Hi all,

I just wanted to let you all know that I have changed some of the
settings so that the archives of all the messages posted on this list
are now open to all. If you have people who might be interested in
joining but want to know what they are getting themselves into they
can visit the group's website at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LNGsafety/  and view all the messages
posted to date.

The archive is also a good place to find articles that you remember
reading that you may be looking for at some point in the future.
There is a search function to the archive as well as being able to
narrow it down by month.

People can join be sending a blank email to:
LNGsafety-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please pass this along to others you know who may be interested.

All members can post by sending their message to:
LNGsafety@yahoogroups.com  , so please start sending articles,
documents, discussion items, etc. As I said the other day the first
time you post a message there may be a delay in it showing up on the
list because I will need to approve your first message to make sure
you are not a bulk spammer trying to dump on us all.

Thanks

Have a wonderful weekend!  The weather is just gorgeous here in
Bellingham today.

Carl

Hi all,

It is my understanding that this inconsistent quality of gas can be a major problem with maintaining pipelines properly, and that the rise in the use of LNG will exasperate this problem. Does anyone know if that is true, or can enlighten us on this?

Thanks

Carl



Inconsistent quality of natural gas raises safety and reliability concerns
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0169_BC_NaturalGas-QualityCon&&news&newsflash-financial
By BRAD FOSS
The Associated Press
4/29/04 1:42 PM


It used to be that natural gas producers would strip out traces of propane and butane before piping the desired fuel -- primarily methane -- to power plants and utilities. The impurities were actually worth more than the natural gas itself, so collecting them gave producers a nice side business.

But today, with gas supplies tight and valued at twice their historical average, many producers want to pump as much as they can -- impurities included. The result is a fuel cocktail that many power plants and home appliances weren't designed to handle, presenting a number of safety, environmental and reliability concerns.

Industry officials frustrated by the increasingly inconsistent quality of natural gas have warned federal regulators about potentially dangerous levels of carbon monoxide emissions in homes, increased pollution from power plants and needless wear and tear on gas turbines and home appliances.

With as much as a third of the natural gas from the lower 48 states no longer processed to remove propane, butane and other liquid hydrocarbons, "it can lead to a number of consequences -- all of which are bad," according to Keith Barnett, vice president of fundamental analysis at American Electric Power Inc., one of the largest producers of electricity.

In New York, the utility KeySpan Energy was forced to shut down a plant several times in 2003 after receiving unprocessed fuel that differed significantly from "what the plant was originally designed to handle," according to a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The characteristics of natural gas are also changing as high prices attract more imports and domestic drillers find new sources of fuel in unconventional geologic formations once deemed too costly to tap.

Such is the case in Utah, where Quester Gas Co., has been urging some customers to spend upwards of $100 per home to adjust settings on older furnaces and water heaters. The company is concerned that the carbon-dioxide rich gas it is siphoning out of coal seams might emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide without the changes.

Several industry officials said it is too soon to know just how widespread and severe the problems may be. However, around the country power producers and utilities are facing higher maintenance costs and have, at times, been forced to cut off service to clean equipment.

"This is not a panic situation by any stretch of the imagination," insisted Lori Traweek, senior vice president of operations and engineering at the American Gas Association, which represents local gas distribution companies. "There has to be comfort in knowing that this issue is being addressed."

Yet other industry officials were more cautious in their analysis, stressing the need for more research into the potential safety and reliability risks.

"We're still in the learning phase," said Mark Kendall, vice president of technical affairs at the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association, an Arlington, Va., trade group that will hold a conference on the issue in June. Concerns at GAMA, Kendall said, are excessive carbon monoxide emissions, as well as excess soot and other damage to gas stoves, water heaters and furnaces that could reduce their lifespans by as much as 50 percent.

Robert D. Wilson, director of environmental operations at KeySpan Energy, told FERC in a March 22 filing "the assumption that existing appliances will not be significantly impacted by gas quality variability would not be prudent and additional technical evaluation is needed prior to drawing any conclusions."

Meanwhile, the National Petroleum Council, a consortium of energy executives that advises the Energy Department, urged the government last September to address the issue of natural gas standards in preparation for rising imports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG.

FERC held a conference on the matter in February after it began to see a growing number of legal disputes over gas specifications between natural gas suppliers and pipeline owners.

While the problems associated with inconsistent fuel quality have been known for decades, they are more relevant now as the industry tries to keep up with rising natural gas demand.

In the past, suppliers had an economic incentive to strip out most impurities from the methane, creating a relatively uniform product from year to year. But in recent years it has made more financial sense for suppliers to leave them mixed in the gas stream, boosting overall volume and revenue by about 5 percent, as well as eliminating the need for expensive processing plants.

Trouble is, a natural gas stream with a heavier concentration of liquid hydrocarbons can damage equipment that isn't properly calibrated ahead of time.

The industry has safeguards to prevent "slugs" of liquid from gumming up gas turbines and appliances, but executives acknowledged these protections don't always work. In fact, some protective equipment was taken out of the system in the 1990s when it seemed that natural gas would remain cheap and uniform in quality.

"There have been instances where these liquids get carried all the way to the turbines, which damages them and sometimes shuts them down," said AEP's Barnett, who estimated it would cost several hundred thousand dollars per power plant to make highly sensitive equipment more flexible to different gas varieties.

Without these adjustments the "wet" unprocessed gas, which burns hotter, could also cause power plants to unintentionally spew more pollutants than they are allowed to under laws set by the Environmental Protection Agency, Barnett said.

Another trend drawing attention to the chemical characteristics of the nation's natural gas supply is the increase of LNG being imported to make up for declining domestic production. Much of that fuel, shipped to the United States in refrigerated tankers from as far away as Qatar and Nigeria, burns hotter, just like the "wet" gas, and thus has the potential to cause similar problems.

In spite of the potential problems, industry officials said they are equally concerned about regulatory changes that could limit the supply of natural gas. For now, FERC is giving the industry time to work up a collaborative solution -- probably a combination of new standards for producers and end-users, as well as methods for adhering to them.

A fix will likely require extra spending on gas processing and new equipment, and a portion of those costs is expected to be passed along to consumers.

---

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http://www.bangornews.com/editorialnews/sections.cfm?cat=179

       By Rich Hewitt, Of the NEWS Staff e-mail Rich
       Last updated: Thursday, April 29, 2004
       Critic: LNG plant would hurt economy

       DEER ISLE - A liquid natural gas plant in Searsport would threaten the
regional economy, particularly the fishing, boating and tourism industries,
according to one opponent of such a project.Astrig Tanguay, a Searsport
businesswoman and a member of Stop Liquid Natural Gas, or SLNG, and the
Friends of Sears Island, presented a wide range of information to a handful
of island residents on Wednesday. While other opponents are focusing on
environmental issues, Tanguay said she and other business owners in the area
have concentrated on measuring the potential economic impact.


       She stressed that although the state is looking at Sears Island in
Searsport as a potential site for the LNG plant, the effects of such a plant
will be felt throughout the entire Penobscot Bay region and beyond. That was
one of the reasons local residents Jane McCloskey and Lori Connor organized
the presentation.

       "People need to know that it's not just a Searsport issue," Connor
said.

       The state had been invited to send someone to the meeting, but did
not, Tanguay said.

       Part of the economic concern stems from the tankers that would bring
the LNG from overseas sources to the port, Tanguay said. The tankers are
four football fields long and about 12 stories high, and, because they are
considered a potential terrorist target, they require stiff security
measures. Those include a security zone two miles ahead of the tanker, one
mile astern and 500 yards on either side of the vessel, she said.

       In Boston, where LNG tankers arrive about twice a week, security
concerns force the temporary closure of the Tobin Bridge, U.S. Route 1 and
Logan Airport, Tanguay said.

       "Imagine the impact if they closed Route 1" in Searsport, she said.

       "Who's going to come to the area?"

       The narrow passages on the eastern shipping channel between
Lincolnville Beach and Islesboro and Northport and Islesboro could pose a
security risk for the vessels, she said.

       The moving security zone would move all vessels out of the area and
would have a negative impact on recreational and commercial boating in the
area, including local fishermen along eastern Penobscot Bay, as well as
other fishermen from the surrounding area, Tanguay said.

       She also disputed state officials who have touted an LNG project as a
boon to Maine's economy that would create jobs. The Halliburton firm is
building most of the LNG plants that are in the works. The Sears Island
plant, she charged, would likely be built by out-of-state workers.

       Tanguay noted that Halliburton is currently being investigated for
bribery in connection with an LNG plant in Nigeria, which is where the LNG
would likely come from.

       The plant would provide just 50 permanent jobs, she claimed, with no
increase in tourism jobs and the potential for some losses.

       In return, the Sears Island site would become a heavy-use industrial
site, she said, charging that once the plant was built, more related
industries would follow.

       That change would result in a drop in property values along the
surrounding coastline as well as inland from the site, she said. In
addition, the fishing, recreation, tourism and real estate industries would
be changed, Tanguay said, as would the demographics of the county. Any
benefits would be temporary, because the plant will only be viable for 50
years, she said.

       SLNG and other groups are trying to rev up opposition to the plant
before a formal proposal is presented to the state. By raising the alarm,
they hope to drive potential developers away.

       "These companies don't want a big public relations fiasco," she said.
"They'd rather find someplace that's easier to go."

Hi all,

I have received requests from a couple of you about what the
eligibility is for getting on this list.

I am of the opinion that this is not a secret strategy list, but a
list for people around the country dealing with LNG expansion to
learn from each other, and what is going on in other parts of the
country. With luck this may help our individual battles, or bring
together some coalitions.

If real secret strategy needs to happen it should be between specific
people, not on a fairly public list such as this.  Hopefully this
list will introduce you to some new folks, doing similar work, you
might want to strategize with. The golden rule here should be "Don't
give away your secrets, but do give your facts and opinions."

So it is hereby declared that this list is open to anyone who wants
to sign up, and learn/discuss about LNG issues.  I will
monitor/approve the first couple of postings from people to make sure
they are not spammers, and I am merciless in restricting people who
get too far off subject or become inappropriate.

So if you know of others that would like to get these news postings
and discussion feel free to invite them to sign up.

You can either send me their emails and I will invite them, or they
can sign up themselves by sending a blank email to:
LNGsafety-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Let me know if anyone has problems.

Thanks

Carl Weimer
SAFE Bellingham





>What are the requirements to get on this list?  I have about 20 names of
>people who might be interested.