[medicvet]

I saw the link to this on another forum, and know it can't be true because it just sounds too hinky, but cannot formulate in my head exactly HOW it is simply not true scientifically speaking, and was wondering if ya'll can help me out on that, would much appreciate it.

http://www.theamericannightmare.org/163 ... s_A-D.html

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

Is there a missing link here...?

[medicvet]

whoops..as maxwell smart woudl say, "sorry about that, chief". Was hoping to have the link added before anyone saw that, but oh well, lol.

[Zardoz]

Right. All of North America is a titanic gas field.

Well, thank God for that. I was worried that we'd run out some day. According to these people's reading of the bible, that'll never happen.

"Oxygen-rich". Oh, please...

[medicvet]

Could you or someone give me a bit more detail on that please? Like I had posted, I pretty much know it's not true, but need some help with exactly why scientifically speaking...you see I am trying to argue against it with someone and just a "that's not right no way" and a rolled eye smily icon is just not going to cut it as a debate. Thank you.

[smallpoxgirl]

The reason that fossil fuel deposits are able to stay stable for millions without spontaneously oxidizing is that there is virtually no oxygen in them. Indeed that oxygen poor environ was the reason they formed fossil fuels in the first place. In an environment with any oxygen, plant material would be metabolized into C02(i.e. rotted) by bacteria and such.

In order for fire to occur, three components are needed: heat, oxygen, and fuel. Remove any one and the fire goes out. This is called the fire triangle.

Because fossil fuel deposits in situ lack oxygen, they are not inflammable except where they escape the deposit and make contact with oxygen. Thus a natural gas deposit can't explode. If someone pokes a hole into it and releases it into the oxygen rich atmosphere, only then it can it explode.

[medicvet]

Thank you very much, that is some of what I was hoping and looking for. What can I respond when someone goes on that all of north america is a huge gas reserve and once some of it is poked through and reaches oxygen then the entire north american continent can blow up in one massive explosion? I know that it couldn't be because there is different materials below the earths surface, not just natural gas and that it just cannot be feasible to have such an event take place... I know it is ridiculous, but would appreciate perhaps a link that would explain how that just isn't so..I hate arguing with idiots, lol.. especially when this isn't my specific forte of knowledge.

[smallpoxgirl]

Regarding the idea that natural gas is 25 feet under the surface, the average depth for an onshore exploratory gas well in the US last year was just over 8,000 feet. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/finance/advance/btab22.html

As for a whole reservoir exploding, that could only happen if the reservoir became significantly admixed with air. That doesn't happen with a pressurized reservoir. Oil wells catch fire from time to time. After Gulf War I dozens of them were intentionally set on fire. Did the Middle East explode? No way, because there's no air in the reservoir. Only the natural gas and petroleum that have escaped the reservoir and mixed with air are capable of catching fire. The reservoir is pressurized, so there no way for air to enter it, even if someone drills a hole in it (i.e. a well). I suppose some devious arch-villain could conspire to inject pressurized air into a reservoir and light it on fire. It would take a lot of oxygen to do much, and underneath 8,000 feet of rock, I'm not sure anyone would notice if it did catch fire.

[pup55]

Better listen to SPG.

Also, better check the statements carefully:

Energy Citations Database

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he Hugoton Panhandle gas field, in parts of Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, is an area of almost 8,500 sq miles and contains one of the world`s largest known gas reserves.^The field was discovered in 1918 by drilling on a surface structural feature and now includes almost 5.5 million acres which are being drained by 10,500 wells

[medicvet]

Thanks ya'll. You been an immense help.