Does production of natural gas affect the environment?
Exploration activities, processing facilities and pipelines can have significant effects on the environment in areas where natural gas is produced. The largest impact results from processing gas to render the raw gas acceptable for pipeline transportation to markets. Processing removes carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, natural gas liquids and water vapour. On average, processing plants in Canada recover almost 99 per cent of the sulphur compounds in raw gas, but the remaining amount is released into the atmosphere as sulphur dioxide. Processing facilities use energy and may also release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Other concerns arising from natural gas production include sour gas odours, groundwater contamination, waste management, land use, and impacts on wildlife habitat in producing areas.
