introduction to pipelines PHMSA

Question 1

asphyxiant

Answer 1

a substance that depletes oxygen in the air, causing breathing difficulty for those persons in the vicinity

Question 2

Christmas tree

Answer 2

the stacking of control valves, pressure gauges, and chokes at the top of a well to control the flow of oil and gas after the well has been drilled and completed.

Question 3

city gate

Answer 3

a site at which a gas distribution company receives gas from a pipeline company or transmission system. AKA town border station

Question 4

compressor

Answer 4

a mechanical device for increasing the pressure of a gas. They are usually reciprocating or turbine devices.

Question 5

compressor station

Answer 5

facility consisting of one or more compressors and associated equipment which supplies the energy to move gas in transmission lines by increasing the pressure of the gas.

Question 6

crude oil

Answer 6

unrefined liquid petroleum as it occurs naturally and is pumped to the surface.

Question 7

dehydrator

Answer 7

equipment used to remove entrained water vapor from produced natural gas.

Question 8

distribution

Answer 8

the act or process of distributing natural gas from the city gate station to the ultimate consumers.

Question 9

distribution system

Answer 9

the mains, services, and associated equipment which carry or control the supply of gas from the point of local supply to and including the sales meters of the consumers. these systems may operate at various levels of pressure, typically 60 psig or less.

Question 10

drilling rig

Answer 10

the derrick and other surface equipment that is used in drilling an oil or gas well. the rig is removed after the well has been completed.

Question 11

exploration

Answer 11

the search for reservoirs of oil and gas, including aerial and geophysical surveys, geological studies, core testing, and the drilling to wildcat wells (wells in areas where no drilling has previously been done.)

Question 12

fossil fuels

Answer 12

those fuels occurring naturally in the earth, such as coal, oil, or natural gas.

Question 13

gathering line

Answer 13

pipellines, generally smaller in diameter and at lower pressures than transmission lines, that transport gas from one or more production facilities or wellheads to a gas processing plant, transmission line, or distribution line.

Question 14

hydrocarbon

Answer 14

a compound that contains only hydrogen and carbon. the simplest and lightest forms of hydrocarbons are gases. with greater molecular weights they are liquid, while the heaviest are solids.

Question 15

lay barge

Answer 15

a barge used in the construction and placement of underwater pipelines. Joints of pipe are welded together and then lowered off the stern of the barge as it moves ahead.

Question 16

liquefied natural gas (LNG)

Answer 16

Natural gas that has been converted to a clear liquid by cooling it to a temperature of -259 deg F. LNG is almost pure methane; it is tasteless and odorless; and occupies a volume of 1/600 of natural gas in the vapor state.

Question 17

Main

Answer 17

a distribution pipeline that transports gas within a service area to the points of connection with customer service lines. Mains provide source of supply to more than one customer.

Question 18

meter

Answer 18

a mechanical instrument used to measure and indicate or record the volume of natural gas or petroleum liquids that has passed through it. Its purpose is to measure and record the throughput of the gas or liquid to determine consumption and provide the basis for billing calculation.

Question 19

methane (CH4)

Answer 19

the lightest in the paraffin series of hydrocarbons. colorless, odorless, flammable, and is the major component of natural gas.

Question 20

natural gas

Answer 20

naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon gases found in porous geologic formations. the primary hydrocarbon component of natural gas is methane

Question 21

OPS

Answer 21

Office of Pipeline safety
the office of the US DOT responsible for the safety on natural gas and hazardous pipelines as they impact the general public.

Question 22

odorant

Answer 22

a chemical substance added to natural gas to give it a readily perceptible smell at low concentrations so that the odor can be used as a warning sign to detect the presence of escaping gas.

Question 23

odorization

Answer 23

the process of adding an odarant to natural gas

Question 24

one-call center

Answer 24

a non-profit corporation, public corporation, or government entity which will provide local, are wide, or statewide notifications of any planned excavation or demolition activities by excavators and distributing the required excavation or demolition information to affected member utilities and other companies.

Question 25

operator

Answer 25

any entity, such as a firm, corporation, individual, municipality, or partnership that engages in the transportation of natural gas or hazardous liquids. Operators are responsible for operating and maintaining pipeline systems.

Question 26

pipeline

Answer 26

Continuous pipe conduit, complete with other equipment such as valves, tanks, and pressure control devices, for transporting fluids from one point to another, usually from the source of supply to points of utilization.

Question 27

pipeline quality gas

Answer 27

natural gas after all of the contaminants and heavy hydrocarbons have been removed, making the gas suitable for the ultimate consumers.

Question 28

platform

Answer 28

An immobile offshore structure constructed on pilings from which wells are drilled, produced, or both.

Question 29

processing

Answer 29

Any method designed to remove or separate elements of compounds (hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon) from raw natural gas, including refrigeration, adsorption, or absorption. The resulting natural gas is considered pipeline quality.

Question 30

Processing plant

Answer 30

A facility designed to remove or separate heavier hydrocarbons and unwanted non-hydrocarbons from raw natural gas. the heavier hydrocarbons and some of the non-hydrocarbons (such as sulfur) are sold, and the pipeline quality gas is returned to the pipeline.

Question 31

production

Answer 31

the phase of the petroleum industry that deals with bringing the oil, and gas fluids to the surface, separating them as required, and either storing them or delivering them to a pipeline system for transportation.

Question 32

propane (C3H8)

Answer 32

A paraffin hydrocarbon that is a gas at ordinary atmospheric conditions but is easily liquefied under pressure. Used as a fuel for some reciprocation engines and for domestic appliances.

Question 33

pump

Answer 33

a device that increases the pressure on a liquid, or is used to raise the liquid to a higher level

Question 34

pump jack or rocking horse

Answer 34

a surface pumping unit that imparts reciprocation motion through a string of sucker rods to another pump at the bottom of a well, causing the oil to flow to the surface for recovery.

Question 35

refined products

Answer 35

products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, and heating oil that are manufactured from crude oil at a refinery

Question 36

refinery

Answer 36

the physical plant and associated equipment used in the process of manufacturing marketable petroleum products from crude oil.

Question 37

regulator station

Answer 37

equipment installed for the purpose of automatically reducing and regulating the pressure in the downstream pipeline or main to which it is connected. Included are piping and auxiliary devices such as valves, control instruments, control lines, the enclosure, and ventilation equipment.

Question 38

separation

Answer 38

a process whereby liquid hydrocarbons and other impurities are separated fro natural gas

Question 39

service line

Answer 39

a pipe which carries gas from a distribution main to the customers meter.

Question 40

service regulator

Answer 40

a device installed upstream (ahead of) a customers meter to reduce and regulate to a safe value the gas pressure delivered to the customer’s appliances.

Question 41

storage tank

Answer 41

a tank installed above or below ground to store hydrocarbon liquids for delivery or consumption at a future time.

Question 42

town border station

Answer 42

a location at which gas changes ownership from one party to another (usually from a transmission operator to a distribution operator), neither of which is the ultimate consumer of the gas.

Question 43

transmission line

Answer 43

a pipeline installed for transporting large quantities of product from a source or sources of supply to one or more distribution centers, distribution systems, or large volume customers, such as power generation plants. typically these lines are longer, larger in diameter, operate at much higher pressures, and have greater distances between connection the distribution lines.

Question 44

well

Answer 44

a hole made by a drill bit during the oil and gas production process. the completed oil or gas production location is also referred to as a well.

Question 45

wildcat

Answer 45

a well drilled in an area where no oil or gas production currently exists