What is Methane?

Methane carries the chemical composition CH4, and its the primary component of natural gas. Methane is a crucial contributor to petrochemical and economic value chain, as it acts as the main feedstock for a number of different products, including hydrogen, ammonia, fertilizer, and methanol. Unfortunately, it also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and limiting its release into the atmosphere will be a key component to the world achieving Paris net zero goals by the year 2050. The North American natural gas industry is taking steps to reduce the impacts of harmful methane emissions, such as reducing natural gas flaring at the wellhead, better leak monitoring and prevention along natural gas pipelines, and growing the renewable natural gas industry, which uses landfill and methane from animal waste that otherwise could have been released to the atmosphere as a source for biogas that can be converted to pipeline quality natural gas.