History and Origin

Origin of natural gas

There are several theories about the origin of natural gas. Since natural gas often comes from localities near crude oil (oil-based natural gas) or coal deposits (carbon-based natural gas), most theories assume that natural gas was gradually released during the formation of coal or crude oil as a result of the gradual decomposition of organic materials. Theories preferring organic origin therefore advocate that natural gas originates from vegetative and animal remains.

In contrast, inorganic theories assume that natural gas was created from inorganic substances by a succession of chemical reactions. Recently, American scientists have proposed another, so-called abiogenetic hypothesis according to which natural gas was created by the fission of hydrocarbons that came to our planet at the time it was formed from cosmic matter. These higher hydrocarbons gradually disintegrated into methane, which subsequently advanced as far as the Earth's surface.

History of using natural gas

Before there was an understanding of what natural gas was, it posed somewhat of a mystery to man. Sometimes, such things as lightning strikes would ignite natural gas that was escaping from under the earth's crust.

This would create a fire coming from the earth, burning the natural gas as it seeped out from underground. These fires puzzled most early civilizations, and were the root of much myth and superstition. One of the most famous of these types of flames was found in ancient Greece, on Mount Parnassus approximately 1,000 B.C.

A goat herdsman came across what looked like a 'burning spring', a flame rising from a fissure in the rock. The Greeks, believing it to be of divine origin, built a temple on the flame. This temple housed a priestess who was known as the Oracle of Delphi, giving out prophecies she claimed were inspired by the flame.

These types of springs became prominent in the religions of India, Greece, and Persia. Unable to explain where these fires came from, they were often regarded as divine, or supernatural. It wasn't until about 500 B.C. that the Chinese discovered the potential to use these fires to their advantage. Finding places where gas was seeping to the surface, the Chinese formed crude pipelines out of bamboo shoots to transport the gas, where it was used to boil sea water, separating the salt and making it drinkable.

Britain was the first country to commercialize the use of natural gas. Around 1785, natural gas produced from coal was used to light houses, as well as streetlights.

As the day the gas industry as an industrial branch came into being is considered New Year’s Eve 1813 when gas lights for the first time illuminated Westminster Bridge.

The gas industry underwent two main development stages. The first one was the era of town gas produced from coal or liquid hydrocarbons. Town gas ceased to be used in the majority of countries in the second half of the 20th century. In the Czech Republic, it was used up until 1996. Nowadays, natural gas is solely distributed to customers.