Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable

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Technical Tuesday: Repair Calamity

Ever wonder why a component repeatedly fails in the same place, or have you gotten frustrated by those repeated failures and made a field engineered repair that caused a calamity later? OEM’s put as much engineering behind ensuring that a system fails safely as they do in engineering how it operates. Some examples include switches that fail open or closed to actuate safety devices; compressor piston rods that are engineered to fail at the crosshead to ensure they don’t pull out of the packing case; and rupture discs on air and lube systems that prevent overpressure.

Before you break out the kryptonite and unobtainium welding rods to fix a repeated failure, ensure you don’t field engineer the safety factor out. Did this post make you question something that you have done in the past? Plan to join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on September 14-16, 2021 in Pittsburgh, PA. We can get you sorted out.

Gas compression release

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CH4 Facts: Shale

We’ve reviewed state production in previous posts, so let’s take a closer look at geographical areas throughout the US. This graphic shows the shale plays that revolutionized energy in North America and shifted the world energy markets. If you have a specific question, send us a message and then plan to join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable, September 14-16, 2021 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh, PA.

Shale Plays image CH4-8
Source: US Energy Information Administration. Where our natural gas comes from – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

EGCR: Educating the Oil & Gas Industry Since 1973

Technical Tuesday: Oil Filtration

Filtration, Filtration, Filtration… like the real estate saying, but cleaner. Oil filtration has come a long way since most of the industry’s reciprocating engines went into service. There are remote mount kits that allow us to choose a more easily accessible location and a better filter design. We can move away from the filter pot designs that easily contributed to downstream contamination when filter change procedures were rushed. Want to learn more about options for your equipment? Join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on September 14-16, 2021 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Shows 3 oil filters

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CH4 Facts: US Natural Gas Production by State

Could you explain more about where US natural gas comes from?

Sure… we would be happy to. We’ve already talked about imports, so let’s look at production internally. The graphic below shows production by state. If you have a specific question, send us a message or plan to join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable, September 14-16, 2021 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh, PA.

Map of U.S. dry natural gas production by state in 2019
Source: US Energy Information Administration. Where our natural gas comes from – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

EGCR: Educating the Oil & Gas Industry Since 1973

Technical Tuesday: Dead Weight

Learning our vocabulary can be tricky. When a senior tech sends you to fetch the “dead weight” and you bring back a lazy co-worker; everyone will laugh. Well, almost everyone… A dead weight works like the scales in a doctors office to measure pressure. You add calibrated, weighted plates to the device until it “floats out” at the correct pressure reading. While they are becoming less and less common, the dead weight is still a very accurate tool used in the industry. Learn more at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on September 14-16, 2021 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. www.EGCR.org

Have a tip? Do you have a technical tip to share? Submit your tip, along with an associated image and we may include it in our Technical Tuesday social media posts, blog posts and emails.

CH4 Facts: Power Generation Trends

After looking at the historical trends for power generation, are you curious about what the future holds? We are too, so let’s look. Coal consumption is expected to continue to fall with natural gas and renewable growth taking up most of the slack. If you have a specific question, send us a message or plan to join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable, September 14-16, 2021 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh, PA.

Source: Canada’s Oil and Natural Gas Producers (CAPP). Our Energy Needs: World Energy Consumption & Demand | CAPP

Technical Tuesday: Aftercooler or Intercooler

Ok, point of contention…is it an aftercooler or an intercooler? Is there a difference? Intercoolers only exist on engines with a 2-stage turbo setup. The intercooler cools air downstream of the first turbo, yet upstream of the second turbo. Basically, it is the “in between” cooler. An aftercooler is downstream of the last turbo and lives between the last, or only, turbo and the air manifold. People use these terms incorrectly every day, but it’s not a big deal because most people know what you mean. Learn more at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on September 14-16, 2021 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. www.EGCR.org

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CH4 Facts: Natural Gas Surpasses Coal

The U.S. has been setting records for Natural Gas consumption repeatedly over the last decade, largely in part to our increased demand from the electricity generators. In fact, Natural Gas surpassed coal in 2016 as the #1 fuel source for power plants and the demand has continued to accelerate as coal power plants have been shuttered. If you have a specific question, send us a message or plan to join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable, September 14-16, 2021 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh, PA.

Source: EIA. U.S. natural gas consumption sets new record in 2019 – Today in Energy – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

EGCR: Educating the Oil & Gas Industry Since 1973

Technical Tuesday: Packing

Everybody loves to use those red rags, but they are not a suitable seal in an Ingersoll Rand KVS412 Packing Case. Want to learn more about all things packing, such as how it works, material types, proper rag-less installation methods, and more? Plan to attend the 2021 Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable, September 14-16, 2021 in Pittsburgh, PA. Take classes from operational experts and meet vendors and manufacturers. Contact us for more information.

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CH4 Facts: Natural Gas Consumption in the U.S.

We have looked at imports and exports, but how does the US consume the natural gas the pipelines transport? Let’s look. The US Energy Information Administration publishes those numbers on an annual basis. Anything surprise you in this data? Want to know more? Join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable, September 14-16, 2021 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh, PA or contact us for more information.

Source: EIA U.S. natural gas consumption sets new record in 2019 – Today in Energy – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

EGCR: Educating the Oil & Gas Industry Since 1973