Natural Gas odorization

[Mafuta]

Hi everybody, I have a problem at hand. I have just started working for a new company producing NG for power generation.The problem here is that they dont odorize the gas, and planning to hook up more customers d/s. Doesn't this pose a hazard? Is it acceptable? Please share your experience, I had a talk to some big men here and seem to have no plan to odorize the gas in future.

 

[Unotec]

Boom!! However, you might be able to get away with LEL monitors. Odour is good for outdoors, where monitors probably wouldn't work

<<A good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend
will be sitting beside you saying ” Damn that was fun!” - Unknown>>

 

[vzeos]

Tanzanian,
This thread may have some useful information:
thread124-120260

 

[dcasto]

You don't say what kind of customers. If the gas is to be used in industrial equipment like generators or boilers, then odorization is not required. Gas detection is at the risk of the users then.

If the gas is to be used to heat water, rooms, or cooking, then you should, or shall I say; are required to odorize if in the US.

 

[Mafuta]

Thanks folks for your valuable contributions.Unotec remarks were the same thing clicked in my head when I saw the situation.It's currently used for power generation but in the near future will be for industrial as well..boilers, cement kilns etc. "Gas detection is at risk of the users"!-Dcasto. This is interesting, the place I worked before the Gas was odorized but was for power generation and industrial use, no domestic thing! unnecessary cost?

 

[JLSeagull]

Neither the cost for the odorant nor the injection mechanism is prohibitive. Within most refineries and chemical plants I doubt that any fuel gas is odorized although it often has an odor. I don't think that propane for refrigeration is not odorized. However these areas are designed with explosion-proof electrical fittings. Normally both operators and technicians are well aware of the fluid issues. This may not the case within the wider industrial market place such as a power plant and definitely not the case for the public.

 

[dcasto]

When we load out refrigerant grade propane it is not odorized. The DOT shipping papers label it as refrigerant grade and the box that certifies it is odorized is not checked.

You can get a "wick" type odorizer for small loads. We use them when we send gas into buildings in our plants. Very "cost effective".

If the gas is used in your plants and not "shipped out or sold" you run into an issue if you DO odorize it. If the odorizer quits and there is an accident, big trouble. If you have no odorizer and people are trained to recognize this and there is an accident, then slighly smaller big problem. Its like fire extinguishers, they are not always required, but if you have one and it doesn't work, the issues are multipled 10 fold.

 

[Mafuta]

I appreciate for your inputs, you have increased my understanding about the whole issue of odorizing the gas.Thanks.