Natural gas – The construction of a new

Natural gas (NG) is a mix of light hydrocarbons which, in room temperature and standard pressure, remains as a gas. In nature, it is originally found in accumulations of porous rocks in the subsoil (whether terrestrial or marine). It is often associated to petroleum. To all intents and purposes, the mixes of gas hydrocarbons in which molecules of methane (CH4) prevail are called natural gas. In practice, gas is also made up of heavier molecules such as ethane, butane, propane and others. All the gas hydrocarbons can also be extracted from crude oil through the refining processes or from coal, through its gaseification in processes called Coal-to-Gas (CTG). Especially butane and propane, extracted in the refinery, in the coal gaseificators or in the natural gas processing units, make up the so-called liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Chemically speaking, LPG is as natural as methane. However, in terms of the organization of the supply chain, the methane industry constitutes the so-called natural gas industry, which is often distinct from the LPG industry. NG and LPG have their own characteristics that direct them mainly towards specific uses. There is a certain degree of competition and substitution betwee