The newly founded company took over the distribution of coal gas produced in the coking plants Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG and Zeche Mathias Stinne in the economical important coalmining region Ruhrdistrict.

By the end of the decade, gas supply contracts were signed with the cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hanover, and Saarbrücken.

However, due to the World War II, it was not until 1944 that a 75-kilometre-long (47 mi) pipeline from Bad Bentheim to the chemical works in Hüls was completed.

[1] In 1970, Ruhrgas signed the first contract to buy and import natural gas from the Soviet Union, a volume of 52,5 billion cubic metres worth 762 million dollar.

[1] In 1971, Ruhrgas started supplying natural gas to Switzerland through the Trans Europa Naturgas Pipeline in cooperation with Snam and Swissgas.

In 1973, it signed a contract to buy natural gas from the North Sea Ekofisk field through the Norpipe pipeline.

[1] In 1973, Ruhrgas started to buy Soviet gas through East Germany to supply West Berlin.

[1] In 1998, Ruhrgas owned a pipeline network of 10,361 kilometres (6,438 mi) with 26 compressor stations and 12 underground storage facilities.

In 1999, the company donated US$3.5 million for restoration of the Amber Room, located in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg.

[8] In June 2005, E.ON Ruhrgas acquired 51% of the Romanian gas utility DistriGaz Nord and renamed it E.ON Gaz România.