 Hi, my name is Sniffasaurus but you can call me Sniffy. As a dinosaur, I know a lot about natural gas and how it heats your home. Now, you're probably asking yourself, "Why would a dinosaur know anything about the way my house is heated?" My story starts millions of years ago. When the dinosaurs died, their bones were buried under rocks and dirt along with other living plants and animals. After millions of years, heat and pressure changed the organic matter into natural gas. Natural gas is found in porous rock layers, a lot like sponges, called gas reservoirs. Do you know how we get natural gas out of the ground?
We drill for natural gas. It can take several weeks to drill a gas well as they are as much as 3 miles deep. Natural gas is deep in the ground so they lower a pipe in the well and the pipe acts like a straw to float or pull the gas to the surface. Do you know what natural gas looks like?
Natural gas is like the air - you can’t see it, feel it, taste it or smell it. If you were to pour gasoline out of a can, you would have a puddle of gas. Natural gas is not a liquid. It's a gas. It is delivered to your home and school. Do you know what to do if you smell natural gas? - Natural gas can be dangerous if it gets out of the pipes.
- We add a chemical to the gas to make it smell like a rotten eggs.
- This is an important smell because it lets us know that natural gas is present and there may be a gas leak.
- If you sniff the rotten egg smell of natural gas, get everyone to leave your house or wherever you are and call 719-448-4800 or 911 right away.
- Don't stay inside - get out immediately.
- Don't go back into the house until an emergency responder tells you it's safe.
Still have some questions about natural gas? Visit the Adventures of Dakota Sandstone where you can learn a lot more about natural gas. Would you like Sniffy to come to your school? Have your parents or teachers call 719-448-4800 or send me an e-mail to arrange a visit. I'll come to your school to teach you more about natural gas and safety. Remember, use your senses around natural gas! | 
