Definitions of words and terms used in the gas processing industry.
For questions regarding incorrect/outdated entries or suggestion for adding additional terms, please contact Martin Erne
A liquid mixture extracted from natural gas consisting mostly of pentanes and heavier hydrocarbons.
GPA Midstream provides specifications for natural gasolines. Natural gasoline is the same thing as what you put in your car, but it comes straight from the ground (i.e. organic gasoline). It is not suggested that you fill your car from a natural gasoline source.
A foul smelling fluid added to a gas or LP-gas to facilitate detection of leaks.
Commonly used odorants will contain light mercaptan such as methyl, ethyl, and butyl.
Hydrocarbons that feature one or more double bonds between two adjacent carbon atoms and are not classified as aromatic.
Olefins are typically not found in wellstreams and are normally produced in oil refining.
A test conducted to determine the allowable production rate of a well.
The open flow potential requirements vary from state to state.
The contract between interested parties regarding who operates a plant, a system, or similar installation.
Operating agreements typically exist between producers & gatherers, gatherers & processors, or processors & pipeline operators.
A production capacity which will provide the ultimate recovery of fluid from the reservoir.
The optimum rate of flow will typically be less than the open flow potential.
A differential pressure device used for the measurement of fluid flow.
Orifice meters can measure gas or liquid flows but are primarily used for gas as well as production measurement.
A constricting device inserted into a flowing stream for the purpose of creating a measurable differential pressure.
Orifice plates are the primary device of DP meters.
For tanks, tank cars and liquid sample containers, the difference between the full interior volume and the volume of liquid therein. For operations, a time period where equipment or systems are unavailable.
For gasoline and lighter products, regulatory bodies set a minimum limit for outage in storage vessels to provide space for expansion of the liquid.
The vapor stream leaving the top of a column or vessel.
Overhead vapor is the stream leaving the top of a tower. Overhead product is the stream leaving the top of a reflux drum.
A a vessel or conduit filled with small objects that are designed to have a relatively large surface area per unit volume to affect separation.
Packed columns are used in gas chromatography whereas bubble trays or other devices are more common in larger separation units.
A saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having the formula CnH2n+2.
Paraffin may also be used to refer to a wax-like substance formed by heavier paraffin hydrocarbons (C18H38 and heavier). Pariffinic hydrocarbons also include lighter components like methane that do not form a wax-like substance.
The addition of supplemental power to power grids during periods of high demand.
Peak shaving power plants are used only during periods of high demand to lessen the burden on base load power plants.
A hydrocarbon mixture consisting mostly of C5 and heavier components, extracted from natural gas.
Pentane-plus is also called natural gasoline and can be abbreviated C5+.
A vapor-liquid contacting plate containing small orifices through which the fluids flow.
Most cryogenic towers contain perforated trays that aid in the separation of liquids and gases. Perforated tray can also be referred to as a “perforated plate”.
A material occurring naturally in the earth composed predominately of mixtures of chemical compounds of carbon and hydrogen.
Petroleum is utilized to manufacture a significant amount of consumer products.
The combination of a bubble point curve and a dew point curve.
The phase envelope for the mixture indicated that at sampling conditions the mixture was two phase.
The act of forcing an object through a section of piping to clean, inspect, or remove accumulated liquid or debris.
Pigging can be performed periodically to improve pipeline hydraulics.
A lubricant designed to protect and seal the threads of a metal conduit.
The pipe fitter elected to use pipe dope instead of thread tape.
A configuration of pipe and other equipment designed to move fluid from one location to another.
Many pipelines are designed to move a specific product, i.e., natural gas, NGL or crude oil, from production or processing facilities to a market.
A hydrocarbon vapor product which meets a transmission company's minimum specifications.
Pipeline quality gas is sent down a transmission line to end users.
Merchantable liquid mixtures extracted from natural gas.
Ethane, propane, and y-grade are examples of plant products.
A grouping of non-discrete hydrocarbon components in chemical composition.
Plus fractions, i.e. hexanes plus, heptanes plus, and decanes plus, are commonly expressed in analytical reports along with the plus fraction physical properties. C6H14 and heavier are referred to as C6+ (hexanes plus).
A location where a pipeline's direction changes.
In the field, a PI is typically seen on cross country pipelines and may be marked, but often is not designated except on drawings.
An adsorption-desorption cycle that is driven by changes in pressure which effects sorbent capacity.
PSA units are often used for instrument air drying.
