Scientific Difference Between Petroleum & Natural Gas

[Tahir]

Hello,

 

I have a question that I have been searching but haven't been able to find a comprehensive and scientifically accurate answer. I hope the experts on this forum can help me

 

Q. Is Natural Gas included in Petroleum Products. If not how we can differentiate on scientific basis ?

 

 

If possible please provide references.

 

Thanks

Edited December 3, 2012 by Tahir

[Enthalpy]

Petroleum reservoirs are always topped by natural gas. Enough gas is desired to let the oil erupt from the drilling without a pump.

 

The vastly main constituent of natural gas, methane, is little soluble in petroleum, so this one is easy to distinguish. Ethane is essentially present in gas as well.

 

The transition is at C₃ and C₄ which are present in both gas and oil and are commercially extracted from both (propane, butane, LPG and other names).

 

C₅ and up are essentially oil constituents.

 

So: the limit is a bit fuzzy. We call gas what is harvested gaseous and oil the liquid, but a fraction is common to both.