The Chesapeake Energy gas Observation and learning center sits on 2.5 acres of the Grapevine Mills Mall in Grapevine, Texas.
The learning center was designed to give the public a chance to see into a live drilling site and to inform and educate the public about drilling practices.
There is a QR code located on the property for users to interact and learn more about the drilling process.
Natural-gas processing is a complex industrial process designed to clean raw natural gas by separating impurities and various non-methane hydrocarbons and fluids to produce what is known as pipeline quality dry natural gas.
Natural-gas processing plants purify raw natural gas by removing common contaminants such as water, carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Some of the substances which contaminate natural gas have economic value and are further processed or sold. A fully operational plant delivers pipeline-quality dry natural gas that can be used as fuel by residential, commercial and industrial consumers.
In order to fully get an understanding of the processes involved, we should quickly review over the various types of wells, or pits containing natural gas and oil in the Earth’s crust
Crude oil wells—Raw natural gas that comes from crude oil wells is called associated gas. This gas can exist separate from the crude oil in the underground formation, or dissolved in the crude oil. Condensate produced from oil wells is often referred to as lease condensate.
Dry gas wells—These wells typically produce only raw natural gas that contains no hydrocarbon liquids. Such gas is called non-associated gas. Condensate from dry gas is extracted at gas processing plants and is often called plant condensate.
Condensate wells—These wells produce raw natural gas along with natural gas liquid. Such gas is also called associated gas and often referred to as wet gas
Getting natural gas out of the Earth isn’t easy. A natural gas well isn’t at all like a water well. Natural gas tends to be contained within the underground bedrock itself. The rock must be broken to release the gas. And if it’s brought out the wrong way, it will contaminate the groundwater supply surrounding it. To get the most gas possible, after drilling a hole, energy companies line the hole with materials meant to keep the gas in. Next, they send electric charges down the well, which affect the rock around it. After the charges are set off, a highly-pressurized liquid solution is sent down the well. This solution breaks up the rocks, releasing the natural gas. The gas is lighter than the solution which allows it to rise for collection.
In order to assist in detecting leaks, an odorizer is added to the otherwise colorless and almost odorless gas used by consumers. The odor has been compared to the smell of rotten eggs, due to the added tert-Butylthiol (t-butyl mercaptan). Sometimes a related compound, thiophane, may be used in the mixture. Situations in which an odorant that is added to natural gas can be detected by analytical instrumentation, but cannot be properly detected by an observer with a normal sense of smell, have occurred in the natural gas industry.
To claim this Earthcache, Please answer the following questions Via Email do not include answers in your log:
1.)In your own words, define pipeline quality dry natural gas.
2.)What is the industry term for the breaking up of the rocks that releases the natural gas?
3.)From your own observation, can you smell any natural gas at the coordinates, Please explain why you can or cannot smell natural gas?