A commodity that is used to heat homes and businesses. Other uses include heating water, running air conditioning in the summer, and generating power. Industrial uses include serving as the base ingredient for products such as plastics, fertilizers, antifreeze, and fabrics. Futures and options contracts are traded on natural gas on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). The Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 deregulated the natural gas industry, which opened up the possibility for trading. In April 1990, NYMEX launched the worldÂ’s first natural gas futures contract, and in October 1992, it launched options on natural gas futures. NYMEX contracts are based on natural gas that is deliverable to the Henry Hub trading complex in Louisiana.