Natural Gas FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Have you ever wondered why natural gas flames are blue? Or who first discovered natural gas? Now you can get answers to these and other natural gas-related questions.
We add new questions regularly, so check back often!
Click on a question below to see the answer:
NEW! What makes natural gas a clean fuel?
Answer: The main products released when natural gas is burned are carbon dioxide and water vapor. Coal and oil are more chemically complex than natural gas, so when burned they release a variety of potentially harmful chemicals into the air.
Why is natural gas called “natural” gas?
Answer: Natural gas is called “natural” because when this type of gas was first discovered, it could be used directly from the ground in its natural state, without any processing. Today, gas utilities process natural gas by removing water, sand, and other compounds so that when the gas is delivered to your home it will burn as cleanly and efficiently as possible. And in its natural state gas has no odor, so that’s why companies like Yankee Gas add a harmless but stinky chemical to it; the odor helps people smell a leak that otherwise, in the gas’s natural state, doesn’t smell.
What are Natural Gas Vehicles?
Answer: Vehicles that run on natural gas instead of gasoline are called natural gas vehicles (NGVs). There are about 110,000 NGVs on U.S. roads today and over 12 million worldwide. NGVs are a popular transportation choice because they run cleaner than other vehicles. Compared to gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles, they produce much lower levels of pollutants and cost less to maintain. Also, natural gas costs, on average, one-third less than conventional gasoline at the pump.
Can natural gas appliances still run when the power goes out?
Answer: Yes, except for gas furnaces and clothes dryers, gas appliances can keep on working when your electricity goes off.
What is a "smart pig?"
Answer: A smart pig is an electronic device that can be used to inspect the insides of natural gas pipelines. The device travels through a pipeline and transmits images of the inside of the pipeline so inspectors can tell if the pipeline needs repairs.
When was natural gas first used in the United States?
Answer: The first use of gas energy in the United States occurred in 1816, when gaslights illuminated the streets of Baltimore, Maryland.
What’s in natural gas?
Answer: Natural gas found in the ground contains methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, and traces of hexane and heptanes. Gas utilities remove almost everything but the methane so the natural gas delivered to your home will burn cleanly.
I have heard that landfills can be a source of gas energy. How does that work?
Answer: Just like manure, other types of organic waste emit methane as they decompose—or rot—in the landfill. Landfills can collect and treat the methane, and then sell it as a commercial fuel; or they can burn it to generate steam and electricity. Today, there are almost 400 gas energy landfill projects operating in the United States.
Who discovered natural gas?
Answer: The ancient Chinese were the first to discover underground deposits of natural gas. In 600 BC, Confucius wrote of wells 100 feet deep yielding water and natural gas along the Tibetan border. The Chinese piped the gas to where it was needed through long, hollow bamboo stalks.
Why does natural gas smell like rotten eggs?
Answer: In its natural state, natural gas has no odor. Utility companies add a chemical odorant called “mercaptan” to natural gas to help make gas leaks easier to notice. If you have a natural gas stove, you may have smelled this rotten egg odor when the pilot light has gone out.
