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Town gas
Town gas is a mixture of methane and other gases, mainly the highly toxic carbon monoxide, that can be used in a similar way to natural gas and can be produced by treating coal chemically. This is a historic technology, still used as 'best solution' in some local circumstances, although coal gasification is not usually economic at current gas prices. However, depending upon infrastructure considerations, it remains a future possibility.
Biogas
Methanogenic archaea are responsible for all biological sources of methane, some in symbiotic relationships with other life forms, including termites, ruminants, and cultivated crops. Methane released directly into the atmosphere would be considered a pollutant, however, methane in the atmosphere is oxidised, producing carbon dioxide and water. Methane in the atmosphere has a half life of seven years, meaning that every seven years, half of the methane present is converted to carbon dioxide and water.
U.S. Natural Gas Production 1900 - 2005 Source: EIAFuture sources of methane, the principal component of natural gas, include landfill gas, biogas and methane hydrate. Biogas, and especially landfill gas, are already used in some areas, but their use could be greatly expanded. Landfill gas is a type of biogas, but biogas usually refers to gas produced from organic material that has not been mixed with other waste.
Landfill gas is created from the decomposition of waste in landfills. If the gas is not removed, the pressure may get so high that it works its way to the surface, causing damage to the landfill structure, unpleasant odor, vegetation die-off and an explosion hazard. The gas can be vented to the atmosphere, flared or burned to produce electricity or heat. Experimental systems were being proposed for use in parts Hertfordshire, UK and Lyon in France.
Jim Van Blaricum
Commission NORM Survey of Equipment at Leases and Facilities - Jim Van Blaricum
Staff of the Commission district offices performed field surveys from December, 1999 to mid-March, 2000. The purpose of the survey was to measure levels of NORM in equipment being used at production leases and other associated oilfield facilities to estimate the number of sites at which NORM-contaminated equipment may be located and to estimate an approximate range of the level of NORM at various sites across the state. The leases were chosen randomly to ensure a representative sample. Measurements were collected using an energy-compensated pulse rate “micro-R” meter that provides a scaled reading in microroentgen per hour (µR/hr.) Equipment measurements were taken at locations where gamma radiation most likely would be detected if present such as flow lines, tanks/vessels, pipe, pumps, valves, and injection headers. Background readings were also collected for comparison. More than 5900 readings were collected on more than 600 leases and other oil and gas facilities. Jim Van Blaricum
The majority of the readings of oil and gas equipment collected during the field survey demonstrate that the radiation levels are typically below the regulatory limit for release of equipment for unrestricted use (use for purposes other than oil and gas activities.) Of the 612 sites surveyed, only 59 sites had equipment with readings above 50 µR/hr, the limit above which the equipment cannot be released for unrestricted use. Out of over 5900 readings, only 203 readings were above 50 µR/hr. The survey, however, indicates that specific geographic areas tend to have elevated NORM levels. The geographic distribution is evident from the randomly-selected leases and facilities surveyed in each commission district at which NORM readings of equipment were greater than 50µ/hr. Jim Van Blaricum