It is July 2019. An oil drilling company has just discovered a small amount of natural gas. It will take 9 months to complete the drilling. Natural gas will then be extracted continuously for one year. Futures contracts on natural gas are available with maturities every three months from August 2019 to December 2020. Each contract size is 1 million cubic feet. Explain how this company might use futures contracts for hedging. What are the main benefits to the company of its chosen contract(s)?