According to the International Energy Agency, the demand for natural gas worldwide grew by 4.6 percent in 2018. Natural gas is a versatile energy source that can be used for heating, cooking and the creation of electricity. It can also be used to fuel motor vehicles. In China, which accounts for nearly 40 percent of the global demand, natural gas is being used as a substitute for coal energy in an effort to improve the nation’s air quality.

In recent years, the market for natural gas has become far more globalized. The world’s six largest producers of natural gas are the United States, Russia, Iran, Qatar, Canada and China.

Natural Gas Production in the U.S.

It’s estimated that the U.S. has 308 trillion cubic feet of shale reserves that have been proven to contain natural gas. Thanks to new methods of extracting gas from those shale fields, production of natural gas in the U.S. rose by 11.5 percent in 2018. Texas is the state that produces the highest amounts of natural gas, followed by Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Ohio.

Russia produces more than 669 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, making it the world’s second-largest producer. Additionally, it’s the world’s largest exporter, supplying more than 25 percent of the natural gas used in the European Union. The pipelines that deliver this gas travel through Ukraine, making geopolitical disputes in this region particularly problematic for European countries. The Russian company Gazprom is the top natural gas producer in the world; in 2018, Gazprom was responsible for 12 percent of the global natural gas supply.

Natural Gas Production in Iran

Iran’s Petroleum Ministry maintains the country has 34 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, which gives that nation the potential to become the world’s third-largest producer. Iran may even have even more reserves since areas around the Central Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea, the Dasht-e Kavir Desert and Fars Province remain largely unexplored. Most of Iran’s natural gas production is used domestically, but some of it is exported to Turkey, and export deals are in the works with Iraq and Pakistan.

Qatar’s reserves of natural gas amount to 25.4 trillion cubic meters according to the Oil & Gas Journal. Much of those reserves are offshore in the Persian Gulf’s North Dome Field. Qatar exports approximately 68 billion cubic meters of natural gas every year to the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, domestically produced natural gas supplies more than 99 percent of Qatar’s internal energy needs.

With reserves of more than 1,220 trillion cubic feet, Canada is the world’s fourth-largest producer and fifth-largest exporter of natural gas. Thirty-five percent of all energy used domestically for electricity and heating is produced by natural gas. Alberta is the province that uses the highest amounts of domestically produced natural gas, and the relatively low Alberta electric rates may well be linked to this use. Canada’s largest customer for its natural gas exports is the U.S.

In 2018, China’s demand for natural gas grew by more than 18 percent. Though China is the sixth-largest natural gas producer in the world, production does not keep pace with domestic consumption, and China imports gas from Russia, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Qatar. China’s increased reliance upon natural gas is linked to a government initiative to wean the nation away from its reliance upon air-polluting coal as an energy source. The state-owned PetroChina Corporation is China’s largest natural gas producer, responsible for more than 92 percent of the domestic supplies of natural gas used in that country.

The slowdown in the Chinese economy augurs a reduction in the demand for natural gas in the near term. Yet natural gas’s long-term prospects as an energy source of choice remain strong. Relative to coal, which is the cheapest energy source, natural gas produces substantially less air pollution, and pollution is increasingly a concern among developing nations and industrial nations alike.

Selling a house in Florida? There's some information you should know specific to the Sunshine State - we've got it all listed out for you.

Selling houses in Florida can be different from many other states. Both traditional procedures and laws that govern the selling process are specifically tailored to ensure the process of selling a house in Florida is smooth.

If you’re in the process of selling a house but you’re unsure of the procedure, here are top five tips to selling a house.

1. Provide Repair Details Before Selling a House

Sharing details on your property and how often you to do repairs may not be easy. However, when selling a Florida house, sharing such details eases the process. Potential buyers would want to know specific details about the home.

The last time you did repairs, replaced the water heater, or the roof is just the basics of the details to share. Although you may not have the exact dates of the repairs, the year will certainly help your selling power.

