The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word FLUORINE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
F
L
U
O
R
I
N
E
More clues leading to the result FLUORINE
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Gas" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case gas = fluorine.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FLUORINE mean?
FLUORINE noun- The chemical element (symbol F) with an atomic number of 9. It is the lightest of the halogens, a pale yellow-green, highly reactive gas that attacks all metals.
- A single atom of this element.