How Do They Transport Gas in the Oil and Gas Industry?

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Have you ever wondered, “how does one transport gas”? Gas, also known as natural gas or methane, fuels our daily lives by powering our homes, businesses, and vehicles.

But how do we get it from its source to our homes? Due to its gaseous state at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, it’s impossible to transport gas using traditional methods such as pipelines or trucks. Fortunately, the oil and gas industry has found efficient ways to transport this valuable resource.

Pipeline Transportation

The most common method of transporting gas is through pipelines. Gas pipelines are long and heavy-duty pipes made of steel or plastic that run underground or underwater. They connect gas wells to processing plants, storage facilities, distribution networks, and eventually to homes and businesses. These pipelines can span thousands of miles, making it a cost-effective and efficient way to transport gas.

But how do we keep the gas moving through these pipelines? The oil and gas industry can use air driven pumps and gas boosters to compress the gas and push it through the pipelines. Compressed air, which is readily available in oil and gas facilities, powers these pumps and boosters.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Transportation

Another way to transport gas is by compressing it into a liquid form, known as compressed natural gas or CNG. The oil and gas industry compresses natural gas to less than 1% of its volume at standard atmospheric pressure to create a highly compact and portable fuel source trucks, railcars, or ships can transport.

CNG transportation provides a great solution for remote areas where pipelines aren’t practical. The industry also uses it for long-distance transport, including across continents or overseas. However, compressing and decompressing the gas requires special equipment and infrastructure, which makes it more costly than using pipelines.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Transportation

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is similar to compressed natural gas (CNG), but instead of being compressed, the gas is cooled to -260°F (-162°C) until it turns into a liquid. This cooling process shrinks its volume by 600 times.

LNG is the preferred method for long-distance transport as it takes up less space than CNG. It’s also commonly used for international transportation of gas. Once it reaches its destination, the application of heat transforms LNG back to a gaseous state. The main challenge with LNG transportation is the specialized equipment and handling requirements for such low temperatures.

Gas doesn’t make the process of transporting it easy. But the oil and gas industry has mastered the process of getting this stubborn resource where it needs to go. Whether through pipelines, CNG, or LNG, the industry continues to find innovative ways to transport gas and keep our homes and businesses powered.