What is LPG and natural gas?

What is LPG?

• Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is the generic name for mixtures of hydrocarbons (mainly propane and butane) stored in the liquid state.
• LPG is colourless, odourless and heavier than air.  A stenching agent is added to give it a distinctive and unpleasant smell, sometimes described as rotten cabbage, so that even a very small leak can be easily detected.
• LPG burns readily in air and is an excellent fuel for heating, cooking and for automotive use.

What is natural gas?

• Natural gas is a highly combustible odourless and colourless hydrocarbon gas largely composed of methane. Natural gas is created in roughly the same manner as oil, by processes that act upon organic matter over millions of years.
• A stenching agent is added to give it a distinctive and unpleasant smell, sometimes described as rotten cabbage, so that even a very small leak can be easily detected.
• High combustibility coupled with ease of utilisation and good clean combustion makes natural gas a highly valued resource. 
• Natural gas is primarily used for heating homes, cooking and running appliances such as water heaters and clothes dryers.

What is the difference between natural gas and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)?

Natural gas

• Consists mainly of methane.  The large proportion of methane is one of the reasons natural gas has such a good safety record. 
• Methane is lighter than air and will disperse relatively easily if there is a gas leak.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

• Is a hydrocarbon fuel comprised primarily of propane or butane, either separately or as a mixture. 
• LPG is non-toxic, non-corrosive and free of lead. 
• LPG is produced either as a by-product of petroleum, or a by-product in the production of oil and gas, and is stored in tanks and transported by road tanker trucks or in cylinders. 
• LPG is mainly stored in tanks in liquid form and is heavier than air. 
• LPG tends to collect in low points and is more difficult to disperse than natural gas, so is therefore more prone to catch fire or explode if a leak occurs.