Conventional natural gas is produced from a well drilled into a geological formation in which the reservoir and fluid characteristics permit the natural gas to readily flow to the wellbore. It is differentiated from other unconventional gas supplies (such as coalbed methane, shale gas, and tight sand gas) that require additional techniques to cause the gas to flow to the surface. Conventional gas wells may produce primarily natural gas, in which case the gas is called non-associated gas, or primarily oil, in which case it is called associated gas.
Being easier and more economic to produce, conventional gas historically made up the majority of gas produced in the U.S. But in recent years, unconventional gas – especially shale gas – has dominated production. Though elsewhere in the world, conventional gas production is still more common.