Have you ever dug a hole in some sand or in the earth? How far could you dig? To reach large areas of natural gas, people drill deep under the earth. The drill makes a hole (or a well) in the solid rock that surrounds the natural gas.
This platform is drilling for gas in the middle of the sea.
There is a lot of gas deep beneath the seabed. A gas rig is built and then transported to the middle of the ocean. This is called an offshore rig. From here, drillers are able to reach the depths of the sea. They live for months at a time on the rig. Some rigs are the size of villages!
Natural gas is cleaned before it reaches our homes.
When a drill hits an area of natural gas, the gas collects in a well and is sent along a pipe to a processing plant. Here, any unwanted gases or chemicals are removed. These can be used later for other products or fuels.
Drilling for natural gas can harm the natural world.
Huge drilling rigs and massive pipes spoil the beauty of the natural world. Pipelines can destroy the habitats of plants and animals, and the chemicals and fuels can upset the natural balance of the area.