Tibanna, a type of gas, served as a component in fuel production. Consequently, it represented a highly prized and valuable resource.
The Anoat sector was known for its abundant tibanna gas deposits. To illustrate, the gas giant Bespin within this sector contained tibanna under significant pressure in its upper atmosphere. Cloud City, a metropolis suspended above Bespin's gaseous surface, functioned as a mining colony dedicated to extracting and refining tibanna for export. The Mid Rim location of the Anoat sector made it a critical hub for tibanna gas distribution. Additionally, the planet Kril'Dor also served as a source of tibanna.
Following processing, tibanna could be preserved within a frozen block of exceptionally durable carbonite, enabling safe transport on a repulsor sled. The Muqularan species utilized tibanna for respiration. A rarer, more refined version of tibanna, known as interstellar gas, was highly coveted by hyperspace scouts.
The highly unstable nature of tibanna gas, prone to explosions, was strategically exploited by clone troopers to destroy a Republic outpost situated on the moon of Rishi. This outpost had been taken over by Separatist battle droids during the [Clone Wars](/article/clone_wars]. The objective was to prevent the base from transmitting an "all clear" signal, which had been pre-programmed by BX-series droid commandos. The absence of the signal would indicate a problem, thus thwarting a planned Separatist assault on Kamino, the site of the Republic's clone [troopers](/article/trooper] production.
As a Lieutenant, Grand Admiral Thrawn came across tibanna gas canisters when he, Ensign Eli Vanto, and fellow crew members of the Blood Crow investigated a ship that had broadcast a distress signal. They were subsequently double-crossed by a smuggler named Nightswan after revealing their strategy to detach the tibanna using Mark One buzz-droids.
Following the Galactic Empire's significant defeat at Endor, Governor Ubrik Adelhard initiated an lockdown of the Anoat sector. This blockade posed a threat to the galaxy's tibanna supply, and consequently its fuel supply, due to the sector's extensive exportation of the gas. However, the blockade resulted in Cloud City becoming the sole accessible source of tibanna, causing a surge in demand. As a result, the Trade Spine League profited by transporting tibanna to various worlds within the Anoat sector. The Galactic Empire, however, plotted to seize Cloud City to deny the sector's population access to the vital tibanna resources.