Whether from an underground leak trying to make its way to the surface or a leak in a structure, natural gas will always try to travel up. Un- derground, the gas may be diverted by obstacles such as rocks, frost, paving, or other objects that can stop its upward travel.
Natural gas is lighter than air, so it will rise and disperse if allowed to vent freely. Although rare, natural gas leaks can be dangerous and result in fire, explosions, injury or death. If you suspect a leak, call 1-800-ALLIANT (800-255-4268) immediately.
Natural gas prices
In our forecast, the annual U.S. benchmark Henry Hub spot price averages $3.10 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2025 and rises to almost $4.00/MMBtu in 2026.
To find out if your land has oil, you can hire a professional to conduct an oil and gas assessment. This assessment will involve drilling a few test wells on your property to see if any oil or gas is present.
Yes, natural gas does rise. The longer answer is that it rises because of its composition. Natural gas is primarily composed of methane, a colorless and nearly odorless gas that's lighter than air. As a result, it will gradually displace oxygenated air from the top down if enough of it is released in a confined space.
Natural gas is always lighter than air, and will rise in a room if allowed to escape from a burner or leaking fitting. On the contrary, propane is heavier than air and will settle in a basement or other low level. Incomplete combustion can occur when the gas mixture is richer than 10%.
All vapors and gases will mix with air, but the lighter materials will tend to rise and dissipate (unless confined). Heavier vapors and gases are likely to concentrate in low places--along or under floors, in sumps, sewers, manholes, trenches and ditches--where they may create fire or health hazards.
If you smell a sulfur or rotten-egg-like odor, you could have a gas leak. Natural gas is naturally colorless and odorless. We add an odorant called mercaptan to natural gas, which gives it a distinctive smell. In some cases, you can also identify natural gas by sight or sound.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) provides online maps to help you locate pipelines in or near your community through the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS).
“If this becomes a deep-seated, widespread, long-duration cold front, we're going to burn a lot of natural gas, which means we're going to pull a lot of natural gas out of storage.” High demand, lower supply — that means higher prices.
Large drills are used to bore into the Earth and unlock natural gas from underground reservoirs. Pipelines then transport the fossil fuel to the end user. Natural gas is invisible, has no odor and is lighter than air.
In line with demand projections, global natural gas supply, which increased by an estimated 1.6 percent in 2024, is expected to grow by over 2.3 percent in both 2025 and 2026. The growth in 2025 is anticipated to come from diverse regions, including Asia Pacific, Eurasia, Middle East and North America.
In conventional natural gas deposits, the natural gas generally flows easily up through wells to the surface.
A natural gas alarm should be installed indoors in any room that has a gas-fueled appliance. This can include a stove, furnace, water heater, gas fireplace, or a gas dryer. It should be installed on the wall, within 12 inches from the ceiling.
If there is a gas smell but no leaks, it could be the lingering propane odor due to poor ventilation or it coming from your neighbor. The dirty sewage system, contaminated well, or rotten garbage (like veggies, dead animals, residual foods, etc.) might also be the source of the smell.
Use an Advanced Utility Locator
The best pipe locator systems have transmitters that you can use to transmit signals to tracer wires or conductive gas pipes. If a pipe is not conductive, lacks a tracer wire or has a faulty tracer, you may need to use more advanced locator technology such as ground-penetrating radar.
This chemical is often described as smelling like rotten eggs or sulfur. Leaks won't always have this smell. But if you do happen to notice this odor, leave your house immediately and call in an emergency HVAC professional.
Gas prospectors use seismic trucks or more complex three-dimensional tools to set off a series of small charges close to the earth's surface, generating seismic waves thousands of meters below the surface in potential underground rock formations such as shale rock and coalbeds.
The smell of rotten eggs.
In its natural state, natural gas is odorless and colorless. To make gas leaks easier to detect, gas companies add chemicals called odorants to create a natural gas smell similar to sulphur or rotting eggs. The stronger this smell, the more likely it is that you have a gas leak.
While smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are a critical part of protecting your home and family, they will not detect a natural gas leak; you'll need a natural gas detector for that. However, carbon monoxide detectors can alert you when your appliances improperly burn natural gas.
Natural gas is lighter than air and will move laterally or migrate upward when underground or in enclosed spaces.
Gasoline is dangerous because it is highly volatile. The fumes are capable of ignition up to 12 feet away from a pooled source. It can float on water and may spread long distances, making ignition and flashback possible.
Natural Gas by itself will not burn. Combustion can occur only when there is a mixture of gas and air containing between 5% and 15% natural gas and between 95% and 85% air.
GASOLINE SAFETY:
Vapors from gasoline are also dangerous! Gasoline vapors are heavier than air; they flow invisibly along the ground and can ignite from a flame, spark, hot surface or static electricity causing a shattering explosion.