Where do we find natural gas?

 

 

Natural gas forms deep under the ground or under the seabed. It is usually found near oil. Large areas of natural gas are found all over the world, from Nigeria to Russia.

 

 

 

 

 

Scientists search for gas in rocks and soil.

Small amounts of natural gas rise up from the ground and escape through tiny holes in rocks and soil. The gas disappears safely into the air. But, when the gas meets rocks without any holes, it becomes trapped. Geologists use a geophone to scan and record movements underground.

 

 

 

 

Special machines show where gas can be found.

When natural gas becomes trapped it forms large areas called reservoirs. Geophone recordings can be shown on a computer screen to work out what types of rock are underground and whether there are areas of trapped gas.

 

 

 

 

 

Lightning can cause natural gas to catch fire.

Thousands of years ago, people saw fires coming from the ground. They believed that these fires were mysterious signs from the gods. However, they were probably started when lightning set alight natural gas that had seeped out of the earth.