Energy Supply - Natural Gas - Pipeline Transportation
How natural gas is transported
From the wellhead, natural gas can be moved thousands of miles through large-diameter "transmission" pipelines. Once a supplier's gas reaches a local utility's system, it passes through "city gate stations" that meter the gas and inject a strong odorant, called mercaptan. The odorant gives natural gas, for safety reasons, its familiar rotten-egg smell. City gate stations also reduce the pressure of gas as it leaves the larger transmission pipeline and enters smaller utility-owned gas mains.
Deep underground deposits of natural gas (1) are brought to the surface by wellhead pumps (2). After the gas is processed and purified, it travels along interstate pipelines (3). Compressor stations (4) are located every 50 to 60 miles to maintain gas pressure. Natural gas often is stored in large underground reservoirs (5) to help meet spikes in demand. Gas eventually reaches a city gate station (6), where it is metered and delivered to customers through a distribution network (7) of local gas mains, small-diameter service lines and, ultimately, customer meters.
Pipeline maps
To view maps of transmission pipelines, follow these links: