Analyzing Natural Gas Composition Course No: P02-005 Credit: 2 PDH James R. Weaver, P.E. Continuing Education and Development, Inc. 22 Stonewall Court Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 P: (877) 322-5800
[email protected] Analyzing Natural Gas Composition Introduction The purpose of this course is to educate one on the use of gas composition data to determine properties of hydrocarbon gases that are useful in calculations under static and dynamic conditions. Due to the peculiar interactions of hydrocarbon molecules, an analysis of the gas is needed to determine the specific gravity, critical pressure, critical temperature, heating value, and natural gas liquid content of the gas. Knowing these properties is necessary to determine the deviation from the Ideal Gas Law, flow characteristics of the gas, potential processing requirements of the natural gas, and revenue derived from sale of natural gas and natural gas liquids. Understanding how to calculate and use these natural gas properties is crucial to reservoir, production, and natural gas process engineering. The contents of this course are as follows: • Ideal Gas Law • What is natural gas • Components of natural gas • Properties of natural gas components • Calculation of natural gas properties from gas composition • Conclusions The Ideal Gas Law In order to understand gas properties, one must understand how gases behave. Gas molecules, unlike the other phases of matter – liquids and solids, are not bound together by intermolecular and viscous forces. As such, gases completely fill whatever container in which they reside. This property is very important and can be used to determine how gases behave under the effects of pressure, temperature, and volume.