Executive Summary
Advances and developments in gas utilisation and processing are significant research subjects because of their relevance to different industries worldwide. Moreover, the resource is necessary to form most countries’ economics and is involved in political decision-making. This research methods report explored how gas-related industries and studies change from the economic, technological, and environmental perspectives. Critical literature appraisal addressed the key findings in the recent scientific works and revealed novel implementations in gas utilisation and processing.
Sixteen peer-reviewed articles were selected to be reviewed, and their research methodologies to be identified and analysed. The studies were separated by the economic, technological, and environmental perspectives of gas utilisation and processing advances and developments. Articles included the reviews of current industrial conditions in counties such as the United Kingdom, Unites States, and China, and technological innovations such as wireless sensors and networks used for gas processing were appraised. The latest environmental challenges, such as carbon emissions and other gas-related issues, were identified throughout the selected studies.
Critical evaluation for the research methodology aimed to identify studies’ design and assess if it was appropriate for the selected subject and hypothesis. Consequently, each article has been identified as qualitative, quantitative, or mixed, and the statement if the approach was suitable has been proven. To understand if the study design is relevant, they were analysed and compared to the definitions of research types. Most of the articles selected the correct strategy which addressed their primary aims and hypotheses.
Research methods report revealed the demand for addressing the initial aim of each article, considering the main subject, and identifying if the results can be predicted. Exploring the gas utilisation-related articles from economic, technological, and environmental perspectives required simultaneously analysing hypotheses that addressed diverse issues. Such a scope of different studies revealed how the selection of qualitative, quantitative, or mixed design influenced the results. Indeed, articles with calculative conclusions addressed the need for accurate data for decision-making and certain technologies implementation, while the experience-related ones suggested how the current practices can be enhanced. Modern project management approaches can combine the studies’ results to frame appropriate and adjustable systems where all possible threats and opportunities are considered. Moreover, the conclusions about research methodology selection are crucial for developing strategies to impact policymaking or adjust the current practices of gas utilisation and processing.
Introduction
Gas-related technologies are a significant aspect of various industries, and their mining, development, and utilisation continue to be studied and improved. Gas is a significant part of worldwide energy consumption used for heating, electricity generation, and as fuel for transportation. Countries’ economic conditions and political decision-making may also depend on the source’s availability as it allows nations to maintain a comfortable life. Project management requires exploration of gas utilisation strategies for selecting the most appropriate one and achieving the optimal results. Consequently, the emerging demand for enhancing gas use and processing exists worldwide, making scientists and industries’ leaders conduct novel researches and develop innovations.
Researchers address the urgent environmental challenges that emerged due to gas mining and use and created technologies that allow to make the resource affordable and improve the related projects management. Indeed, gas-related companies sponsor the studies necessary to increase their competitive advantage, adopt new strategies, and deliver more percentage of cost savings. Project management is also crucial for businesses and industries due to higher demand for providing high-quality service, maintaining sustainability, and creating stable corporate culture. Consequently, awareness of advances in gas utilisation and processing is beneficial for a company’s finances, strategic management, and competitiveness.
Various books and articles have been released within the last five years as the technologies make the industries grow exponentially, and novelties’ influence must be assessed and studied before the implementation. Indeed, the peer-reviewed articles published in famous scientific journals, such as “Science of The Total Environment”, explored how gas utilisation can decrease carbon emissions. The economic literature addressed the issues related to the prices instability and the approaches to optimise it, as mentioned in the articles by Wang. Publications with a narrow industry-related niche also included studies about project management for making the use of resources sustainable and cost-optimised. This literature report aims to explore the latest studies about advances and developments in gas utilisation and processing based on the economic, technological, and environmental aspects and critically appraise their research methodology and relevance.
Critical Appraisal of Literature
Technological advances and developments of gas utilisation and processing can be explored from an economic, technological, and environmental perspective because knowledge of the latest practices is necessary for industries’ projects and strategic management. Gas utilisation and processing significantly influence countries’ economies, and literature about the trends and challenges can assist businesses in developing optimal strategies. For instance, the study conducted by Hall for the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies concluded that in the UK, “gas production is expected to continue at about 40 bcm per year” (Hall, 2019 p.4). Consequently, the national economy would need to adjust the costs for resource storage and capturing and develop new policies to regulate the involved industries. Asian countries provide various examples of gas utilisation strategies beneficial for economic growth, and China-based research by Li, Cheng, and Gu assessed the market-oriented reform for gas-related businesses established there (Li, Cheng, and Gu, 2019 p.36). The scientists revealed that governmentally administrated gas processing leads to advantages for selling and producing the necessary tools and equipment.
