Natural gas is a fossil fuel used for heating, electricity generation, and as an industrial feedstock. It is traded as a commodity on futures exchanges.
Description: Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly including varying amounts of other higher alkanes, and sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or helium. 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. Natural gas is a fossil fuel and non-renewable resource. It is used for heating, cooking, electricity generation, and as a fuel for vehicles and as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of plastics and other commercially important organic chemicals. The trading of natural gas occurs on major commodity exchanges such as the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE).
