st Century Research Paper

Energy Sources In the 21st Century - Research Paper Example lly and it is a mixture of hydrocarbons primarily methane and other higher alkanes in various proportion and it also contains nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide in lesser proportions. It is found in deep underground formations of natural rock along with other hydrocarbons like coal, methane clathrates, etc. (b) Natural Gas Reserves According to a recent assessment by the Potential Gas Committee the reserves of natural gas in the US have increased by 26 percent by the end of 2012 than it used to be in 2010. Now the present estimated reserve is 2,384 trillion cubic feet. The reserves of the natural gas in the US are primarily located in Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Federal Offshore, Alaska, California, and North Dakota and Texas is the largest reserve (Cathy Proctor, 2013). Extracting natural gas from the ground is a complicated and expensive process. The gas is odorless and colorless requiring extra precautions. Extracting the gas from deep underground decreases the pressure in the reservoir and decrease in pressure might cause sinking of the above ground affecting ecosystem, water and sewer systems, water ways, foundations, etc. The process used to release the natural gas from low-permeability reservoir is called hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracking". Water is forced inside the shale to release the natural gas which breaks or fracks the shale for releasing the gas. Sand and chemicals are added to the frack fluid for reducing friction and combating corrosion. It is a challenge to deal with fracking fluid (Cathy Proctor, 2013). (c) Transportation The reserves of the natural gas in the US are primarily located in Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Federal Offshore, Alaska, California, and North Dakota and fortunately most of them are close to either major cities or... This essay stresses that the major sources of energy in the United States are fossil fuels like oil, natural gas and coal which are used for generating electricity, driving cars and other vehicles, running industries, etc. The fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy which constitute for major consumption while renewable sources such as solar energy or wind energy contribute marginally to the total energy consumption in the United States. This paper makes a conclusion that extracting natural gas from the ground is a complicated and expensive process. The gas is odorless and colorless requiring extra precautions. Extracting the gas from deep underground decreases the pressure in the reservoir and decrease in pressure might cause sinking of the above ground affecting ecosystem, water and sewer systems, water ways, foundations, etc. The process used to release the natural gas from low-permeability reservoir is called hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracking". Water is forced insid e the shale to release the natural gas which breaks or fracks the shale for releasing the gas. Sand and chemicals are added to the frack fluid for reducing friction and combating corrosion. It is a challenge to deal with fracking fluid. natural gas can help in solving some major environmental issues like Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Smog, Air Quality and Acid Rain, Industrial and Electric Generation Emissions, Pollution from the Transportation Sector - Natural Gas Vehicles. Etc.