Natural Gas

The analysis may consider laboratory data, heating value, moisture content, hydrocarbon gas liquids, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, and other constituents, together with applicable contractual or pipeline specifications. Raw wellhead gas commonly requires processing to remove water, hydrocarbon liquids, and nonhydrocarbon compounds before it becomes pipeline-quality dry gas. The precise significance of a particular constituent depends on the system, contract, and technical requirements at issue.

Pressure and flow records can show how operating conditions changed across time, while meter data can document volumes entering, leaving, or being delivered through portions of the system. A suitably qualified natural gas expert may compare those records with compressor operations, storage activity, maintenance events, regulator information, or reported service problems. The interpretation should remain tied to the particular system because gathering, transmission, and distribution networks serve different functions and can operate at different pressure ranges; those categories are not defined by pressure alone.

Useful materials may include gas analyses, flow and pressure histories, meter data, processing records, storage records, supply or transportation agreements, operating logs, compressor information, maintenance and inspection records, alarm histories, maps, incident reports, photographs, and communications concerning changes in supply or operating conditions. Where the dispute concerns a specific pipeline failure or a processing-plant event, the appropriate pipeline or plant specialist may also be needed.