Natural gas: rising faster than oil

Could natural gas - oil's so-called 'poor cousin' - overtake oil in importance by the middle of the century? Demand is rocketing and there is a 'mad scramble' to secure long-term supplies.

When it comes to media attention, gas is oil's "poor cousin", as Martin Spring noted in his On Target newsletter. So all the fuss about the oil spike has obscured the fact that natural gas has risen even faster this year, with US futures up by 65% to $12.22m British thermal units. Chalk it up to a tight market and low storage levels, said Barclays Capital.

Natural gas: behind the rise

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