Natural gas consists primarily of methane, with lesser amounts of (in order of abundance) ethane, propane, butane, pentanes and heavier hydrocarbons. Natural gas also contains non-energy components such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and water.
Natural gas is an energy source for:
- electricity generation
- steam heat production
- co-generation
- industrial uses such as processing forest products and heavy oil and manufacturing steel, fertilizers and cement
- domestic uses such as fuelling furnaces, climate control systems, appliances and vehicles
Natural gas reserves are found in sedimentary basins throughout the world. They are classified as recoverable, probable, proved and established reserves.
Natural gas is brought to the surface from a reservoir using gas wells regularly spaced to conserve resources. Gathering systems bring it from individual wells to processing plants. Processed natural gas consists almost entirely of methane; however, natural gas in its unprocessed state consists of other components that are removed from the natural gas either at processing facilities at the gas field or at straddle plants located on pipeline systems.
Approximately 95 per cent of Canada’s crude oil and natural gas is transported by pipeline. Canada’s pipeline network totals approximately 540,000 kilometres.