Natural Gas Term of the Week: Compressor Station

What it means: Locations along an interstate pipeline at which large (thousands of horsepower) natural gas powered engines increase the pressure of the natural gas stream flowing through the station by compression.

See it in action: Compressor stations are an integral part of the natural gas delivery system, providing the energy necessary to keep gas molecules moving at their typical speed of 10-20 miles per hour from the production field to a home or business, a trip that can be over 1,000 miles long. The NWGA has four members operating interstate pipelines in the region: Ruby Pipeline, Spectra Energy Corporation, TransCanada Pipelines and Williams NW Pipeline. Each of our pipeline members rely on compressor stations at varying intervals of approximately 40-100 miles depending on terrain, pipeline size and operating pressure.

A Natural Gas Term of the Week is posted each Monday, check back weekly to boost your natural gas IQ.  Follow the NWGA on Twitter @Ben_at_NWGA

Author: Ben
Published: July 23, 2012
Last Updated: July 23, 2012