TABLE OF CONTENTS Natural gas is found in independent pockets or in oil or coalfields. The prime component of natural gas is methane (CH 4), although as Table 3-9 illustrates, other chemicals are present, most notably ethane (C 2H 6), which is the lightest hydrocarbon next to methane. Natural gas has found historic favor as a primary fuel for power production because it is easy to handle, has a pipeline infrastructure in place, burns cleanly, and produces fewer pollutants than other fuels when burned. Of the three major steam generation fossil fuels, natural gas has the highest heating value per unit weight. This aspect and recent technology advancements have led to the proliferation of gas-powered combined-cycle units, some of which operate at near 60% efficiency. This is almost twice the efficiency of the best coal-fired plant. Because natural gas as delivered is a very clean fuel, combustion products (ash, slag) are non-existent.
| Sample No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: | Pa. | S.C. | Ohio | La. | Ok. |
| Analyses: | |||||
| |||||
| -- | -- | 1.82 | -- | -- |
| 83.40 | 84.00 | 93.33 | 90.00 | 84.10 |
| -- | 0.25 | -- | -- | -- |
| 15.80 | 14.80 | -- | 5.00 | 6.70 |
| -- | -- | 0.45 | -- | -- |
|
