Clean Energy

Natural gas from underground reservoirs is extracted through wells that utilize specialized drilling rigs to break through the earth's surface and access the gas-bearing formations of rock beneath. Made mostly of methane, the natural gas then flows through pipelines, which transfer it to processing plants for handling.

Upon reaching a treatment plant, the natural gas will undergo various purification procedures prior to distribution. These facilities also extract valuable Natural Gas Liquids, or NGLs, and convert them to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for greater efficiency in its use and transport.

Dehydration units decrease the amount of water in the natural gas until it reaches an acceptable level, resulting in a higher-quality gas that's ready for additional processing.

After treatment facilities process the natural gas, what remains is of pipeline quality and ready for pipeline distribution downstream.

Most CNG passes downstream through pipelines, though trucks mounted with specially designed tanks are an alternate option when there aren't any available pipelines.

Measuring a pipeline's pressure is critical to maintaining the gas flow properly. Each pipeline has pressure and temperature gauges and transmitters attached to the piping with fittings and adapters for this purpose.

Once the natural gas arrives at the local level, utility companies use meters to measure the volume of the gas, verifying the amount with the upstream supplier to ensure they match. High-pressure natural gas isn't necessary at the local level, and so pressure regulators found between the local utility and the primary pipeline reduce the gas pressure.

A cascade filling system stores and refills smaller cylinders of compressed gas. The system is made up of interconnected, high-pressure cylinders in a series and functions like a reservoir.

A low-capacity compressor can fill several small gas cylinders rapidly, efficiently, and in succession, allowing plenty of time for storage cylinders to recharge in between.

LNG regasification utilizes a vaporizer within a controlled system to refill a stationary cascade and generate L-CNG, which has applications in the automotive sector in its compressed form.

Utility companies distribute L-CNG for cars, trucks, and related consumer vehicles through gas stations or CNG fuel pumps. They can also distribute it for heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) and long combination vehicle (LCV) applications.

When pipelines aren't available, cascade systems are also applicable for filling mobile cascades to transport gas to the end user.

Should end users not have a gas pipeline that reaches their location, CNG delivery occurs through a high-pressure carrier consisting of nine cylinders of compressed gas.