liquid accompanying substances are separated out in the first trap 6 a depending on the reservoir conditions the gas is usually at a temperature between 10 and 30 u00b0 c in this state the gas reaches the oxygen introduction pipeline 3 the addition is effected either via a gas distributor which is connected to an ignition device and a flame monitor and optionally to an oxidation catalyst or via a burner in which the flow courses of the natural gas and oxygen containing gas are transposed compared with conventional burners the quantity of added oxygen is controlled via temperature measurement 8 the temperature measuring sensor 8 is located in the pipeline 1 downstream of the point at which the pressure relief 9 occurs either upstream or downstream of the third water trap 6 c in the course of the heating of the gas by direct combustion in the pipeline water among other components is produced which can be in part in liquid form and is trapped in a second trap 6 b before the gas is relieved of pressure the now heated gas saturated with water vapor is relieved in some suitable apparatus such as a gas turbine for example from 180 u00b0 c to a different lower pressure the pressure relief is followed in arbitrary order by a temperature measuring sensor 8 and a third water trap 6 c which is generally followed by a drying system 12 the method will now be described in conjunction with the simplified flow chart in fig1 combustible gas here captioned as methane is drawn from a reservoir at a pressure of 180 bar for instance any solid or liquid accompanying substances are separated out in the trap 6.