Summary and Final Tasks - Hidden

Key Learning Points: Lesson 4

1. Natural gas travels through several stages from “wellhead-to-burnertip.”
2. Wells must be connected to pipelines and/or processing plants.
3. The raw wellhead natural gas must be purified and heavy hydrocarbons must be removed.
4. Processing plants produce needed natural gas liquids (NGLs) such as: ethane, propane, butane, iso-butane, and natural gasolines.
5. Transmission pipelines are large-diameter pipes that carry gas from the producing areas to the market areas.
6. Storage facilities provide extra supply in times of high demand and a place to store excess gas in times of low demand.
7. End-users can vary from utilities to houses to commercial and industrial facilities.

All pipelines are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has rules for how they conduct business. The services that pipelines provide and the rates they charge must be posted on their websites. These requirements came about after years of heavy regulation, which eventually led to de-regulation of the industry and a more competitive environment. Lesson 5 will trace the history of this development.

Reminder - Complete all of the Lesson 4 tasks!

You have reached the end of Lesson 4. Double-check the list of requirements on the first page of this lesson to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed there before beginning the next lesson. (To access the next lesson, use the link in the "Course Outline" menu at left.