The sustainability of an industry is also considerable for national economies; therefore, chemists and technologists develop and check the strategies to influence gas utilisation’s environmental costs. Indeed, the study “Hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide: towards a more sustainable hydrogen economy” reviewed the methods of gas generation necessary for energy production (Cao et al., 2021 p.125689). The scientists suggested that the economic benefits of hydrogen utilisation would only be valuable if the changes were applied industry-wide rather than by separate companies. Furthermore, research based on the emerging gas processing trends in the United States suggested that infrastructure investment must address socioeconomic context to increase the national value of more sustainable practices (Feijoo et al., 2018 p.153). The study conducted by Feijoo et al. explored the investments from the geographic distribution perspective and identified the risks of under-utilisation for gas mined and bought for the American states. Lastly, the review of recent currentrial conditions developed by Zimmermann et al. identified the challenges related to innovations’ implementation, such as the lack of regulations and governmental support and the deployment price (Zimmermann et al., 2020 p.5). Literature about the economic advances and developments for gas-related industries provides a solid foundation for forecasting worldwide trends of resource processing.
Economic optimisation of gas processing can be reached through technological development, and the recent advances are being studied and reviewed by scientists worldwide. Indeed, the literature about the resource includes dozens of patents, mainly related to carbon dioxide utilisation methodologies. For instance, the study by Norhasyima and Mahlia reviewed the innovations of CO2 processing between the year 1980–2017 and concluded that modern improvements should develop towards sustainability rather than efficiency (Norhasyima and Mahlia, 2018 p.333). Researchers create various methods for optimising the utilisation, such as capturing H2S and CO2 from acid, natural gas offered and explained in the recent studies (Cao et al., 2021 p.125689). Such articles posted in scholarly journals help businesses find novel approaches to use the recourse and include them in their projects’ management strategies (Queirós, Faria and Almeida, 2017 p.2). Moreover, case studies based on the gas processing industries are created and analysed to improve the work and reduce the costs (Arriola-Medellín et al., 2019 p.1621). Technologies developed for energy-generating gas processing continue to be researched for enhancing the quality of efficiency of the process.
Computer-based technologies develop exponentially today; thus, gas utilisation advancements are also achieved through network use and databases’ analysis. The study published in the “Journal of Network and Computer Applications” suggested that increasing the range of machinery methodologies for resources management is beneficial for the industries. The authors explored the existing examples and concluded that with such technologies as wireless sensor networks, gas processing became safer and more sustainable (Aalsalem et al., 2018 p.90). Another research conducted by Delou et al. applied the real-time optimisation strategy implemented with the use of digital applications in gas processing units (Delou et al., 2021 p.1179). The results revealed the economic value of instant updates and the prevention of emergencies, and these benefits were unreachable without novel computing technologies.
The emerging demand for making industries more sustainable enabled companies’ to develop and manage projects where the harm of gas utilisation is minimised. Publications, such as “Science of The Total Environment”, “Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters”, and “Resources Policy”, include several studies conducted to explore the strategies for advances and developments to make gas utilisation ecology-friendly. The research undertaken by Ramírez-Santos, Castel, and Favre revealed how membrane gas separation could benefit the emission reduction in the iron and steel sector (Ramírez-Santos, Castel and Favre, 2018, p.426). Another study reviewed the advances in biomass tar reforming and offered gas proportion adjusting as the environment-friendly solution to enhance its utilisation (Ren and Liu, 2020 p.100008). Tars are hazardous, and their removal strategies are being tested and approved by chemists and biologists before applying them to industrial use (Deng and Adams II, 2020 p.123568). Gas development has atmospheric impacts, and research conducted in West Virginia identified that methane emissions could be regulated in the urban areas (Williams et al., 2018 p.408). The article was published in the “Science of The Total Environment” journal to encourage other industrial locations to try the offered strategy to improve the air quality. Evidence of specific environmental hazards caused by gas utilisation is frequently based on the exploration of natural gas geologic basins, and Wang published such a study about the Permian Basin in the Resources Policy journal (Wang, 2020 p.101599). Wang (2020) concluded that the significant spatial and industry-level spillover effects are present and influence local policies of safety and sustainability (p.101599). Pan et al. (2020) offered a novel strategy where “from gas mixtures from sources such as fossil fuel power plants and either storing or reusing it to prevent the large quantities of CO2 released into the atmosphere” (p. 12877). Gas capturing and utilisation necessary for energy generation also influence the environment, and Pan’s research explored the drawbacks of contemporary techniques.
