Natural Gas Formation
Natural gas is a fossil fuel. Its formation is very similar to that of oil and is shown in Figure 4.1. Natural gas, oil and coal resources are known as finite or non-renewable, given the millions of years required for their formation. Gas and oil typically form when aquatic biological and plant material are buried by water and mud, then compacted for millions of years at very high temperatures and pressures. Technically, there are three different varieties of natural gas, based on their formation, and a brief description of each is given below.
- Thermogenic;
- Biogenic;
- Abiogenic.
Thermogenic
Thermogenic natural gas is formed in a similar fashion to crude oil: organic particles from decaying animals and plants fall to the ...
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