Abstract
This article traces the historical development of the natural gas industry, with a focus on the United States. It examines the origins of natural gas through the early twenty-first century. The industry expanded rapidly in the twentieth century with the discovery of huge southwestern gas fields and the development of long-distance pipelines. As the industry developed, the federal government imposed regulatory controls. By the closing decades of the twentieth century, the government had deregulated the industry to make it more market responsive. Concerns about lack of supply have been allayed by recent use of horizontal drilling and fracking.Historical Overview of the Natural Gas Industry