If possible, have supporting documents to verify the information you give. Documents offer a true reflection of what was done during the repair. Therefore, you will not have to remember everything to satisfy the buyer’s expectations.

Details about the size of the land are also crucial for selling any property. Potential buyers want to know what they are bargaining for in depth. Therefore, sharing such details in advance sets you on a better position on the market.

While giving details, including the number of rooms in the house, and specify room sizes if possible. This way, the buyer will be convinced much easily.

2. Hire an Agent

Hiring a real estate agent helps analyze your market and set a listing price on your property. However, before settling for a particular agency, it’s essential to know more about the real estate market in Florida. Real estate agents are responsible for handling the paperwork with potential buyers.

Since they hold open houses, it’s easy for agents to juggle between offers and ensure you get the real value of the property.

Real estate agents have the experience needed to handle selling or buying. Therefore, they will go to any heights to ensure your property gets to the market.

Since agents operate on a wider market, they are likely to get connections with potential buyers that you can’t reach. Therefore, having their services onboard ensures that the selling process will not stress you in any way. For instance, if you are thinking about reinvesting the returns from the sale of your house, an agent is a must have, since you will get real value.

In case there are technical challenges, a realtor has the experience to handle the hiccups without involving you directly. With their legal support, realtors are able to navigate their way through the process to make it successful.

3. Price It Right

One of the essential items to consider when selling is price. Putting your property on the market with an inaccurate price may result in a delay in the purchase of your house. Overpricing your house also puts off potential buyers, hence taking longer to seal the deal.

Before making the decision to sell your property, evaluate its worth and then work with your agent to figure out a sales price. The price should be based on comps and the updates the house has, not your emotional attachment to it.

Remember when selling a house, it goes together with the land. Therefore, your price should not only focus on the house but also include that piece of land too.

Determine how land sells in that location and calculate with the size you have. After finding the ideal price, now include the house price with all improvements inclusive.

This will help you avoid overpricing or underselling your property. In return, it will minimize the amount of time your house stays on the market.

4. Understand the Contract

Florida home purchase and sale contracts contain a lot of information. Before making the decision to sell your property, ensure you understand what the contract says and how it presents the process. For instance, when selling personal property, the contract requires you to specify what is included and what is not.

The contract gives directives on what the buyer should expect from you once the deal is sealed. Therefore, if you don’t understand its terms and what is included, you are likely to make mistakes in the process.

Also, before signing the papers, confirm that the math and amounts are correct for everything.

5. The Closing Process

In Florida, by custom, the closing process can happen at any location. This is the process of transferring ownership once the selling process is complete. This process most often happens in the presence of an attorney or at a title company if it involves issuing title.

The closing agent prepares the documents to transfer with all the details inclusive.

If you don’t understand various transferring terms or the calculations involved, hiring an attorney is a good move. An attorney will represent you and offer legal advice on what you are signing before you commit to the closing process.

A Real Estate Agent Will Help You Figure Everything You Need to Know About Selling a House

If you’re handling everything by yourself, ensure you understand the basic of the process to prevent making a mistake. Consider these tips on how to sell a house in Florida to ensure you don’t find yourself on the wrong side of the state.

Read more interesting life hacks and tips on our blog.

Just because you're married doesn't mean you should stop going on dates. Read on to learn the importance of date night for married couples.

Relationships take a lot of work. Even if you and your spouse are a seemingly perfect couple, your relationship requires care and feeding in order to maintain the spice.

The simple truth is that keeping the romance alive and well takes effort. All married couples need to have a date night once a week. Because if you're not having this special time together, it can become easy to grow apart.

In this article, we take look at reasons why date nights are so crucial to a healthy and happy marriage. Keep reading to see some important information about why you need to focus on romance and intimacy!

Reduces the Odds of Divorce

You have busy lives. This is a universal truth. Everyone is busy. And with mobile devices becoming a constant presence, it's now easier than ever to get distracted.

