

For much of the history of the industry, natural gas was viewed as a nuisance and even today is flared in large quantities in some parts of the world, including the United States. Historically, natural gas has been linked to oil, mainly because of the production process or upstream side of the business.

The processes and systems involved in producing and distributing oil and gas are highly complex, capital-intensive, and require state-of-the-art technology.

Oil and natural gas are major industries in the energy market and play an influential role in the global economy as the world's primary fuel sources. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
