Gas Transmission - Behind the Scenes activity

Though it takes just a flick of a switch for thethe processing plant. • The interstate
consumer to get natural gas, there is a huge amountpipelines, which are used for natural gas transmission
of behind-the-scenes activity that is involved fromacross states clear across the country and intrastate
the time natural gas is acquired from undergroundpipelines, which are used for natural gas transmission
reserves, then processed and transported to the endwithin the state. The operational and technical details
user. The whole process involved in exploring oil andare the same for inter-state and intra-state pipelines.
gas deposits is complex and full of risks and• The distribution system, which transports
uncertainty. The trial-and-error element is hugenatural gas from gas storage facilities to end-users in
considering oil and natural gas is only found thousandshomes and officers.
of feet underground. However recent technologicalGas Storage
advances have increased the success rate of locatingNatural gas transmission as well as exploration and
and exploring natural gas reservoirs and enhanced theproduction are all closely linked to its storage. Gas
efficiency of gas transmission with reduced costs.processing as well its transportation, exploration and
Extraction, production and processing of natural gasproduction are all lengthy processes and sometimes
Teams of geophysicists and exploration geologistswhen the gas is ready to be used; it is not required
are committed to locating potential underground oilright away. This ready-to-use gas is kept in gas
and gas deposits. Then comes the daunting task ofstorage facilities, which are large underground
digging deep into the crust of the earth to findreservoirs, till it is needed. Natural gas storage is vital
natural gas deposits that may or may not really exist.in order to maintain a reliable supply necessary to
A team of drilling experts carries out onshore as wellmeet customer demands.
as offshore drilling using state-of-the art technologyThe three main kinds of underground storage include:
and innovative equipment.• Depleted gas reservoirs are most widely
After drilling the well, the commercial viability of theused because they already have existing wells,
well has to be established taking into considerationpipeline connections and gathering systems in place,
the quantity of natural gas present and the costs ofwhich makes them easier to convert into storage
extraction. Natural gas, as it is found undergroundfacilities. • Natural aquifers are more suitable
exists in association with a variety of different gaseswhen there is a cap rock overlaying a water-bearing
and compounds as well as with water and oil. Thisrock that has a sedimentary rock formation. The
gas needs to be processed so that what reachesactive water drive present in natural aquifers
end users is almost entirely methane. Gas naturalproduces an increase in delivery rates. This kind of
processing is carried out near the well itself to meetunderground gas storage facility requires extra
the high purity specifications that are required formonitoring of injection and withdrawal performances
natural gas transmission through the natural gasas compared to depleted gas reservoirs. •
pipelines.Salt caverns are more expensive than the other two
Natural gas transmissionkinds of underground gas storage facilities. Their
Natural gas transmission is done through an elaborateinjection rating and withdrawal rate is very high
and highly complex network of pipelines, also knownbecause of the active gas capacity. The Gulf Coast
as 'highways' of gas and oil transmission. Natural gasstates have the highest number of salt cavern
travels great distances through the pipelines at highunderground storage facilities. Thomas H. Lindblom is
pressure.a freelance journalism that is always lookig for
Gas transmission distribution is essentially carried outiteresting topics to write about. "Gas Transmission -
by three major kinds of pipelines:Behind the Scenes activity" helps us learn about the
• The gathering system, which comprise ofprocess of gas transmission, from the moment it is
low diameter, low pressure pipelines that are used inextracted, it's way through gas pipelines, until the
transporting raw natural gas from the source well tomoment it is distributed all over the world.