Natural gas is the byproduct of the bacterial organic decomposition (organic as is carbon based, not grown by hippies). This occurs wherever there was life and it died and became buried, that makes it an abundant widespread form of energy, its found everywhere often where they are drilling for oil they find natural gas. It is typically composed of 90% + Methane and the remainder are mostly related gases like butane, propane, ethane, with a few inert gases.
Besides its abundance, it takes very little to refine it compared to petroleum. Natural gas also burn very clean compared to petroleum fuel and accounts for about 25% of our energy needs presently.
Although abundant, it is considered, a non renewable resource and should be treated that way. We can get in the same predicament with natural gas as we have with petroleum. Technically, it is renewable, we are already tapping previous land fills for natural gas, but it doesn't account for very much of our yields.
Like petroleum, natural gas is used as an ingredient or in the process of making many materials. Fertilizer, photographic film, ink, glue, paint, plastics, laundry detergent, insect repellents, synthetic rubber and nylon could not be made without the chemicals derived from natural gas.
Natural Gas plays a great, but unseen role in our daily lives, fueling generators, heating buildings, powering industry that sometimes uses Natural Gas to make materials. It useful history stretches at least to ancient china where they used it to dry sea salt. We should celebrate natural gas, BBQ anyone?
