Can we run out of natural gas?

[Anisha fatima + 8]

Hi dear members, Is there any possibilities in future to run out of natural gas?

[markslawson + 1,057]

22 hours ago, Anisha fatima said:

Hi dear members, Is there any possibilities in future to run out of natural gas?

The answer basically is no, or at least not as far as anyone knows. The American Energy Information Administration estimates that as of 2016, America had about 90 years worth of reserves of gas given the consumption of that time.. That does not mean only 90 years to go. The figure for reserves varies enormously due to both gas prices and technology, supply and demand. You might look again in 20 years time and find that there is only 30 years worth of reserves, then look again in 40 years time and find there are 120 years worth. Doomsayers like the sainted Professor Paul Ehrlich have tried to point to the limits of resources over many decades now and have been proved comprehensively wrong each time. In fact any forecasting in the energy sector by anyone is best avoided. The gas industry itself has come from not much post war to now being a serious rival for coal in energy use, and seems to have mushroomed into a major international trading commodity through LNG. No one expected that. Keep using gas.

[Meredith Poor + 895]

Keyword search 'Sabatier reaction'. We can make 'natural gas' to infinity and beyond from electricity, water, and CO2.

The formation rate from natural sources exceeds human consumption in the same time period.

Look up 'termite methane emission', 'water reservoir methane formation and emission', 'volcanic methane', 'abiogenic methane', 'wetlands methane', 'rice paddy methane', 'landfill methane', 'forest fire methane', and 'methanogen'. The term 'teragram' means trillions of grams.

Edited March 18, 2020 by Meredith Poor
Geobacter is evidently not a methanogen.

[BenFranklin'sSpectacles + 762]

On 3/17/2020 at 3:01 AM, Anisha fatima said:

Hi dear members, Is there any possibilities in future to run out of natural gas?

I would make a small distinction before answering this question.  There's a difference between exhausting the world's supply of natural gas and failing to meet short-term demand. 

As @Meredith Poor and @markslawson noted, we will not exhaust the world's supply of natural gas.  There's plenty of it, and we can make more.

Where we could possibly "run out" of natural gas is meeting short-term demand.  Suppose your country experiences a cold snap in winter, and the port you rely on to import LNG freezes over.  You may run out of natural gas for a week or two.  Gas exists in the world; you just can't access it at that point in time.  This contrasts with coal, oil, and nuclear, which can be cheaply stored in larger quantities and, therefore, are less vulnerable to supply disruptions.