Could natural gas be a player in the new world climate order?  It looks like three organizations will be pushing for just that in Copenhagen next week.   The American Clean Skies Foundation (ACSF), the UN Foundation and the Worldwatch Institute say they will jointly “explore the potential for natural gas to accelerate the world’s transition to a low-carbon economy,” according to Worldwatch.

Sour gas pipeline, courtesy CBC.CA

They will announce that new sources of unconventional gas could (and would) more quickly help the world turn away from oil and coal as a primary source of energy and spur new energy policy.  That’s correct if certain truths are taken into account.  There are considerable reserves of natural gas that remain capped due to high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that make them “sour.”  Many of these reserves are in remote areas where the cost of production makes it economically unattractive.  In fact, nearly 40 percent of the world’s natural gas reserves is sour, according to French oil and gas giant Total, s.a.

Many experts say more attention needs to be paid to renewable sources like wind and solar.  That’s true, but where are we now?  Wind and solar are growing sources of energy, but they currently aren’t developed enough to make an overnight change.  Will natural gas be the answer?

H2S, sometimes known as “sewer gas,” is the oil and gas industry’s enemy No. 1.  A chief part of the refining process is removing sulfur and H2S from raw streams to be able to bring refined natural gas to market. So yes, natural gas should play a fundamental role in any low-carbon policy proposed.  But this is possible only if more attention is paid to technological advances in refining it.

As we look toward Copenhagen, SWAPSOL agrees with the Worldwatch Institute that greater investment is needed in natural gas to play a pivotal role in a low-carbon environment.  Wind and solar technologies are exciting and are quickly gaining ground in the fight against climate change, but today we have an opportunity to both lower carbon emissions using natural gas, as well. Incorporating natural gas into the mix of solutions will also create needed jobs through additional investment in refining technologies. These technologies hold the key to preventing H2S from holding a tremendous volume of natural gas hostage.

With the SWAP, we can eliminate two “bad actors” in a single chemical process, protect the environment and improve bottom lines by reducing costs and creating jobs simultaneously.  We can look at CO2 not as an enemy, but as a friend and use it to profit in a new energy economy.