natural gas

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natural gas Gaseous hydrocarbons, chiefly methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), and butane (C4H10), trapped in pore spaces in rocks with or without liquid petroleum. It has a high heat value and burns without smoke or soot; it provides raw material for the chemical industry for making plastics, detergents, fertilizers, etc. Gas of this composition is also termed ‘natural gas’ if it occurs as a gas chimney or after production.

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