Do you dare to imagine transporting natural gas in plastic bags?
This is not an absurd comedy, but a real life in Pakistan. Could it be that this is some kind of "black technology" newly invented by Pakistan?
Special mode of transportation of natural gas
Walking through some streets and alleys in Pakistan, you may see such a strange scene: people carry bulging plastic bags in their hands or shoulders, which are not filled with vegetables, fruits, or clothing, but full of natural gas! Yes, you heard it right, it's gas.
This kind of scene is unbelievable to many people, and they may even speculate, is this the trend of world development? Unfortunately, this mode of transportation is not unique to Pakistan, but a seemingly primitive but practical way that has to be used due to the lack of a stable gas supply system.
This kind of "local law" is nothing new. In some parts of Pakistan, people have been transporting natural gas in plastic bags for decades.
It is said that this method was first invented by some clever locals. They found that plastic bags have a certain airtightness and pressure resistance, which can be used to store and transport gases. As a result, plastic bags have become their "magic weapon" for transporting natural gas.
Transporting natural gas in plastic bags is much less expensive than buying expensive LPG or electricity. Shipping natural gas in plastic bags is an affordable alternative.
But then again, while transporting natural gas in plastic bags has solved the urgent needs of local residents, this method also has great safety risks.
Plastic bags are not professional gas storage equipment, and their sealing and pressure resistance cannot be guaranteed. Once the plastic bag is damaged or leaked, it can cause a fire or explosion accident. And such accidents have occurred many times in Pakistan, causing serious casualties and property damage.
There are also many uncertainties in the process of transporting natural gas in plastic bags. For example, during the filling process, if the gas seller does not operate properly or if the equipment fails, it can lead to a gas leak or explosion. In addition, during transportation and storage, plastic bags can also pose hazards if they are crushed or impacted.
There is also a potential risk of transporting natural gas in plastic bags – poisoning. Natural gas is a colorless and odorless gas, but if it comes into contact with leaking natural gas for a long time, it can cause poisoning in humans. Symptoms such as dizziness and nausea may occur in mild cases, and life-threatening symptoms in severe cases.
If there are so many safety hazards in transporting natural gas in plastic bags, why do Pakistani people do it?
In fact, this is also out of helplessness.
In some areas of Pakistan, natural gas resources are not abundant, natural gas extraction technology is not mature enough, and the energy structure is relatively simple, mainly relying on imported oil and natural gas to supply energy.
However, it has not been used much, and natural gas resources in many places cannot be extracted. Especially in some remote and rural areas, the supply of natural gas is very limited and far from sufficient.
Pakistan is mainly dependent on imports for the supply of natural gas resources. Especially when the price of natural gas rises in the international market, the cost of imports for Pakistan will increase accordingly.
For the average household in Pakistan, energy expenditure is an important part of the cost of daily living. Natural gas is expensive, and many households face difficulties with cooking and heating. In order to meet the demands of daily life, local residents have had to look for alternatives.
Residents have no choice but to use plastic bags to transport natural gas for their daily needs. On the streets of Pakistan, you will often see people who are called "gas traffickers". They drove motorcycles or tricycles with gas tanks and toured the villages and streets.
Their job is to inflate the residents. When residents need gas, they find these gas sellers and fill them in plastic bags.
These gas traffickers usually use a special device to pump natural gas out of gas storage tanks and fill it into plastic bags provided by residents. Due to the limited capacity of plastic bags, each household often needs to make multiple purchases to meet their daily needs.
So how is this natural gas in plastic bags used at home?
In fact, the method is very simple, but it is also dangerous.
Residents usually use a hose to connect the plastic bag to the gas stove. This hose may be a cheap product bought from the market, or it may be a simple device made by yourself. By adjusting the valves on the hoses, residents can control the flow of natural gas for cooking or heating.
However, this connection also has security implications. Since the quality and connection of the hose cannot be guaranteed, it is easy to leak or fall off. In the event of a leak or shedding, the natural gas can quickly diffuse into the indoor air to form an explosive mixture. If an ignition source such as an open flame or electric spark is encountered, it can cause an explosion accident with serious consequences.
It is not that the people of Pakistan have not considered other alternatives. But it boils down to one word: poor.
For example, liquefied petroleum gas, which we commonly use, is more portable and easy to store than natural gas. However, the price of LPG is usually high and in Pakistan, the average household cannot afford to consume it.
There is also coal or timber, and although Pakistan has abundant coal resources, it varies greatly in quality and generally contains high sulphur and ash content. Their combustion use produces a large amount of smoke and harmful gases, and the combustion efficiency is low.
The power generation capacity is backward, and the power resources are also extremely short. Pakistan's cities are often without power for about 10 hours a day, while rural areas can face power outages of up to 20 hours.
None of the above methods worked, and the people of Pakistan were left with the dangerous option of transporting natural gas in plastic bags to meet their daily needs.
It's not that they're unaware of the dangers, but the harsh reality is that they have no choice.
This risky lifestyle is not a long-term solution.
In order to keep residents safe and healthy, we need to work together to find safer and more efficient ways to use energy.
For example, the construction of natural gas pipelines can be strengthened to improve the coverage and stability of natural gas supply; At the same time, we will promote the use of safer and more environmentally friendly clean energy, replace traditional energy and reduce the harm to the environment and human body.
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