Photographs: Umit Bektas/Reuters
Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, with up to 20 per cent of other hydrocarbons as well as impurities in varying amounts such as carbon dioxide.
Natural gas is widely used as an important energy source in many applications including heating buildings, generating electricity, providing heat and power to industry, as fuel for vehicles and as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of products such as plastics and other commercially important organic chemicals.
Let's take a look at countries that have most natural gas in the world.
Source: The Economist
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: A view of the Moscow River.Photographs: Denis Sinyakov/Reuters
Russia
Conventional: 105 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 112 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 114 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: 141 trillion cubic metres
Global rank: 1
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: The Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge is seen from the 90th storey of One World Trade Center in New York.Photographs: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
The United States
Conventional: 36 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 45 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 71 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: 73 trillion cubic metres
Global rank: 2
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: Horse-drawn carriages pass in front of ice sculptures at the 12th Harbin Ice and Snow World display in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China.Photographs: David Gray/Reuters
China
Conventional: 3 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 5 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 42 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: 51 trillion cubic metres
Global rank: 3
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: A view of residential buildings in north western Tehran.Photographs: Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters
Iran
Conventional: 37 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 41 trillion cubic metres
Shale: N/A
Coal-bed methane: N/A
Global rank: 4
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: The Kingdom Tower stands in the night above the Saudi capital Riyadh.Photographs: Ali Jarekji/Reuters
Saudi Arabia
Conventional: 36 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 38 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 39 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: N/A
Global rank: 5
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: Shoppers walk through a shopping complex in Melbourne.Photographs: Mick Tsikas/Reuters
Australia
Conventional: 5 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 13 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 26 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: 28 trillion cubic metres
Global rank: 6
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: An aerial view of Doha skyline.Photographs: Fadi Al Assaad/Reuters
Qatar
Conventional: 26 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 27 trillion cubic metres
Shale: N/A
Coal-bed methane: N/A
Global rank: 7
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: A view of Buenos Aires' 9 de Julio Avenue with the Obelisk in the background.Photographs: Enrique Marcarian/Reuters
Argentina
Conventional: 2 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 3 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 25 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: N/A
Global rank: 8
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: A hot air balloon floats past people watching the sunrise at the Sun pyramids of Teotihuacan outside Mexico City.Photographs: Henry Romero/Reuters
Mexico
Conventional: 3 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 4 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 22 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: N/A
Global rank: 9
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: People play volleyball on the front lawn of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.Photographs: Chris Wattie/Reuters
Canada
Conventional: 4 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 6 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 18 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: 22 trillion cubic metres
Global rank: 10
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: Poeple walk next to the statue of national hero Simon Bolivar at central Plaza Bolivar square in Caracas.Photographs: Jorge Silva/Reuters
Venezuela
Conventional: 8 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 20 trillion cubic metres
Shale: N/A
Coal-bed methane: N/A
Global rank: 11
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: Women walk past a shop selling luxury shoes and bags at a shopping mall in Jakarta.Photographs: Enny Nuraheni/Reuters
Indonesia
Conventional: 8 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 10 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 15 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: 17 trillion cubic metres
Global rank: 12
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: A view of the aurora borealis near the city of Tromsoe in Norway.Photographs: Norsk Telegrambyra/Reuters
Norway
Conventional: 11 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 13 trillion cubic metres
Shale: 15 trillion cubic metres
Coal-bed methane: N/A
Global rank: 13
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: A vendor stands behind her vegetables on sale at the market in Calabar Delta region in Nigeria.Photographs: Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters
Nigeria
Conventional: 5 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 13 trillion cubic metres
Shale: N/A
Coal-bed methane: N/A
Global rank: 14
...
15 countries with biggest gas reserves in the world
Image: Algerian coastguards cross the bay of the Mediterranean port of Algiers.Photographs: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters
Algeria
Conventional: 5 trillion cubic metres
Tight: 13 trillion cubic metres
Shale: N/A
Coal-bed methane: N/A
Global rank: 15
article