General

Natural gas is the cleanest of all fossil fuels. Plentiful supply, competitive cost, and versatility continue to support an upward trend in the consumption of natural gas on a worldwide scale. In addition to its traditional industrial and residential uses, natural gas has made inroads as a motor fuel for fleet and private vehicles, and as a supply for gas-fired cogeneration power plants and for use in fuel cells.

Increasingly, gas fields are being discovered in the remotest regions of the world. Gas transportation and distribution to and within the industrial and/or populated areas where it is needed is a significant factor in its development as an energy resource. Over long distances, gas can be transported by pipelines or in liquid form in ships. For local distribution, the gas can be delivered through piping distribution networks or in trucks in liquid form.

This chapter addresses the transport and distribution of gas by pipelines and piping systems. Throughout the chapter, reference will be made to Section B31.8 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code for Pressure Piping, Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems. This is for convenience only as it is beyond the scope of this endeavor to reference, cross-reference, or compare the many excellent codes and standards that have been developed and that are in use in other countries.

Definitions

Section B31.8 of the ASME Code for Pressure Piping, Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems,...