Fun Facts about Natural Gas:

• Natural gas was formed deep under the earth about 100 million years ago.
• There are more than 2.1 million miles of underground gas pipelines across the United States.
• More than half of all the homes in the United States use natural gas - almost 62 million families.
• In 200 B.C., people in China used natural gas to make salt.
• In 1816, gas was first used to light street lamps in Baltimore, Maryland. 
• Natural gas is lighter than air.
• Natural gas is colorless and odorless. Utility companies add mercaptan that smells like rotten eggs to help make gas leaks easier to notice.
• Natural gas is measured in British Thermal Units (Btus), which measures the heat content.
• One kitchen match gives off about one Btu of heat. The burner on a big gas stove, like in the picture to the right, might give off more than 15,000 Btus.
• When natural gas is cooled to 260 degrees below zero, it changes from a gas into a liquid.

Want to learn more?

If you'd like to learn more fun facts about natural gas, check out Energy Kids.