Energy and Utilities Natural Gas Systems 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What odorant is added to natural gas to make leaks detectable?
- Methane
- Mercaptan (thiols) (Correct answer)
- Propane
- Carbon monoxide
Correct answer: Mercaptan (thiols)
Mercaptans (organosulfur compounds) give natural gas its distinctive rotten-egg odor since pure methane is odorless.
Question 2: What is the primary component of natural gas?
- Propane
- Ethane
- Methane (Correct answer)
- Butane
Correct answer: Methane
Natural gas is composed predominantly of methane (CH4), typically making up 70–90% of its volume.
Question 3: What is LNG?
- Low Natural Gas pressure
- Liquefied Natural Gas (Correct answer)
- Licensed Natural Gas supplier
- Liquid Nitrogen Gas
Correct answer: Liquefied Natural Gas
LNG is natural gas cooled to approximately -260°F (-162°C) to become a liquid for efficient storage and transport.
Question 4: Which federal agency in the US regulates interstate natural gas pipelines?
- EPA
- PHMSA
- FERC
- Both FERC and PHMSA (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both FERC and PHMSA
FERC regulates the economic and business aspects of interstate gas pipelines, while PHMSA regulates their safety.
Question 5: What does a natural gas compressor station do?
- Removes impurities from gas
- Boosts gas pressure to maintain flow through pipelines (Correct answer)
- Converts gas to electricity
- Measures gas volume for billing
Correct answer: Boosts gas pressure to maintain flow through pipelines
Compressor stations re-pressurize natural gas periodically along pipelines to overcome friction and maintain flow.
Question 6: What is the Btu content of natural gas used to measure?
- Gas pressure
- Flow rate
- Energy content (heat value) (Correct answer)
- Purity level
Correct answer: Energy content (heat value)
A British Thermal Unit (Btu) measures the heat energy in natural gas; one standard cubic foot of pipeline gas contains about 1,020 Btu.
Energy and Utilities Natural Gas Systems 1
What odorant is added to natural gas to make leaks detectable?