All Natural Gas is Not Alike

Natural gas is natural gas, right?  Actually, that’s incorrect.

There is a significant difference between wellhead or ‘raw gas’ that comes directly from a gas producing formation and ‘pipeline gas’ which has been treated to rid itself of impurities and is acceptable for transporting for home or industrial uses.

The major difference is that wellhead gas, in addition to methane, contains other hydrocarbons including ethane, butane, and propane.   On the other hand, gas that has been treated and dehydrated is essentially 100% methane, necessary for normal consumption.

To complicate things a little more, gas characteristics can vary widely from one source or geologic formation to another.  For example, wellhead gas produced in the Bakken shale play in North Dakota can be leaner than gas coming from a well drilled in the Eagle Ford shale formation in south Texas.

If you are planning to lease an engine to run your generator at the wellsite, it is critical to know the constituents of the gas you are going to use for power.  Proper analysis of a wellhead gas sample can help determine the correct BTU output necessary for optimum engine performance.  Depending on the gas constituents, an engine can burn too hot for their design and prematurely destroy engine exhaust valves.

Worldwide Power Products has the experience to adjust engine timing and settings of your generator set to match your gas analysis and is your trusted partner in selecting the right wellhead gas-powered engine for your use.  We minimize your risks and optimize the genset selection with an experienced interpretation of the gas sample.  We get you running properly and keep you running.  That is what sets us apart.

We have put this information and much more into a comprehensive e-book entitled, ‘Running Natural Gas Generators Using Wellhead Gas’.  How to determine the proper operating parameters for your wellhead genset is one of six questions we answer in the publication.

Get your copy now.  Download your complimentary e-book here!

Once you are ready to make your generator selection for use at your well site, we have the inventory, the resources, and the expertise to support your choice.

Best regards,

David Vennie
Vice President, Sales and Engineering
Worldwide Power Products
www.wpowerproducts.com