Oil and Natural Gas Supply
Transmission, Distribution, & Refining
Oil and natural gas are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. Together they account
for more than 60 percent of the energy consumed in the United States. A complex network of pipes, compressors, pumps, metering stations, and distribution points comprise the system used to transport natural gas, petroleum, and petroleum products from their domestic origin or import terminal to end users throughout the United States. In addition, the infrastructure contains natural gas processing plants to remove impurities and produce natural gas liquids and refineries to produce petroleum distillates.
Natural gas processing plants, which treat much of the Nation’s natural gas to remove impurities (such as sulfur, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen) and condensables, produce valuable natural gas liquids (NGLs) such as ethane, propane, and butane, many of which are also transported in liquid pipelines. An estimated 34% of U.S. gas production does not meet pipeline specifications. Over 580 U.S. plants process almost 17 Tcf of natural gas, extracting 720 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the process.
Petroleum refineries convert crude oil into distillates such as gasoline, aviation fuels, kerosene, diesel fuel, heating oil and various fuel oils. Although the number of U.S. refineries fell from 223 to 148 between 1985 and 2005, through expansion and technology, refining capacity today is greater than it was 20 years ago (17,042 thousand barrels per day in January 2005 versus 15,659 in 1985). Refineries are consistently running over 90 percent capacity utilization in recent years, compared to 78 percent utilization in 1985.
Nearly all natural gas in the U.S. is transported, often over long distances, through about 300,000 miles of interstate pipelines. These pipelines, ranging from 20 to 42 inches in diameter, move large amounts of gas with the help of compressors every 70 miles or so to boost line pressure along the way. Much of this natural gas is then handed-off to local distribution systems that are responsible for delivering the natural gas to homes, industry, and businesses through almost 1,000,000 miles of lower pressure distribution piping.
Pipelines move nearly two-thirds of the ton-miles of oil transported in the U.S. annually through about 200,000 miles of liquid pipelines. Pipelines are, by far, America's most important petroleum supply line, including crude oil, refined fuel and raw materials. About 59% of the petroleum transported by pipelines is crude oil (7.6 billion barrels) and the remainder (5.3 billion barrels) is in the form of refined petroleum products. The cost to transport a barrel of petroleum products from Houston to the New York harbor is about $1, or about 2 1/2 ¢ per gallon at your local gasoline station. Major American airports rely almost entirely on pipelines, and have dedicated pipelines to deliver jet fuel directly to the airport. Unlike natural gas, most local distribution of gasoline is handled by tanker trucks.
There are other, miscellaneous materials carried by liquid pipeline companies, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and anhydrous ammonia, and non-liquid materials that are transported, such as nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and coal slurry.
NETL implements R&D related to natural gas storage
– including conventional storage concepts, advanced storage concepts, and LNG storage concepts – and to
oil refining and natural gas processing. In response to facility damage from summer of 2005 hurricanes, NETL also has provided daily information updates on the status of Gulf of Mexico pipelines and gas processing plants. In addition, NETL is currently winding down R&D efforts related to the integrity and operational reliability of the nation’s
natural gas pipeline network.
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E&P Technologies
