From Ancient Flames to Global Commodity: The Odyssey of Natural Gas

Natural gas has a remarkably loud history considering it's a substance that can't be seen, smelled, or tasted in its natural state.

Its journey from ancient 'eternal flames' to a super-chilled global commodity is one of the most improbable sagas in human history. Long before it became the backbone of modern power grids, natural gas was an unwanted by-product of oil production, a literal 'nuisance' usually flared or vented into the atmosphere like an expensive, invisible smoke signal.

Around 1000 BCE, civilisations in China, Iran, and Greece observed mysterious flames emerging from cracks in the earth, built temples around them, and believed the vapours provided prophetic insights. The ancient Chinese were true pioneers of midstream infrastructure, building the first pipelines out of hollow bamboo to channel gas from leakages to evaporators.

Despite its ancient use, the scientific world had no name for it until the 17th century, when Flemish chemist Jan Baptista van Helmont coined the term 'gas', derived from the Greek word for 'chaos.'