Mastering the Commodities Markets

Background and Context

Natural gas is found globally, deposits are widespread and most of us have used it at one time or another to heat our apartments, houses or even to cook. It is typically found in association with oil reserves and over the last few decades or so natural gas has been processed to form liquefied natural gas (LNG). Shale gas deposits, which are simply gas deposits that were trapped in rock structures, are now being released through the controversial ‘fracking’ process. These deposits are now so widespread, especially in the US, that gas prices are falling markedly and the US is well on the way to being self-sufficient in gas.

The main chemical constituent of natural gas is methane, whose more familiar name is marsh gas. It ...