Gas

That state of matter which has neither independent shape nor volume. Gas expands to fill
the entire container in which it is held. Gas is one of the three forms of matter: solid, liquid
and gas. See typef of gas below:
Associated
Free natural gas in immediate contact, but not in solution, with crude oil in the
reservoir. Also called "gas cap gas."
Casinghead
Unprocessed natural gas produced from a reservoir containing oil; natural gas
produced with oil from oil wells. Sometimes called "Braden- head gas," "oil well
gas," "wet gas," or "solution gas."
Coal
Manufactured gas made by distillation or carbonization of coal in a closed coal gas
retort, coke oven or other vessel.
Coal Bed
Gas found in or released from coal deposits.
Company-used
Natural gas consumed by a gas distribution or gas transmission company or the gas
department of a combination utility, e.g., fuel for compressor stations, etc.
Compressed
Natural Gas used in vehicles and in other applications not related to a pipeline.
Conventional
Gas produced under present-day technology at a cost not greater than the current
market value.
Cushion
The natural gas required in a gas storage reservoir to maintain a pressure sufficient
to permit recovery of stored gas. Also called BASE GAS.
Deep
Natural gas found at depths greater than the average for a particular area; for
NGPA purposes deep gas was natural gas found at depths of more than 15,000
feet, and was not price-regulated.
Deregulated
Natural gas no longer subject to sales and/or price regulation, pursuant to the NGA,
NGPA and NGWDA.
Dissolved
Natural gas in solution in crude oil in the reservoir.
Dry
Natural gas whose water content has been reduced by a dehydration process. Also
natural gas containing little or no hydrocarbons commercially recoverable as liquid
product.
Fuel or Fuel Use
Natural gas used by a pipeline as fuel for its compressors to operate its system
(typically retained by the pipeline to meet this operating requirement).
Liquefied Natural (LNG)
Natural gas that has been super cooled under pressure to - 259 F. It remains a
liquid at -116 F and 673 psia. LNG occupies 1/600 of the space occupied in the
vapor state at standard conditions and is almost pure methane.

Liquefied (or Liquid) Petroleum (LPG)

Hydrocarbons that are gases at normal temperatures and pressures but that readily
turn into liquids under moderate pressure at normal temperatures; e.g., propane
and butane.
Marketable (Merchantable)
Raw natural gas from which impurities have been removed so that the natural gas
meets the quality specifications of the pipeline transmission facility that will receive
it for transportation to market. Also called PIPELINE QUALITY GAS.
Must-Take
Natural gas supplies committed to a purchaser under terms such as drainage
protection or reservoir protection clauses or other provisions that absolutely
obligate a purchaser to take natural gas from a supplier.
Native
Natural gas in place in a producing reservoir when the reservoir is converted into a
natural gas storage reservoir.
Natural
A naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon gases (mainly
methane, CH4) found in porous geologic formations beneath the earth's surface,
often in association with petroleum.
Non-Associated
Free natural gas not in contact with, or dissolved in, crude oil in the reservoir.
Oil
A gas resulting from the thermal decomposition of petroleum oils, composed mainly
of volatile hydrocarbons and hydrogen.
Pipeline Quality
See GAS, MARKETABLE and GAS, RESIDUE.
Raw
Unprocessed or partially processed natural gas. See also GAS, WET.
Regulated
Natural gas subject to sales and/or price regulation pursuant to the NGPA.
Residue
That portion of the natural gas stream which remains after the extraction of ethane
and heavier liquid and liquefiable hydrocarbons, impurities and less fuel, incidental
losses, by-passed natural gas and natural gas reserved by a seller under a gas
purchase agreement.
Shut-In
Natural gas that could be produced, but the production of which is curtailed due to
state conservation orders (pro-rationing), unfavorable economics, lack of buyers at
existing prices, failure of committed buyers to take natural gas or other reasons
that result in natural gas not being produced.
Solution
See GAS, CASINGHEAD.
Sour
Natural gas which in its natural state contains such amounts of compounds of sulfur
as to make it impractical to use, without purifying, because of the corrosive effect
of the sulfur compounds on piping and equipment.
Sweet
Natural gas which in its natural state contains such small amounts of compounds of
sulfur that it can be transported or used without purifying with no deleterious effect
on piping and equipment.

Synthetic Natural
Methane obtained from sources other than naturally occurring reservoirs of natural
gas, such as by heating coal, refining heavier hydrocarbons or processing garbage
or other organic materials. Gases other than natural gas or liquid or solid
hydrocarbons converted to a gaseous fuel of heat content, compatibility and quality
equivalent in performance to that of natural gas.
Tight Sands
Natural gas contained in rock with low permeability, requiring enhanced and
expensive production techniques. Under the NGPA, natural gas from designated
tight sands formations qualified for incentive sales prices.
Unaccounted-For
The difference between the amount of natural gas delivered to a pipeline for
transportation and that redelivered by the pipeline, taking into account fuel, plant
shrinkage and imbalances. Differences include leakage or other actual losses,
discrepancies due to meter inaccuracies, variations of temperature and/or pressure
and other variants, particularly billing lag. Pipelines typically levy a charge of a
portion of each shipper's natural gas to cover losses.
Unconventional
Natural gas which must be produced by means other than current technologies.
Vehicular Natural (VNG)
Natural gas used as fuel to power passenger and freight vehicles.
Wet
Unprocessed natural gas or partially processed natural gas, produced from strata
containing condensable hydrocarbons and liquid hydrocarbons in solution.
Gas-Flow
A set of standard record formats supporting the electronic data interchange of files,
established by a joint Task Force of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
(INGAA), the Council of Petroleum Accountants Society (COPAS) and the American Gas
Association (AGA).
Gas Inventory Charge (GIC)
A charge paid by a buyer to its supplier for holding natural gas supplies ready to be
delivered to the buyer.
Gas-Reserves
Natural gas in natural underground formation in wells, fields or pools.
Gas Transported for Others
Natural gas owned by another company received into and transported through any part of a
pipeline transmission system under a transportation agreement.
Gasification
Any of various processes by which coal is turned into natural gas.
Gas Turbine Plant
A plant in which the prime mover is a gas turbine. A gas turbine typically consists of an
axial-flow compressor which feeds compressed air into one or more combustion chambers
where liquid or gaseous fuel is burned. The resulting hot gases are expanded through the

turbine, causing it to rotate. The rotating turbine shaft drives the compressors as well as the
generator, producing electricity.
Gathering Line
Network-like pipeline that transports natural gas from individual wellheads to a compressor
station, treating or processing plant or main trunk transmission line. Gathering lines are
generally relatively short in length, operate at a relatively low pressure, and are small in
diameter.
Gathering Station
A compressor station at which natural gas is gathered from wells by suction because
wellhead pressure is not sufficient to produce the desired rate of flow into a transmission or
distribution system.
Generating Unit
Any combination of physically connected generator(s), reactor(s), boiler(s), combustion
turbine(s) or other prime mover(s) operated together to produce electric power.