Does natural gas belong to nonmetallic mineral resources?
Non-metallic minerals are formed by geological processes and can be used by human beings under the existing technical and economic conditions. Its useful ingredients are mainly non metals (i.e., metals, not energy minerals).
Natural gas belongs to energy mineral, also called fuel mineral, mineral energy. A class of mineral resources. Occurring in the earth's surface or subsurface; formed by geological processes; being solid, gaseous, and liquid; having a natural enrichment that provides practical or potential value for energy.
China has found 12 kinds of energy mineral resources: solid coal, stone coal, oil shale, uranium, thorium, oil sand and natural bitumen; liquid petroleum; gaseous gas, coal bed methane and shale gas. Geothermal resources are liquid and gaseous.
