Future natural gas supply

Conference · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6510674

Meyer, R F

Natural gas supplies nearly one-third of the nation's total energy and is of particular importance to the household-commercial and industrial sectors. Despite relatively large conventional reserves of 216 Tcf and inferred reserves of nearly 200 Tcf, annual production decreases yearly and not only fails to meet annual demand but also does not meet peak loads, which leads to winter curtailments. The most significant indicator is the declining ratio of reserve additions to production. Apparently intrastate reserves additions far outstrip interstate, suggesting a real supply sensitivity to price. Modest additions to supply now come from synthetic natural gas (SNG) derived from light hydrocarbon liquids and LNG. Future supplies may come from increases in overland imports from Mexico and the Arctic, continued S. Canada imports, and SNG derived from coal. Mostly untried gas sources exist; these include underground coal gasification, methane occluded in coal seams, gas hydrates in the Arctic and in the deep-sea basins, and gas from biomass, landfills, low-permeability sandstones and shales, and geopressured reservoirs.

• Research Organization: US Geological Survey
• OSTI ID: 6510674
• Report Number(s): CONF-7804139-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 62:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
03 NATURAL GAS
030200* -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122 -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
294003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Natural Gas
ALKANES
COAL GASIFICATION
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SUPPLIES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
HIGH BTU GAS
HYDROCARBONS
IMPORTS
METHANE
NATURAL GAS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PRICES
PRODUCTION
RECOVERY
RESERVES
RESOURCES
SYNTHESIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES