AGA 8-2017

Among the major changes to AGA 8 is the long-awaited addition of the GERG-2008 equation
of state. The report is now organized into two parts. Part 1, “Thermodynamic Properties of
Natural Gas and Related Gases - Detail and Gross Equations of State (3rd Edition),” is an
updated version of the prior AGA 8 report. GERG is located in Part 2, “Thermodynamic
Properties of Natural Gas and Related Gases Using GERG-2008 Equation of State.”

Since this report includes both the updated AGA 8 and GERG-2008, it is at the discretion of
users—and your contracts—to determine which equations of state to deploy.

Part 1 also includes changes to the statement of uncertainty of the Detail Method. You will
want to focus on the revised Figure 1 and Table 1 because the applicable pressure and
temperature ranges for all four of the target uncertainty regions have changed. Regions 1
through 4 specify 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5% and 1.0% uncertainties, respectively.

In the all-important Region 1, operators of high-pressure pipelines will note a decrease in

the upper pressure limit from 1750 psia to 1450 psia. You must also review the upper and
lower temperature limits. These have changed slightly, but perhaps significantly for some
operations. Uncertainties are based on composition. “Pipeline quality” natural gas should
fall within AGA 8 Part 1—but you must review the new report to be sure.

The uncertainties of the gross methods have also been restated. Since most users now have
access to the compositional makeup of their gases, the document has been modified
accordingly. Operators should no longer use the two iterative methods requiring heating
value and relative density unless the gas composition is unknown.

Equations to calculate heating values at the reference state have also been removed. If
needed, users are now directed to AGA 5 or GPA 2172.

All references to air have been removed and the applicable parameters have been
embedded directly into the relative density equations.

Meanwhile, detail and gross equation-of-state coefficients have not changed, and the
calculations are identical to those in the previous edition. On the other hand, since
equations for the speed of sound and other thermodynamic properties have been added,
AGA 10 will be discontinued, as all required equations are available in the new edition of
AGA 8.

Users of the API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards (MPMS) will note that
Chapter 14.2, which had been co-branded with AGA 8, will be withdrawn by the API.

Before moving on, I would like to personally acknowledge our team of measurement and
technical experts at Flow-Cal who examined the draft standard and worked closely with the
working group to correct formula issues and oversights. In the printed acknowledgements of
this latest revision, AGA has recognized our very own Randy Herman, Vice President of
Product Engineering, and Ian McDavid, Software Developer, as substantive contributors,
and Measurement Specialist Scott Tanner for his comments.

GPA 2145-2016
This publication, “Table of Physical Properties for Hydrocarbons and Other Compounds of
Interest to the Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids Industries,” took effect in January 2017.
It is the reference standard for densities and other properties used for analytical
information and in multiple calculations in the industry. Several changes have been
implemented in this publication.

The definition of relative density was modified based solely on a fixed reference value
(28.9625 g/mol), not on the molar mass of air. The main tables now list pure fluids only; all
properties for air were removed from the tables and included in the Properties of Air
section at the end of the standard.

All fluids from GPA TP-17 have been added with properties displayed in the TP-17 format.
Most of the properties for the fluids in the 1998 version of TP-17 (excluding the fluids in
2145-09) have changed; the new values are based on properties calculated from the
equations of state available from NIST.

Additional properties from TP-17 are included; these are the chemical formula, acentric
factor, critical density, compressibility factor at 60°F, liquid net heating value, refractive
index, temperature coefficient of density, and summation factor for a new compressibility
formula.
Finally, all fluids in the GPSA Engineering Data Book are included in this revision. Property
values for compounds listed in GPA 2145-16 supersede those in the GPSA Engineering Data
Book, 13th Edition and earlier editions.

The latest versions of AGA 3, AGA 8 and GPA 2145 require evaluation of current
measurement practices. It is up to you to decide whether they affect your measurement
operation, but our specialists are here to help. If you have any questions or would like to
know more, contact us at 281-282-0865.