Proved natural gas reserves

Data compiled for 1992 placed the wodd s estimated proved natural gas reserves at approximately 1.24 x 1014 m3 (4.38 x 1015 ft3) (4). Data for the Confederation of Independent States (CIS) are denoted as explored reserves and include proved, probable, and some possible gas. The data for Canada also include some probable reserves. The woddwide natural gas reserves have continued to increase as the demand for gas has increased and exploration efforts have expanded. In 1976, the wodd natural gas reserves were estimated to be 6.58 x 1013 m3. In 1987, the reserves were 1.06 x 1014 m3, and by 1992 the reserve estimates had grown to 1.24 x 1014 m3. The distribution of the reserves in 1992 by principal geographical areas is shown in Table 1. In 1992, the principal political/geographical entities of the United States, the Confederation of Independent States (CIS), and the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC) held 3.87, 39.97, and 39.7% of the wodd s natural gas reserves, respectively. 

Figure 4 Distribution of proved natural gas reserves 2002 according to BP statistics...

Fig. 1 Distribution of proved natural gas reserves (2004). (From Ref l) (View this art in color at www.dekker. com.)...

Fig. 7.4 Development of proved natural gas reserves. (Source BP statistical review ofworld energy 2006).

According to lEA Outlook 2010 in January 1, 2010, the world s total proved natural gas reserves were estimated at 6,609 trillion cubic feet. As of January 1, 2010, proved world oil reserves were estimated at 12 billion barrels (see Table A-1 in Appendix for the conversion of energy units and Tables 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5). The USA reported 22.5 billion barrels of proved reserves in 1998, proved reserves of 19.1 billion barrels were reported in 2009—a decrease of only 3.4 billion barrels despite the cumulative 24.2 billion barrels of liquids supplied from the US reserves between 1998 and 2009 (lEA Outlook 2010, p. 37). 

While the world consumes about 3.2 trillion cubic meters per year of natural gas, it still had about 185 trillion cubic meters of proved natural gas reserves in 2010. These reserves are somewhat unevenly distributed among different regions of tbe world. The following table (Table 2.1) gives the countries with the top 16 natural gas reserves in descending order. 

Country Proved Natural Gas Reserves in Trillions of Cubic Meters... 

Na.tura.1 Ga.s Reserves. U.S. natural gas reserves could support a significant methanol fuel program. 1990 proved, ie, well characterized amounts with access to markets and producible at current market conditions U.S. resources are 4.8 trillion cubic meters... 

Confederation of Independent States (CIS) are denoted as explored reserves and include proved, probable, and some possible gas. The data for Canada also include some probable reserves. The worldwide natural gas reserves have continued to increase as the demand for gas has increased and exploration efforts have expanded. In 1976, the world natural gas reserves were estimated to be 6.58 x 10. In 1987, the reserves were 1.06 x lO ", and by 1992... 

The reserves and resources of conventional NG are comparable in size to those of conventional oil, but global gas consumption is still considerably lower than that of oil. NG is found around the world, but the largest reserves are in the former Soviet Union and the Middle East. The proved gas reserves are unevenly distributed around the globe 41% are in the Middle East and 27% in Russia. Global natural gas reserves by countiy are shown in Table 1.9. 

TABLE 1.5 Global Proved Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas Reserves by Region"... 

It is therefore more relevant to examine wodd resources of natural gas in judging the supply potential for methanol. Wodd proved reserves amount to approximately 1.1 x 10 (40,000 TCF) (11). As seen in Figure 1, these reserves are distributed more widely than oil reserves. 

Estimates of the amount of natural gas available are made within the context of definitions and are subject to revision as definitions change, as additional information becomes available, as resources are consumed, or as undedyiag assumptions are altered. These definitions iaclude proved reserves where the resource is expected to be recoverable and marketable usiag known technology and prices probable reserves where a resource has been identified but not completely characterized and possible or potential gas where estimates are based on the available geological iaformation, historical trends, and previous successes. There are variations ia these definitions throughout the world. 

There is a need to seek an environmentally benign, technically feasible and economical alternative fuel because of the limited crude oil reserves and serious pollution all over the world. Recently, dimethyl ether (DME) is proved to be used as an alternative clean fuel in transportation, power generation and household use for its excellent behavior in compression ignition for combustion, cetane number of over 55 and zero sulfur content, and is praised as a super-clean fuel in the 21 century. It has a promising foreground of application. Therefore, the efficient synthesis of DME from syngas derived from natural gas, coal or biomass has drawn much attention. 

Since the proved reserves of conventional natural gas have declined in recent years, the need for new supply options was of primary importance in the 1979 research program. Forty-four projects are being undertaken this year to further the development of four new sources of gas supply. They are o Unconventional Natural Gas... 

There are sufficient gas reserves presently proved, with the prospect of additional reserves to permit the utilization of as much as 2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas annually for the production of synthetic fuels. This quantity of gas is available in addition to that... 

American Petroleum Institute, Proved Reserves of Crude Oil, Natural Gas Liquids, and Natu-... 

Most of the processes discussed either have been or are being used to supply synthetic fuels on a commercial basis. There is, therefore, little question as to the feasibility of these processes. In most cases, however, these ventures have proved and continue to prove economically unattractive in the face of abundant supplies of cheap natural gas and oil. When supplies dwindle and prices escalate, as is likely to happen eventually, specific processes can be expected to become marginally attractive. In the United States, probably the most competitive of the synthetic fuels are shale oil and low-CV and medium-CV gas. The more complex routes to liquid transportation fuels from coal can be expected to be more costly. In all cases a reduction in costs will occur as experience is gained from initial plants. Coal and, eventually, oil shale reserves will, however, also become depleted. Because biomass can probably make only a limited contribution to the total energy demand, other sources of energy will have to be harnessed. The development of synthetic fuels will probably be necessary to obtain the time needed for the evolution of such alternative energy sources. 

Proved Global Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal Reserves as of January 2007... 

Energy specialists and reservoir engineers in the United States and several other countries use proved reserves to predict the amounts of coal, oil, and natural gas that can be produced and marketed. Proved reserves are defined... 

Examination of the world s proved reserves of coal, crude oil, and natural gas and their regional locations shows that well over half of the world s crude oil and natural gas supplies are located in the Middle East and the former Soviet Union, while North America, the Far East, and the former Soviet Union have over 70% of the coal reserves (Table 1.5, Fig. 1.9). 

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