Clean Fuels and Efficient Transportation: Compressed Natural Gas
Contact: Colin Messer |
New Mexico is a leading U.S. producer of crude oil and natural gas, accounting for one-tenth of the total U.S. production. The San Juan Basin, located in northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado, contains the nation’s largest field of proven natural gas reserves. Approximately one-third of all natural gas produced in New Mexico is coalbed methane, rivaling Colorado and Wyoming as the nation’s top coalbed methane producer. The Blanco Hub, also in the San Juan Basin, is a major transportation point for Rocky Mountain natural gas supplies heading to West Coast markets. New Mexico also produces oil and gas in the Permian Basin located in southeastern New Mexico.
The interest in natural gas as an alternative fuel stems mainly from its clean burning qualities, its domestic resource base, and its commercial availability to end-users. Because of the gaseous nature of this fuel, it must be stored onboard a vehicle in either a compressed gaseous state (CNG) or in a liquefied state (LNG). There are over 112,000natural gas vehicles on the roads in the U.S. today and over 13 million worldwide. Over 40 different manufacturers produce light, medium, and heavy duty vehicles. Most of these vehicles are either dedicated or bi-fuel models which can operate on either CNG or petroleum fuel. New Mexico is in the process of strengthening its CNG infrastructure along the I-25 corridor. Compressed natural gas refueling stations in New Mexico |
|
Additional information |
Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons - mainly methane (CH4) - and is produced either from gas wells or in conjunction with crude oil production. Natural gas is consumed in the residential, commercial, industrial, and utility markets.