These distractions can create divisions in relationships. Life is chaotic enough without all the demands on your attention. And sometimes a relationship can feel like so much work that divorce often seems like a way to escape some of the stress and drama in life.

Date night is a great way for couples to reconnect. This is time spent one on one, allowing you to focus on each other, thus reducing the chances that either one of you might seek to leave the relationship.

Increases Intimacy

When you spend an evening together away from the normal demands of life, you are better able to remember what brought you together in the first place.

It's far too easy to forget the value of intimacy. Physical intimacy is important, but there is also huge value in re-establishing emotional intimacy, which is ultimately the core of any relationship.

Never underestimate the value of prioritizing your relationship. Focusing on intimacy allows you to reconnect in ways that can help make your relationship stronger than ever.

Increases Passion

Reconnecting emotionally is a natural aphrodisiac. Time spent alone, at a romantic restaurant, on a movie date night, or even at a hotel for an overnight getaway, ca make a huge difference in your sex life.

Many people tend to set their sex lives aside once they have children, choosing to prioritize parenthood over physical intimacy. This is a huge mistake. After all, a great sex life naturally overflows into every aspect of your relationship.

And as your sex life grows and emotional intimacy flourishes, your children will be able to witness the love between you and this will provide them with a greater sense of happiness and security.

Helps You Identify as a Couple

Another problem with married couples is the tendency to lose sight of being two people in love rather than simply members of a family unit. You might view yourself as a couple, but not in a romantic sense.

Do you still hold hands? Do you kiss for the enjoyment of kissing as you did when you were younger? These small acts of intimacy are huge components to a healthy relationship.

Establishing weekly date nights help to remind you that you are indeed a couple. Take advantage of this and so you'll remember what it feels like to have butterflies being with the person who means the most to you.

It's Fun to Dress Up

Most weeks are spent dressed for work, or in casual wear for chores around the house. Dressing up for an evening together on the town is a great way to remember what it feels like to look your best and feel sexy.

Want to make him look at you the way he did when you were dating? Try wearing something that will turn his head and spice up the evening. Dressing up helps you feel your best, and it's important to feel this way when enjoying a romantic evening with your sweetheart.

Provides a Chance for Shared Interests

The two of you spent plenty of time apart during the week. And while you each have individual interests, it's crucial to be able to discover shared interests that will help you connect on a deeper level.

This doesn't have to be anything complicated. Perhaps you enjoy the same foods, or you love the theater or the cinema. Perhaps take a cooking class together. The possibilities are limitless.

The point is to focus on something as a couple, to engage in conversation, and to create an atmosphere that helps you remember how much you still love each other.

Increases Sexual Attraction

The truth is that it can be challenging to maintain healthy sexual attraction to your partner when you don't spend quality time together. But keep in mind that you are both sexual creatures, and thus have both a physical and emotional need to connect sexually.

Dressing up, dining at a romantic restaurant, holding hands, and kissing, all add to the sexual dynamic of your relationship.

Once upon at a time, you enjoyed great sex. It's time to reestablish that aspect of your relationship and date night can help.

Makes You Better Parents

Spending time together at date night will help you to be better partners when it comes to parenting. After all, you need to be a team. It's also important to never lose sight of the power of your kids seeing you happy together. As stated earlier, happy parents create an environment for happy children.

Increases Communication

Nothing creates physical and emotional intimacy as much as good communication. Couples are often so busy that they fail to communicate effectively. This can lead to miscommunication, assumptions, and ultimately fractures within the relationship.

Spending time alone on a date each week gives you the chance to talk in a way that helps you understand each other better, which will strengthen the marriage bond.

The Importance of Date Nights for Married Couples

It's easy to fall into a rut. That's why it's so important for married couples to plan date nights every week. You'll have better sex, you'll be happier, and you'll soon discover that your marriage is stronger than ever.

Be sure to check out our website for great date night ideas!