Natural-gas processing at ambient conditions (i.e., pentane and heavier) are called "natural-gas condensate" (sometimes also called "natural gasoline" or simply "condensate"). Natural gas is called "sweet gas" when relatively free of hydrogen sulfide; gas that does contain hydrogen sulfide is called "sour gas". Natural gas, or any other gas mixture, containing significant quantities of hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide or similar acidic gases, is called "acid gas." Raw natural gas can also come from methane deposits in the pores of coal seams, and especially in a more concentrated state of adsorption onto the surface of the coal itself. Such gas is referred to
Natural gas convert raw natural gas into sales gas pipelined to the end user markets. The block flow diagram also shows how processing of the raw natural gas yields byproduct sulfur, byproduct ethane, and natural gas liquids (NGL) propane, butanes and natural gasoline (denoted as pentanes +). As of 2018, natural gas production in the US has peaked twice, with current levels exceeding both previous peaks. It reached 24.1 million cubic feet in 1973, followed by a decline, and reached 24.5 million cubic feet in 2001. After a brief drop, withdrawls have been increasing nearly every year since 2006, with 2017 production