There are many factors that affect the price of natural gas, the most important of which are the following. The first is the big cycle of supply. The world's proven natural gas reserves exceed 6,500 trillion cubic feet. With the application of new technologies for unconventional natural gas exploration, the total reserves of natural gas resources may increase by 4,000 trillion cubic feet in the next few years. In recent years, the development of shale gas technology in the United States has led to a sharp increase in shale gas production and reserves. The reserve-production ratio of shale gas is as high as 100 year, which also makes it a future energy source. The second is the international energy price. Not only the price of coal, but also the price of crude oil and natural gas affect each other, because they belong to the same energy category and the consumption industries overlap. When the supply of these energy varieties is relatively stable, the price comparison basically maintains interval oscillation, but when the output of one of them jumps, it will break the balance. The third is the law of seasonal demand. Winter is the season with the largest consumption of natural gas. In the cold winter, residents' heating gas will instantly raise the price of natural gas, just like what happened in the winter from 20 13 to 20 14. In other seasons, the consumption of natural gas is relatively low. Corresponding to the off-season, the inventory of natural gas is an indicator that investors pay close attention to, which reflects both supply and demand. Generally speaking, if the inventory in winter is lower than the five-year average, gas prices can easily remain strong in winter. Knowledge link: Natural gas futures are mainly used in such industries. The first is natural gas power generation. Natural gas power generation has the functions of alleviating energy shortage, reducing the proportion of coal-fired power generation and reducing environmental pollution. From the perspective of economic benefits, natural gas power generation units have less installed investment, short construction period, low on-grid electricity price and strong competitiveness. Secondly, natural gas is also an important chemical raw material. It is the best raw material for making nitrogen fertilizer, with the characteristics of less investment, low cost and less pollution. The average proportion of natural gas in raw materials for nitrogen fertilizer production in the world is about 80%. Third, natural gas is also an important domestic fuel. With the improvement of people's living standards and the enhancement of environmental awareness, the demand for natural gas in most cities has greatly increased. The economic benefit of natural gas as a civil fuel is also greater than that of industrial fuel. Finally, natural gas can also replace automobile oil with low price, less pollution and safety. Among these categories, electricity, industry and residential gas account for the largest proportion, while commercial and transportation gas accounts for a relatively small proportion.