The most common product transported by gas pipelines is natural gas. Nat- ural gas may be produced as a separate material, during exploration and pro- duction operations, or it may be a byproduct as a result of crude oil production operations. The handling of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) parallels the process previously outlined for crude oil pipelines. Sim- ply, the natural gas is collected through small gathering lines and moved to gas processing plants, where the product is processed and impurities re- moved.
Transmission pipelines ranging up to 48-inches in diameter move the nat-
ural gas from production and processing facilities to the distribution network. The natural gas distribution network ultimately delivers the product to res-
idential and industrial consumers, and consists of distribution mains and smaller distribution service lines. Gas pipeline operations and natural gas will be the focus of Chapter 5.
Figure 3.6 Natural Gas is the most common product transported by pipeline in the U.S.