In order to exploit something, one must find it. Geologists, geophysicists, drill engineers as well as production and development engineers work hand in hand in order to discover gas reserves. The exploration and production process of gas is simple and similar to that of oil. First, natural gas is extracted from the earth or from the ocean; it is then transported by land or by sea to a cleaning and transformation site and finally it is conveyed to a storage site.

Exploration
Geologists and geophysicists are the ones who locate natural gas fields. In order to do so, they analyze the soil and compare the samples to the ones from other gas pockets. Then, they carry out specific tests such as studying the rocky formations of the upper layers where natural gas might have developed. Prospecting techniques have evolved through the years and today they supply very reliable information on the probability of finding natural gas fields. The more precise the techniques, the greater the chance of discovering gas when drilling.

Extraction
Drill engineers and production and development engineers can work as well Drilling can take place on land or in the sea. The equipment used depends on the location of the gas pocket and the type of rock that needs to be drilled. If the formation is not deeply set drilling cables can be used. However, for deeper prospecting, it is necessary to use rotating drilling platforms which are quite common nowadays. Once natural gas is found, it must be efficiently extracted. The most efficient rate of extraction is reached when the highest amount of natural gas is produced during a given period of time without damaging the formation. Several tests can be conducted at this stage of the process.
Most often, gas will gush out without any outside intervention. However, it is sometimes necessary to use pumps or other more complicated devices.

Treatment
Treating natural gas implies regrouping, conditioning and refining of crude natural gas in order to transform it into energy to be used for different applications. First of all, this process requires the extraction of certain elements during the liquid phase of natural gas, and then these different elements are cracked.