Over the years, we’ve told you a lot about propane.
Thanks to that, you know how propane’s versatility means you have more comfort and convenience in your home. You know that propane is an energy-efficient and eco-friendly way to heat your home, heat your water, cook your food, run your BBQ grill and more.
But do you know how propane comes to be?
First, a brief history of propane: It was identified as a volatile compound in gasoline in 1910 by chemist Walter O. Snelling. Three years later, he sold the patent to propane to Frank Philips, the founder of Philips Petroleum, for $50,000. That’s $1.3 million in today’s dollars.
Over the years, businessmen and scientists worked to make propane the viable fuel source it became. The process itself of making propane has evolved over the last century or so, too. Today, there are two primary ways propane is produced:
Natural gas production. To stop condensation from forming in natural gas pipelines, propane is extracted from liquid compounds as the natural gas is being processed. Butane is also extracted during this processing. Propane, being much denser as a liquid than as a gas, is stored and transported as a liquid in this form of production.
Crude oil refining. There are a lot of things that come from crude oil refining, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, jet fuel and heating oil. But you may not know that propane does as well! During the stabilization phase of the refining, the heavier hydrocarbons fall to the bottom. But propane, being a lighter hydrocarbon, is at the top and is easily extracted.
Because propane is created through the processing of natural gas and crude oil, it is a fuel that is largely a domestic product. In fact, 90 percent of the American propane supply is generated right here in the United States! That abundant, right-at-home supply makes propane a reliable fuel choice for your Delmarva home, and all it’s potential appliances, year ‘round!
Contact Poore’s Propane to learn more about our propane services and how we can benefit your residential home, or commercial business.
