Natural Gas Industry

Natural gas is a fossil fuel that occurs naturally in geological formations, composed mostly of methane along with small amounts of other hydrocarbons and traces of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium. It forms when organic matter, mainly marine microorganisms, is thermally decomposed under intense heat and pressure underground over millions of years, and it is often extracted as a byproduct of petroleum production. The extraction and consumption of natural gas is a major global industry: it generates almost a quarter of the world total electricity and is also used for domestic heating and cooking, industrial processes, fertilizer production and as a transportation fuel, with North America and Europe among the major consumers.