History of Natural Gas

Natural gas is composed of decayed organic material from millions of years ago. Natural gas is the byproduct from the remains of ancient plants and animals that became trapped underground. This matter combined with a lack of oxygen and increasing pressure and heat changed into coal, oil, and natural gas.

At first, natural gas was regarded as be unuseful and it was initially burned off as it was extracted from the ground. In 900 BC, China began using natural gas to evaporate salt water in order to produce salt. The Romans were also aware of natural gas as they witnessed a “burning spring” near Grenoble, France.

In 1865, the first U.S. natural gas company was developed. The first pipeline constructed from hollowed logs ran from a gas field to Rochester, New York in 1872. After the invention of the Bunsen burner in 1885, natural gas was used for lighting, cooking and heating. It wasn’t until World War II that natural gas pipelines was frequent enough to many large cities. By this time, it was starting to become an alternative to other fuels such as electricity and coal.

In 2000, there were more than 600 natural gas processing plants in the United States alone. With more than three hundred thousand miles of natural gas pipelines, roughly 70% of all homes are heated using natural gas today.

QUICK FACT: This originally oderless gas has been given an artificially distinct smell (like rottent eggs) so it can be detected in case of gas leaks.

Add comment March 24th, 2008