Natural Gas Composition and Quality

> William E. Liss

David M. Rue Gas Technology Institute

Panel 1: Current Gas Quality

Highlights

> What is natural gas

Its chemical composition and properties What are the variations that occur

> How does California compare with elsewhere > Key points
Wobbe Number is key metric > Methane Number rarely used in industry Variations are common Rule 30 plus NGC + Work Group > Good foundation for natural gas quality standards
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Natural Gas Industry

> Natural gas has an integrated & highly efficient energy delivery system

> Natural gas industry is interconnected to crude oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) marketplace

Natural Gas Measurement

> Chemical Composition
Hydrocarbonsmainly straight-chain alkanes
> Methane, ethane, propane, butanes+, etc

Inert gasesnitrogen and carbon dioxide

> Physical Properties

Heating Value: Higher (Gross), Lower (Net) Specific Gravity: Relative density to air > Natural gas lighter than air Wobbe Number (or Wobbe Index) Combustion interchangeability Others...Methane Number, dewpoint
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Wobbe Number
> Wobbe Number (or Wobbe Index) is a key metric for combustion performance
More meaningful than heating value WN = Heating Value (Specific Gravity)0.5 Accounts for flow and heat input of gas through an orifice

What Is Natural Gas?

> Naturally occurring gaseous resource
Can also be made
Average U.S. Natural Gas Composition
Methane 92.3% NonMethane 7.7%

> Natural gas is mainly methane

Typically about 90-95% by volume

> Balance:
Non-methane hydrocarbons (e.g., ethane, propane) Other gases (e.g., carbon dioxide, nitrogen)

NonMethane Fraction
Ethane 3.6% Propane CO2 0.8% 1.0% Butanes+ 0.5% Nitrogen 1.8%

Source: Gas Technology Institute

Based on survey data containing 7000 natural gas samples across 26 US cities
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Regional Natural Gas Composition Difference Common

Rich gases often exist near producing areas

Average Natural Gas Composition -- Twenty Six US Cities (1989 1992 time period)

Non-Methane Natural Gas Constituents

20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
Source: Gas Technology Institute

Non-Methane Constituents (Mole% )

Ethane Propane Butanes+ Inerts

Rich Gases

Lean Gases

Survey City Number

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Average US and CA Natural Gas Composition Similar

Minimum
Methane Ethane Propane C4 and higher 74.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 National Average 93.9 3.2 0.7 0.4 California Average 93.1 3.4 0.7 0.3

Maximum
98.1 13.3 2.6 2.1

N2 + CO2

0.0

2.6

2.5

10.0
Source: Gas Technology Institute

Data exclude effect of propane-air peakshaving

National: 26 cities, about 7000 samples California: 12 locations, about 1200 samples
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Average US & CA Natural Gas Physical Property Statistics

Minimum Heating Value (BTU/scf) Specific Gravity Wobbe Number (BTU/scf) National Average California Average Maximum

970

1033

1035

1127

0.563

0.598

0.599

0.698

1201

1336

1337

1418

Data exclude effect of propane-air peakshaving

Source: Gas Technology Institute

California Statistics
12 Sites, 1226 samples
SITE 1 METHANE (Vol.%) 93.92 94.33 95.53 96.64 94.94 93.10 93.73 HEATING VALUE (Btu/scf) 1033 995 1017 1011 1026 1039 1028 WOBBE NUMBER (Btu/scf) 1340 1301 1326 1336 1340 1341 1335

Lean Gases

Northern California Region

2 3 4 5 6 7

Southern California/San Diego Region

93.60
92.25 91.19 93.48 92.34 Summary 93.09 90.31 96.88

1030
1040 1048 1029 1042 1035 986 1060

1335
1335 1337 1333 1340 1337 1290 1358

Rich Gases

9 Southern California/LA Region 10 11 12 Average Minimum Maximum

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CA In-State Production
Rich Natural Gas

> Select regions in state can have wider gas composition & properties range
Proximity to associated gas wellsresult in higher ethane levels Lack of regional market limits ability to economically lower ethane > Ethane removal expensive, energy losses
2001 - 2004 Data Methane Ethane Heating Value Specific Gravity Wobbe Number #1 86.9 9.0 1103 0.638 1381 11 #2 85.6 9.55 1107 0.647 1376 #3 84.1 10.3 1117 0.661 1374

Methane Number measures Natural Gas engine knock resistance

- Like Octane Number, but higher than gasoline - Not commonly used in natural gas industry
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Motor Octane Number

130

Natural Gas
120 110 100 90 80 40 50 60 70 Methane Number 80 90 100

Gasoline

Source: Gas Technology Institute

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Panel 1 Summary
Current Gas Quality > Natural gas composition variations are common in California, US, and World
Support ample supplies from various sources In-state producersethane issue Future sources likely need composition limit leewayLNG, bio-energy, hydrogen

> Wobbe Number best single measure of fuel gas interchangeability

Other indices can account for secondary combustion interchangeability considerations Methane Number not commonly used Compositional specs should be used with carecan be overly restrictive
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Panel 1 Summary
Current Gas Quality

> Current utility requirements (e.g., Rule 30) provides a very good framework
Already includes main interchangeability indices Also speak to pipeline-specific issues

> Ongoing NGC + Work Group developing consensus industry position on specific values and ranges
Draft recommendations in process

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