Hi brad31370,
I found the website presented by NaturalGas.org to be detailed and
comprehensive but at the same time understandable to the lay person -
it is an excellent site and I have referred you to several of their
pages below.
Gas Terminology:
http://www.cc.state.az.us/utility/gas/terms.htm
GasProcessors.com: Overview of an Industry:
http://www.gasprocessors.com/PdfFiles/OverviewOfAn.pdf
CHARACTERISTICS:
Composition:
Methane CH4 70-90%
Ethane C2H6 0-20%
Propane C3H8
Butane C4H10
Carbon Dioxide CO2 0-8%
Oxygen O2 0-0.2%
Nitrogen N2 0-5%
Hydrogen sulphide H2S 0-5%
Rare gases A, He, Ne, Xe trace
"Once brought from underground, the natural gas is refined to remove
impurities like water, other gases, sand, and other compounds. Some
hydrocarbons are removed and sold separately, including propane and
butane. Other impurities are also removed, like hydrogen sulfide (the
refining of which can produce sulfur, which is then also sold
separately)."
"In its purest form, such as the natural gas that is delivered to your
home, it is almost pure methane. Methane is a molecule made up of one
carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms, and is referred to as CH4."
http://www.naturalgas.org/overview/background.asp
Processing:
"The actual practice of processing natural gas to pipeline dry gas
quality levels can be quite complex, but usually involves four main
processes to remove the various impurities:
* Oil and Condensate Removal
* Water Removal
* Separation of Natural Gas Liquids
* Sulfur and Carbon Dioxide Removal
http://www.naturalgas.org/naturalgas/processing_ng.asp
Industry: Processing:
"There are over 580 natural gas processing plants in the United
States, which were responsible for processing almost 17 trillion cubic
feet of natural gas and extracting over 720 million barrels of natural
gas liquids in 2000."
http://www.naturalgas.org/business/industry.asp
MEASUREMENT:
"Cubic foot: A unit of measurement for natural gas volume. It
represents an area one foot long, by one foot wide, by one foot deep.
The heating capacity of natural gas is measured in Btus or therms.
http://www.cc.state.az.us/utility/gas/terms.htm
"Pounds Per Square Inch Gauge (PSIG): This is a device that measures
pressure with respect to that of the atmosphere. These gauges are
calibrated to read zero at the surrounding atmospheric pressure."
http://www.cc.state.az.us/utility/gas/terms.htm
International Symposium on Transportation Recorders:
Using Operating Data at Natural Gas Pipelines
M. A. Westhoff
Colorado Interstate Gas Company
2 North Nevada
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
http://www.ntsb.gov/Events/symp_rec/proceedings/authors/westhoff.htm
DELIVERY:
Pipelines:
"There are about 160 pipeline companies in the United States,
operating over 285,000 miles of pipe. Of this, 180,000 miles consist
of interstate pipelines. This pipeline capacity is capable of
transporting over 119 Billion cubic feet (Bcf) of gas per day from
producing regions to consuming regions."
http://www.naturalgas.org/business/industry.asp
Pipes:
"Pipelines can measure anywhere from 6 to 48 inches in diameter...
Mainline pipes...are usually between 16 and 48 inches in diameter.
Lateral pipelines, which deliver natural gas to or from the mainline,
are typically between 6 and 16 inches in diameter. Most major
interstate pipelines are between 24 and 36 inches in diameter. The
actual pipeline itself, commonly called 'line pipe', consists of a
strong carbon steel material..."
"Line pipe is also covered with a specialized coating to ensure that
it does not corrode once placed in the ground. The purpose of the
coating is to protect the pipe from moisture, which causes corrosion
and rusting. There are a number of different coating techniques. In
the past, pipelines were coated with a specialized coal tar enamel.
Today, pipes are often protected with what is known as a fusion bond
epoxy, which gives the pipe a noticeable light blue color. In
addition, cathodic protection is often used; which is a technique of
running an electric current through the pipe to ward off corrosion and
rusting."
http://www.naturalgas.org/naturalgas/transport.asp
Compression:
"Natural gas is compressed during transportation and storage. During
transportation and storage, gas is compressed to save space. Pipelines
have compressing stations installed along the line (one about every
100 miles) to ensure that the gas pressure is held high while the gas
is being transported. Pressure in pipelines serving residential
neighborhoods is generally much lower than the pressure on interstate
pipelines."
http://www.cc.state.az.us/utility/gas/terms.htm
Compression:
"Natural gas that is transported through interstate pipelines travels
at high pressure in the pipeline, at pressures anywhere from 200 to
1500 pounds per square inch (psi). This reduces the volume of the
natural gas being transported (by up to 600 times), as well as
providing propellant force to move the natural gas through the
pipeline."
http://www.naturalgas.org/naturalgas/transport.asp
Storage:
"Natural gas is usually stored underground, in large storage
reservoirs. There are three main types of underground storage:
depleted gas reservoirs, aquifers, and salt caverns. In addition to
underground storage, however, natural gas can be stored as liquefied
natural gas (LNG). LNG allows natural gas to be shipped and stored in
liquid form, meaning it takes up much less space than gaseous natural
gas."
http://www.naturalgas.org/naturalgas/storage.asp
Industry Storage:
"There are about 114 natural gas storage operators in the United
States, with control over 415 underground storage facilities. These
facilities have a storage capacity of 3,923 Bcf of natural gas, and an
average daily deliverability of 78 Bcf per day."
http://www.naturalgas.org/business/industry.asp
STATISTICS:
Quick Statistics:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/quickfacts/quickgas.htm
Processing Statistics:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/natural_gas/info_glance/processing.html
Storage Statistics:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/natural_gas/info_glance/storage.html
Safety Precautions:
A few of the safety precautions associated with natural gas pipelines
include:
* Aerial Patrols
* Leak Detection
* Pipeline Markers
* Gas Sampling
* Preventative Maintenance
* Emergency Response
* The One Call Program
http://www.naturalgas.org/naturalgas/transport.asp
Additional Links:
NaturalGas.org: History:
http://www.naturalgas.org/overview/history.asp
FERC: Natural Gas Pipeline Companies:
http://www.ferc.gov/gas/pipecomp.htm
I hope I've covered all the information you need on gas pipelines but
if you have any questions or if I've misunderstood your question,
please post a clarification request before rating my answer.
Thank you,
hummer
Search Strategy:
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Terms Used:
compression
"gas pipelines" |
