Natural gas

Blue flame

Blue flame

Methane

Methane

Ethane

Ethane

Propane

Propane

Butane

Butane

Gaseous hydrocarbons

Gaseous hydrocarbons

Natural gas is a fossil fuel like oil and coal. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mostly methane, and other gaseous substances such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide and, in some cases, helium, radon and krypton. The mixtures that are mainly composed of methane are called dry mixtures, whereas those mainly containing hydrocarbons such as propane, and butane are called wet mixtures.