Hydraulic Equipment Oil Tanks

Energy is a contentious industry right now. What with the loan guarantees, oil spills, controversial pipelines, political strife, and natural disasters, it can be a daunting sector to follow. This article is meant to serve as the first building block in a series that introduces the wonderful world of natural gas to Fools looking to diversify their portfolios with some colorless, odorless gold.

The primary component of natural gas is methane. It accounts for anywhere from 70% to 90% of natural gas coming out of wells. Secondary components include ethane, propane, butane (20%), and much smaller amounts of carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. Trace amounts of cool gases like xenon and neon are found sometimes as well. By the time the gas gets to your house it is almost all methane; the other components get separated off and sold for use in other products like tanks for backyard grills and lights for bar windows.

The primary component of natural gas is methane. It accounts for anywhere from 70% to 90% of natural gas coming out of wells. Secondary components include ethane, propane, butane (20%), and much smaller amounts of carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. Trace amounts of cool gases like xenon and neon are found sometimes as well. By the time the gas gets to your house it is almost all methane; the other components get separated off and sold for use in other products like tanks for backyard grills and lights for bar windows.  When a well produces gas that is almost completely methane, the product is called dry gas. Wet gas implies a mix of methane and the other gases, which may appear in liquid form. They are often referred to as natural gas liquids or NGL.

Of course, one unit is never enough; we need another unit to express how much energy is generated from the stuff. For this we use the British Thermal Unit, or Btu.

Natural Gas 101 - Motley Fool

Integrated Production Services, a Houston-based oil field services contractor, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Muskogee, Okla., to violating the Clean Water Act by negligently spilling 400 to 700 gallons of hydrochloric acid -- used in "fracking" of wells -- into a creek in eastern Oklahoma in 2007.

IPS agreed to pay a $140,000 fine and make a $22,000 payment to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation for ecological studies and remediation of Boggy Creek in Atoka County, according to federal officials.

IPS will also serve two years' probation, perform an environmental compliance program at a cost of $38,000, and train employees in hazardous-waste handling and spill-response procedures.

IPS was working at a natural gas well site on May 24, 2007, when a tank leaked corrosive hydrochloric acid onto the bermed surface of the well site, which was already flooded after heavy rainfall. Rather than properly removing the acid-polluted rainwater, IPS supervisor Gabriel Henson drove a company truck through the earthen berm, discharging the rainwater and the acid into Dry Creek, a tributary of Boggy Creek, the statement said.

Houston-based firm pleads guilty over Oklahoma acid spill in 2007 - Fort Worth Star Telegram

Following a summer-long marathon of painstaking rule-making to craft the state's first-of-its-kind rules to govern Idaho gas and oil exploration, the public finally got its chance last night to weigh in on the all-important document. But things didn't get off to a good start.

Citizens milled about outside of the Idaho Statehouse in the dark looking for some way to get inside the building where the hearing was scheduled. Unfortunately, the Capitol Building was locked up tight. Not until a lone security guard showed up did a side door finally open. After some apologies, the hearing got underway to examine the 43 pages of proposed rules.

The hearing was noticeable for who wasn't in the room as much as who was. While attendees included oil and gas industry representatives, conservationists, and at least one elected official, no one from Bridge Resources was in the room. Bridge, the financially troubled company which has been the face of natural gas exploration in Idaho since it begin drilling in Payette County a year and a half ago, was engaged throughout the rule-making sessions this past summer. But its top three executives resigned from the company on Sept. 20, leaving many to speculate on Bridge's future. This morning, the company's stock was trading just above two cents per share on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Mike Larkin of the Adams County community of Cambridge made the trip to Boise to voice his concern about short-term or long-term open pits for fluids.

Public Weighs in on Idaho Gas and Oil Rules - Boise Weekly

Maritime New Zealand says hydraulic oil has spilt from a large cargo ship which has struck a reef near the Tauranga Harbour this morning, however the vessel's fuel tanks are still intact.

Two of its cargo holds are flooded, and pumps are being used to extract the water. "As a precautionary measure, fuel in tanks on the port side is being transferred to the starboard side," Maritime New Zealand said in a statement.

Ship salvage to 'take some time' - New Zealand Herald

WELLINGTON: The oil spilling from the cargo ship Rena in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty is at its lowest density in days, but experts warn it is likely to get worse due to bad weather.

The weather also is likely to slow plans to pump 1700 tonnes of oil off the ship, which ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga on Wednesday.

Heavy rain and gusty winds are forecast to hit the area today The bad weather is likely to spread the reach of the spill, the Maritime New Zealand on-scene commander, Rob Service, said.

He said it was difficult to predict where it would travel, but it was likely to reach beaches south of Mount Maunganui and Papamoa by Wednesday.

Fears gusty winds may worsen NZ oil spill - Sydney Morning Herald