| US energy reserves in the form of | | | | performance handicap. However, the |
| natural gas are about 80% larger than | | | | conversion of a gasoline powered car is |
| its petroleum reserves. Future drilling | | | | expensive and the large, high pressure |
| will add modestly to either reserve with | | | | cylinders for storing CNG must be |
| the likelihood that new natural gas | | | | installed in the car's trunk when |
| reserves will be more significant. | | | | retrofitting. |
| T. Boone Pickens is proposing to use | | | | A few car manufacturers are already |
| more natural gas as fuel for | | | | offering vehicles equipped to use both |
| automobiles. His ads are gaining | | | | fuels, CNG and gasoline. One can either |
| traction and many people are beginning | | | | use the one or the other fuel. An |
| to ask themselves if a Compressed | | | | immediate changeover can be made by |
| Natural Gas or CNG powered car is in | | | | toggling a simple switch. In the US |
| their future. | | | | Honda is already offering its Civic GX |
| The answer depends on knowing three | | | | model. Volkswagen, Opel, Mercedes, and |
| simple facts; is CNG really much less | | | | Fiat are selling bi-fuel models in |
| expensive than gasoline, is CNG readily | | | | Europe. Other Europeans are making CNG |
| available, and are commercial cars with | | | | powered models, too. American carmakers |
| bi-fuel capability available for sale? | | | | are sure to follow. |
| The answers are yes, no, yes. | | | | There are two remaining questions. How |
| Natural gas can be offered at a | | | | much natural gas reserves does the US |
| significantly lower price than gasoline. | | | | possess and how reliable are early price |
| In a recent ad by a large gas company a | | | | signals? After all, imported natural |
| price of $2.04 per GGE was offered for | | | | gas is sold mostly by OPEC countries and |
| CNG while the comparable price for | | | | the US is already importing small |
| regular gasoline was shown at $3.46 per | | | | amounts of natural gas. |
| gallon. The energy content of | | | | Available data puts US natural gas |
| compressed natural gas is quoted in | | | | reserves at 230 tcf (trillion cubic |
| "Gallon of Gas Equivalent" or GGE. This | | | | feet). Present consumption is about 2 |
| is a new measuring unit, which is based | | | | tcf annually. Consumption of natural |
| on the energy content of the dispensed | | | | gas will obviously sharply increase once |
| gas. By basing the price of CNG on its | | | | CNG is used widely in automobiles and |
| energy content, one can compare energy | | | | will also continue its annual rise as |
| prices of CNG and gasoline directly. | | | | overall US energy consumption continues |
| This is by far the best approach for the | | | | to grow. Annual natural gas consumption |
| customer who can compare prices for two | | | | may soon grow close to 4 tcf. With this |
| equal amounts of energy, one for a gas, | | | | rate of consumption known natural gas |
| the other one for gasoline. Measuring | | | | reserves will last for more than fifty |
| the dispensed amount of CNG is more | | | | years. |
| difficult than measuring an equivalent | | | | When buying a bi-fuel car, we need to |
| amount of gasoline. However, a precise | | | | convince ourselves that CNG prices will |
| measurement can be made. Installing a | | | | stay stable and competitive in order to |
| CNG measuring device is just more | | | | recover the higher purchase price of the |
| expensive than its gasoline counterpart. | | | | bi-fuel equipped car. The natural gas |
| At present, there are almost no fueling | | | | industry has been using recent increases |
| stations equipped to dispense CNG. The | | | | in the price of heating oil to |
| natural gas industry will have to make | | | | significantly increase the price of |
| considerable investments before a | | | | natural gas. How can we make a |
| sufficient number of fueling stations | | | | realistic estimate about future price |
| will be locally available. If you are | | | | stability of CNG? Past history shows |
| the lucky one who lives close to such a | | | | that the pipeline companies that sell |
| new station, you should seriously | | | | natural gas to local distribution |
| consider buying a new car with bi-fuel | | | | utilities were setting prices based on |
| capability. For local driving one uses | | | | the same cut-throat practices used by |
| CNG, for long distance traveling one | | | | OPEC. |
| continues to depend on gasoline. By | | | | Realistically, we do not have any |
| having two fuel tanks on board, one for | | | | effective protection from similar |
| CNG, the other for gasoline, the driver | | | | pricing policies in the future. We can |
| can select the fuel he wants to use. | | | | therefore, expect that the advertised |
| Existing cars can also be converted. | | | | lower CNG energy prices will not last |
| Cars burning compressed natural gas will | | | | forever. |
| perform flawlessly without any | | | | |