PIPELINE INFORMATION, TERMINOLOGY, VIDEOS

PIPELINE TERMINOLOGY

Natural Gas: Naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas & other gases.

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Fracked Gas: (Called "natural gas") The process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas. The gas contains methane, other gases and trade secret chemicals. Northeast gas is assumed to be fracked and from Marcellus Shale in PA. (Fracking video)

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LNG: Liquefied natural gas. Natural gas cooled to -260º F and converted to liquid at 1/600th the volume in the gas state.

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Carbon dioxide (CO2): A colorless, odorless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration. It is naturally present in air (about 0.03 percent) and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide increases the greenhouse effect. More heat is trapped by the atmosphere, causing the planet to become warmer than it would be naturally. The increase in global temperature this causes is called global warming.

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Methane (CH4): A colorless, odorless flammable gas that is the main constituent of natural gas. Methane increases the greenhouse effect 86 times more than carbon dioxide. Utilities and pipeline companies often note a reduction in CO2 levels when customers convert to natural (fracked) gas. They do not mention the increase in methane, a more potent greenhouse gas. More heat is trapped by the atmosphere, causing the planet to become warmer than it would be naturally. The increase in global temperature this causes is called global warming.

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Greenhouse gas (GHG): A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, such as carbon dioxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons.

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Greenhouse effect:  The sun's warmth is trapped in Earth's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface. At normal levels, greenhouse effect is a good thing. It keeps the planet warm so that life can thrive. Increased greenhouse effect due to the burning of fossil fuels is documented, and confirmed by 97% of scientists, to be causing climate change.

Global warming: A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the Earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants. The terms global warming and climate change are often used interchangeably, but are different (see climate change). (graph)

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Climate change: A change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the burning of fossil fuels and release of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.

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Mercaptan: (methanethiol) is an organosulfur compound. It is a colorless gas with a distinctive putrid smell. It is a natural substance found in the blood and brain of humans and animals, as well as in plant tissues. It is used to give odorless natural gas a scent so that it can be detected. It is added to gas for safety in distribution lines.

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Hot Zone: Area where hazardous vapors and liquids are present.

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Blowdown: The release of gas from a pipeline into the atmosphere to relieve pressure in the pipe so that maintenance, testing or other activities can take place. Blowdowns are loud and can take place without notice any time of the day or night. (Video 1) (Video 2)

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Pipeline Pigging: Pipeline pigs enter a pipeline through a pig trap to reduce build-up that can cause cracks, corrosion and other damage to pipelines. There are several different types of "pigs" used in pipeline maintenance.

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Smart Pig: A device placed inside the pipeline to provide data about the pipeline, such as measuring dents or locating corrosion.

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Dedicated Design Day Capacity (DDDC): Max volume of gas dedicated to a customer’s use, based on max # of therms recorded by meter on the most demanding day of the year.

Therm (thm): 100K BTU (heat)

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Decatherm (dth): 100 Million BTU (heat)

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Global Warming Potential (GWP): Each greenhouse gas has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) rating been calculated to reflect the average time it remains in the atmosphere and how strongly it absorbs energy. Gases with a higher GWP absorb more energy per pound than gases with a lower GWP, and thus contribute more to warming the Earth. (EPA on GWP - Reminder that U.S. government sites have had information about climate change erased by the current administration.)

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Geographic Information System (GIS): A computer-based system that captures, stores, edits, displays, plots, and analyzes geographically referenced information.

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MDQ: Maximum Daily Quantity

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MAOP: Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure

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HCA: High Consequence Area, a population center or environmentally sensitive area.

High Pressure Pipelines: Pipe systems which operate at 600 psi to 2000 psi and higher.

Right-of-Way (ROW): A strip of land on which permission has been granted by landowners for electrical utilities, usually by an easement agreement. The agreement stays with the property if sold to a new owner. These right of way areas are often used, usually in part, by pipeline companies due to the ease of access without eminent domain.

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Co-Location: Pipelines sited on the same land as a utility, usually in the right of way. Co-location may be used to avoid controversial eminent domain, but also for use of electricity to reduce pipeline corrosion.

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Cathodic protection: A technique used to control the corrosion of a metal pipelines. Metal is protected using a "sacrificial metal" as an anode. That metal corrodes instead of the pipeline. An external DC electrical power source may be used to provide sufficient current for long pipelines.

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Easement: An interest in land owned by another that entitles its holder to access and specific use.

Eminent domain: The right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, with payment of compensation.

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A Field Guide to the Petrochemical and Plastics Industry

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More pipeline resources

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Pipeline opposition groups agree, deny surveyors access to your property.

Protect yourself. Take the time to become educated.

You can continue to allow hunting or hiking on your property while denying Liberty Utilities' surveyors access for surveying. Please read the information below to learn more.

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Deny Surveyor Access to your Property (2018)

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✓ Flyer

✓ Form letter to Liberty Utilities

✓ Instructions for sending certified mail and a copy to your Board of Selectmen and police department.

✓ Why deny survey access

✓ Speaking To Surveyors tip sheet

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CONCERNS ABOUT COMPRESSOR & METERING STATIONS

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KINDER MORGAN targeted Winchester, NH as a town to locate a fracked gas compressor station. Compressor stations are loud, light up night skies, have "blow downs" where toxic gases are deliberately released into the air putting communities at risk. Further there is mounting evidence that these toxic gases, which cannot be seen or smelled, are often released without knowledge of communities and are only detected by highly sophisticated equipment.