Research and literature reviewing also helps predict the trends and changes in the gas-related industries and identify the volume of energy necessary for maintaining businesses’ functionality. The study about gas emission from porous media forecasted that with the growing demand for the resource, the diffusion, temperature and viscosity could increase to dangerous rates (Al Makky et al., 2017 p.1144). The scientists suggested involving a multidisciplinary team for addressing the challenge and develop an environment-friendly solution for energy generation in the future. Modern industries have a long history of using gas for energetic purposes; thus, a novel, optimised strategy can be retrieved from reviewing the various approaches and evaluating the utilisation efficiency (Koytsoumpa, Bergins and Kakaras, 2018 p.4). Literature appraisal of advances in gas processing from an environmental perspective reveals that the need for reducing emissions increases.
Critical Evaluation of the Research Methods
The research methodology of the articles about advances and developments in gas utilisation and processing varies because of the broad range of aspects to explore. A properly selected study design is a foundation for performing it effectively and retrieving many results. Research can be descriptive, correlational, experimental, and causal-comparative, depending on the subject matter and hypotheses scientists set (Queirós, Faria and Almeida, 2017 p.2). Furthermore, a qualitative approach can be selected if the non-numerical datasets require analysis, and a quantitative one for the opposite (Li, Cheng, and Gu, 2019 p.40). Critical evaluation of the selected methods is necessary for submitting the results’ credibility and their usefulness for project management.
The selected studies contain different research methods regardless of their aspect, as qualitative approaches are used both for studying the economic and environmental impact of gas processing. Hall’s “Gas production from the UK Continental Shelf: an assessment of resources, economics and regulatory reform” is a descriptive study based on historical, geographical, and economic data. As a result, the forecast and recommendation for further improvements have been developed; thus, the selected methodology was appropriate for the article (Hall, 2019 p.11). Studies aiming to reveal patterns and make predictions can be either qualitative and quantitative, yet the information based on the numbers and statistics is considered more reliable for and assessment and conclusions. In the China-based research, Li, Cheng, and Gu used the panel data retrieved from 30 provinces of 2000-2014 to search for relations and submit the hypothesis about economic growth (Li, Cheng, and Gu, 2019 p.36). Consequently, “Research on the dynamic relationship between natural gas consumption and economic growth in China” is another quantitative study, yet it is correlational by design aimed to explore the impact of reform implementation.
Quantitative studies are frequently based on mathematical models necessary to receive accurate results for hypothesis submission. For instance, Cao et al. (2021, p.125689) claim that “supersonic flow characteristics of CH4–H2S–CO2 ternary mixture were accurately predicted by adding the real gas state equation.” Their research results are based on the numeral calculations’ results and suggest that the offered technology is workable for gas processing. Quantitative design is beneficial for the study because a mathematical model allows checking the technology in real practice before actual implementation.
Quantitative design can be selected for forecasting studies if calculations are required for retrieving predictability. Indeed, Al Makky et al. (2017, p. 1144) state that “the efflux equation is discussed and then it is linked with the soils geotechnical parameters, while a relationship between the Reynolds number within the soil and efflux is found.” The formula-based approach helped the authors make a prediction of the gas emission from porous media. The design is relevant for narrow forecasting studies, yet the results of this research could be more valuable if the mixed strategy was exercised. It would have expanded the evidence to study similar considerations on a broader range of gas samples.
