Moving region’s abundant natural gas theme of conference
The ABCs of distributing CNG and LNG energized the opening of a Southpointe energy conference.
“The growth rates in natural gas have been pretty amazing. But we need growth in infrastructure to allow companies to supply it,” said Jeremy Zeman, commercial development manager of the pipeline firm Williams Co.
Pipelines, virtual pipelines and midstream operations were the early focuses of the Penn State Natural Gas Utilization Conference, a two-day event that kicked off Tuesday morning.
Natural gas is plentiful in Marcellus and Utica shales, speakers told an audience of about 100 at the Hilton Garden Inn.
“We’ve seen a significant increase of natural gas use in homes, industry and power generation,” said Anthony Cox, director of midstream development for UGI Energy Services.
Getting this gas to market, however, can be a challenge. There are numerous pipelines, and some being constructed, yet there aren’t enough to handle the quantity of available gas or satisfy the demand for it.
“There’s a lot of gas that is not in the marketplace. We’re seeing a lot of recognition of that and increased opportunities,” said Tom Murphy, co-director of Penn State’s Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research, a sponsor of the fourth annual conference.
Natural gas can be transported in two forms: compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas. CNG is, well, compressed. LNG is cooled to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit, compressed to about 1/600th of its original size and is clear, colorless and nontoxic. Transporting it as a liquid over medium or long distances is cost-efficient.
“It’s one of the safest fuels in the world over the past 60 years,” said David Kailbourne, chief executive officer of REVLNG, headquartered in Ulysses in central Pennsylvania.
Both are environmentally friendly, and can be moved via pipeline, tanker truck, train or ship. Those latter three are an integral part of what is considered a “virtual pipeline.”
Dante Bonquist, senior corporate fellow at Praxair Inc., defined virtual pipeline as “a supply chain that moves gas or liquid commodity from a source to point of use.”
He said there are constraints on the construction of actual pipelines, noting that they are expensive and take time to build, and that “permitting is difficult.”
The two-day event will resume at 8 a.m. today and conclude about 1 p.m. Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan will facilitate a conversation with U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, at noon, followed by the keynote speaker, former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, at 12:30.