Publication Rights Reserved
This paper is to be presented at the SPE Regional Meeting in Liberal, Kansas, November 18–19, 1965, and is considered the property of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Permission to publish is hereby restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words, with no illustrations, unless the paper is specifically released to the press by the Editor of the Journal of Petroleum Technology or the Executive Secretary. Such abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in Journal of Petroleum Technology or Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal is granted on request, providing proper credit is given that publication and the original presentation of the paper.
Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company has long been aware of the advantages of being able to remotely control the flow of natural gas from various fields to meet sudden demand changes in our marketing areas. Transmission systems are designed and constructed to provide the required volume of gas demanded at any time, regardless of the weather or sudden changes therein, even though the peak domestic and industrial loads may occasionally be many times the average load. In order to meet peak demands the system makes use of its auxiliary facilities, such as storage fields that during the periods of slack demand have been filled with gas. High transmission line pressures also help to fulfill the peak demands, resulting from the high degree of compressibility of the gas itself. A sudden change in the weather in the marketing areas is not the only reason for a sudden need for additional gas volumes. The temporary loss of a compressor unit or a section of the pipeline can result in the sudden demand for more gas from another area. Unfortunately, the additional amounts of gas that can be obtained from these aforementioned facilities is limited and additional gas must be obtained from the producing areas if the peak demand persists. Under present operations when a gas well has to be turned on or shut-in, this must be done manually by a fieldman.
