Gas volume to Liquid Volume 1

[gasoperations]

Is there any conversion factor for converting Gas volume in SCF to equivalent liquid volume for volumetic accounting purpose.

I come up with 1MMSCF = 170 Barrel of liquid based on eqivalent enery of gas and liquid form. Is this factor correct for carrying out volumetic balance for a process.

 

[dcasto]

yes there is. In GPA 2145 there are conversion factors. go here for purchasing the standard.

http://gpaglobal.org/doclib/

Typically, a 1 gallon of a hydrocarbon will expand to 17 to 37 cubic feet, depending on the components. With ethane being on the 37 and diesel on the 17 cubic feet range. methane has 59 cubic feet per gallon, so pure methane

1,000,000 / 59 /42 is 403 bbls.

BUT, your conversion appears to be on an energy basis. A barrel of crude can be assumed to have 5.8 MMBTU/bbl. Natural gas can be assumed to have 1000 BTU/cubic foot. 1,000,000 * 1000 / 5,800,000 is 172.4 bbls. Assuming that your gas is 1000 BTU per cubic foot and a barrel has 5,800,000 BTU.

so do you want energy equivalent or volume equivalent?

 

[zdas04]

The EIA standard is Energy. The SEC standard is Energy. I'd be really surprised if he was looking for volume. Your conversions should be a big help (the question comes up several times a year, maybe you should put the answer in an FAQ in Heat Transfer or Pipelines?)

David

 

[gasoperations]

Thanks decasto

Actually I am looking for volumetric balance of a Gas Process Plant ( Incommimg fluid equal to outgoing fraction . The fuel gas used is in gas form. Hence the need to convert the same in liquid volume at std condition.

Instead of mass balance for the Process, volume balace approach ( converted to std volume) is being used by us

 

[zdas04]

Since Volume at STP always has the same density for a given gas composition, it works kind of like mass for that gas composition. I can add a volume of natural gas at elevated pressure to a volume of the same gas at reduced pressure by converting both to STP, but I can't then add in a volume of Propane at STP and get a meaningful answer. I have to convert both products into either mass units or energy units to add them.

Doing a plant material balance in Volume units is not a good idea. The only way to do it is to convert each stream to mass units (or energy units if you want to ignore inerts)and then add mass to mass.

David

 

[dcasto]

gasoperations,

I teach such accounting practices at OSU extension. I always perform both a gas volumetric (MCF) and an Energy Balance on gas plants. This allows you to see if you have a metering problem or a sampling problem and you can find out immeadiately any measurement or loss issues.

the GPA 2145 has all the conversion factors for converting gas to liquids volumes and visa-versa. It also has the energy conversion for liquids to BTU's and gas to BTU's. GPA 2172 is a complete set of standards for applying the factors.

 

[JLSeagull]

Techstreet.com sells the GPA standards above at USD $65 each. Lacking a GPA user ID I could not see the price via GPAglobal.