As the world tries to make its way to greener energy use, many countries are now using Natural Gas to generate electricity more cleanly than other fossil fuels. According to SoCalGas, 92% of the natural gas is delivered as energy after transmission, which means that only 8% is energy lost.
One of the most integral components of the natural gas transport system is the compressor station. Compressor stations are facilities located along a natural gas pipeline that compresses the gas to a specific pressure allowing it to travel through the pipe to its recipient. Depending on the region, compressor stations are located roughly every 60-100 Km.
When it comes to the natural gas compression industry, there are always a series of obstacles to overcome. One major obstacle is how to balance cost and effectiveness in the overall design, functionality, and operation of your compression equipment.
Although the least expensive package will save money upfront, unwanted costs creep up later thanks to high levels of vibration, valve forces and ultimately, your downtime. Efficient packages will experience less downtime but prose a higher upfront investment. Let's unpack the two, and talk about what matters most during the compressor selection process.