To achieve this goal, the Gas Processing Program is working to develop technologies that will remove significant barriers to natural gas use that derive from the economics of converting produced gas into sellable products. Virtually all of the 18 to 20 trillion cubic feet of gas produced in the United States each year is processed before it is transported to consumers. Equally important are the additional sweetening processes that are often necessary to reduce the concentration of impurities that can damage transmission equipment and reduce the value of the gas. In many regions of the U.S., particularly in the western states, large volumes of impure, low-quality gas are not economic to produce due to current processing costs. A fundamental barrier to expanded gas use results directly from the gaseous state of natural gas.
Gases are inherently difficult and costly to transport.
In the case of natural gas, these transportation costs erode the economics of producing natural gas located in remote areas. Gas Processing Program are attempts to capture and use natural gas that naturally exudes from coal mines and landfills. To protect workers, coal mine operators spend much time and effort to detect, control, and eliminate the highly-flammable methane often found in coal deposits. Although many of the nation s largest mines do capture and utilize this gas, large volumes of gas from hundreds of small and mid-sized mines are vented to the surface and released. This process is not only wasteful, but also contributes to the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.