Furthermore, quantitative design is used for the analysis of events and challenges based on studying specific locations. The research conducted by Williams et al. explored the atmospheric impacts of natural gas development in Morgantown, West Virginia. Williams et al. (2018, p.408) claim that “our study was able to successfully identify and quantify MSEEL emissions within this complex urban environment.” Quantitative design is appropriate for this article because the accurately calculated results are convincing for the government and society to impact the town’s policies. A study about Permian Basin published by Wang in 2020 also utilises a quantitative approach to prove the hypothesis that the economic impact of shale development there is significant. The article is based on the instrumental variables regression model, which revealed the importance of addressing employment and income factors to improve the Basin’s conditions (Wang, 2020 p.101599). The study’s aim was to demonstrate an event’s significance; the quantitative design was relevant as it provided accountable evidence that proves the hypothesis.
A review of the methods for gas utilisation is included in multiple studies because it helps reveal the patterns and identify the benefits or drawbacks of particular strategies. Moreover, analysis of already existing approaches is valuable for project management as it allows to select and implement the most suitable one (Menefee and Ellis, 2020 p.6136). Articles such as “Hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide: towards a more sustainable hydrogen economy” and “Techno-Economic Assessment Guidelines for CO2 Utilization” are qualitative as conclusions in them are based on experiences of novel implementations. The selected design is appropriate because the studies aimed to expand the practices rather than prove their usefulness. Qualitative research can also address the outcomes of technologies’ appearance in industrial projects management to reveal the development perspectives (Menefee and Ellis, 2020 p.6136). For example, Ramírez-Santos, Castel and Favre (2018, p. 430) state that “analysis of the opportunities and limitations of each technology is presented, related to their ability to separate existing gas streams into the two main carbon-bearing species, CO2 and CO.” The descriptive results of their study would not be sufficient if only the statistical data were presented, and the qualitative approach appropriately highlighted the points for further development.
Advances and developments in gas processing can be qualitatively studied through analysing specific experiences such as gas utilisation from biomass tar reforming. In the relevant research, Ren and Liu explored several hazardous methods of gasification and compared them to summarise and identify the most urgent challenges (Ren and Liu, 2020 p.100008). The qualitative design is relevant for this study because the selected experiences differ, and no quantitative benchmarks were developed to make conclusions. Similarly, the article about energy and environment issues published by Pan et al. qualitatively analysed the CO2 optimisation technologies. The report included a description of the carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) process to operate with gas mixtures (Pan et al., 2020 p.12874). The article’s qualitative design is not sufficient for the results because quantitative evidence was necessary for admitting the novel technology’s effectiveness.
Mixed approaches in the studies are beneficial in exploring the advances in gas utilisation and related projects’ management because they provide ample evidence that supports or denies initial hypotheses. Indeed, the research about future maintenance strategies combined the descriptive analysis of previous years’ statistics and offered the qualitative examination of the current maintenance approaches (Eyoh and Kalawsky, 2018 p.3). Another similar study design is implemented in the case study about the gas and oil processing centre, where the interventions were based on quantitative information, yet the conclusions were drawn qualitatively (Arriola-Medellín et al., 2019 p.1623). The use of mixed approaches suits both studies; it increases the results’ credibility and allows a reader to compare the outcomes to their business or hypotheses.
In the research conducted by Feijoo et al., mixed design is selected to compare the inter-state gas-related economic statistics and to illustrate how the risks can harm the involved industries. Feijoo et al. (2018 p.149) claim that “our study highlights the value of integrated approaches to facilitate informed decision-making.” Including quantitative and qualitative research methodology was appropriate for this article because authors’ statements required statistical approval, and the offered practices would be irrelevant without detailed explanations.
Conclusion
Advances and developments in gas utilisation and processing are being studied from different perspectives, such as their economic, technological, and environmental influence. The resource is used in the industries such as heating, electricity generation, as fuel for transportation, and in manufacturing businesses. Gas influences countries political relations and is necessary for private companies to operate correctly. Consequently, various types of studies are funded and conducted to enhance project management and decision-making. Critical appraisal of the recent literature revealed that innovations are being offered and tested in gas processing, and developments are utilised in different industries worldwide.
Gas utilisation developments today also address environmental challenges such as emissions and pollution, and the recent studies support the emerging demand for switching from efficiency to sustainability. Moreover, critical appraisal of the environment, economy, and technology-based literature showed the correlation between trends in mining and processing strategies. The analysed articles also provided a significant scope of novel technologies such as wireless sensors, networks, and real-time updates, which enhance gas processing strategies and reduce costs. Modern project management approaches can combine the studies’ results to frame appropriate and adjustable systems where all possible threats and opportunities are considered.
