Like other fossil fuels such as coal and oil, natural gas forms from the plants, animals, and microorganisms that lived millions of years ago. There are several different theories to explain how fossil fuels are formed. The most prevalent theory is that they form underground, under intense conditions.

It is formed when layers of decomposing plant and animal matter are exposed to intense heat and pressure under the surface of the Earth over millions of years. The energy that the plants originally obtained from the sun is stored in the form of chemical bonds in the gas.

In conventional natural gas deposits, the natural gas generally flows easily up through wells to the surface. In the United States and in a few other countries, natural gas is produced from shale and other types of sedimentary rock formations by forcing water, chemicals, and sand down a well under high pressure.

Natural gas is liquefied by lowering the temperature of the hydrocarbon to approximately -260 degrees Fahrenheit (-160 degrees Celsius). This temperature drop liquefies the methane present in the natural gas, making transportation at atmospheric pressure in the form of LNG possible.

It is most commonly held in inventory underground under pressure in three types of facilities. These underground facilities are depleted reservoirs in oil and/or natural gas fields, aquifers, and salt cavern formations. Natural gas is also stored in liquid or gaseous form in above–ground tanks.

The top five source countries of U.S. gross petroleum imports in 2019 were Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Colombia.

In summary, what you pay at the pump is mostly determined by the price of crude oil; the price of crude oil fluctuates based on supply and demand; the demand of oil fluctuates based on many factors, but is increasing overall due to industrialization; and, more than three quarters of the oil supply is controlled by OPEC …

When natural gas is burned properly, by-products of combustion are primarily carbon dioxide and water vapor. Because methane contains only one carbon atom, natural gas produces less carbon dioxide than any other fossil fuel, and fewer other pollutants as well.

When one molecule of methane is burned, it produces two molecules of water vapor. When moles are converted to pound/mole, we find that every pound of methane fuel combusted produces 2.25 lb. of water vapor, which is about 12% of the total exhaust by weight.

Natural gas is used as both a raw material and as a source of heat. Natural gas is an ingredient used to make fertilizer, antifreeze, plastics, pharmaceuticals and fabrics. It is also used to manufacture a wide range of chemicals such as ammonia, methanol, butane, ethane, propane, and acetic acid.

It is estimated that currently more than 6,000 products are made from oil and gas.

According to National Transportation Safety Board statistics, pipelines are indisputably the safest way to transport natural gas and other energy products, both for the public and the environment.

“If we call things green, we start to feel positive about it.” Natural gas, he said, “is not a positive thing, it’s just less negative.” In fact, he called it “a very bad fuel,” with “very high emissions indeed.”