Reference List
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Al Makky, A., Alaswad, A., Gibson, D. and Olabi, A.G., (2017). Prediction of the gas emission from porous media with the concern of energy and environment. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 68, 1144-1156.
Arriola-Medellín, A.M., López-Cisneros, L.F., Aragón-Aguilar, A., Romo-Millares, C.A. and Fernández-Montiel, M.F., (2019). Energy efficiency to increase production and quality of products in industrial processes: case study oil and gas processing center. Energy Efficiency, 12(6), 1619-1634.
Cao, X., Guo, D., Sun, W., Zhang, P., Ding, G. and Bian, J., (2021). Supersonic separation technology for carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide removal from natural gas. Journal of Cleaner Production, 288, 125689.
Delou, P.A., Ribeiro, L.D., Paiva, C.R., Niederberger, J., Gomes, M.V.C. and Secchi, A.R., (2021). A real-time optimisation strategy for small-scale facilities and implementation in a gas processing unit. Processes, 9(7), 1179.
Deng, L. and Adams II, T.A., (2020). Comparison of steel manufacturing off-gas utilisation methods via life cycle analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 277, 123568.
Eyoh, J. and Kalawsky, R., (2018). Evolution of maintenance strategies in oil and gas industries: the present achievements and future trends. FEAST International Conference on Engineering Management, Industrial Technology, Applied Sciences, Communications and Media.
Feijoo, F., Iyer, G.C., Avraam, C., Siddiqui, S.A., Clarke, L.E., Sankaranarayanan, S., Binsted, M.T., Patel, P.L., Prates, N.C., Torres-Alfaro, E. and Wise, MA, (2018). The future of natural gas infrastructure development in the United States. Applied Energy, 228, 149-166.
Hall, M., (2019). Gas production from the UK Continental Shelf: an assessment of resources, economics and regulatory reform. Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
Koytsoumpa, E.I., Bergins, C. and Kakaras, E., (2018). The CO2 economy: Review of CO2 capture and reuse technologies. The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 132, 3-16.
Li, Z.G., Cheng, H. and Gu, T.Y., (2019). Research on the dynamic relationship between natural gas consumption and economic growth in China. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 49, 334-339.
Menefee, A.H. and Ellis, B.R., (2020). Regional-scale greenhouse gas utilisation strategies for enhanced shale oil recovery and carbon management. Energy & Fuels, 34(5), 6136-6147.
Norhasyima, R.S. and Mahlia, T.M.I., (2018). Advances in CO₂ utilisation technology: A patent landscape review. Journal of CO2 Utilization, 26, 323-335.
Pan, X.X., Chen, M.L., Ying, L.M. and Zhang, F.F., (2020). An empirical study on energy utilisation efficiency, economic development, and sustainable management. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(12), 12874-12881.
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Appendix A
Search Plan
- The main keywords of the selected topic: gas utilisation, gas developments, emissions, technological advances, environment, project management.
- The interest: the leading interest for completing the report is to find recent literature that explores the advances and developments in gas utilisation, project management, economics.
- The topic: advances and developments in gas utilisation and processing. Alternative words: gas industry development, natural resources utilisation, innovations in gas, gas emissions reduce.
- The date range is 2017-2021 (within 5 years); types of documents are peer-reviewed articles from economic, biology, environmental, and industrial journals.
- The searching terms: “Gas utilisation and development”; “Gas economy”; “Gas environment”; “Gas innovations”; “Gas project management; Gas AND Emissions; Gas industry NOT Oil industry.
Appendix B
Notes
- Three main aspects of the successful project are the company’s technical advantage, economic strategy and sustainability. → The report can explore the gas industry through these aspects to understand the trends in development and advances.
- Sources about the environment: emissions, industrial sustainability, gas and chemical harm; → studies conducted in 2019 address the emerging need for emissions control, and efficiency for gas utilisation is not a priority;
- Sources about economics: mostly explore Asian countries like China where the government strictly regulates gas use; the quantitative studies are prevalent because specific numbers can influence policymakers;
- Sources about technology: novelties primarily based on digitalisation or implementation of computer-based networks for instant optimisation. Studies are qualitative as they describe the experiences of technological interventions.