Posted on: 12. 31. 23
Natural gas liquids (NGLs) like propane, butane, and ethane are essential commodities used for heating, cooking, and feedstocks for plastics and chemicals. However, NGL storage facilities can pose significant risks if filled beyond safe capacity levels. In this blog post, we’ll examine the dangers of overfilled NGL storage and why regulating storage levels is critical.
Why NGL Storage Levels Matter
NGLs are stored in large underground caverns carved out of salt domes or depleted oil and gas reservoirs.
These storage facilities help meet variable demand by building inventories during periods of low demand and drawing down supplies when demand spikes.
Storage operators aim to maximize inventory volumes to boost revenue. However, overfilling NGL storage caverns can lead to dangerous conditions and environmental hazards. Understanding safe fill limits and avoiding overfill is vital for protecting communities near storage facilities.
Dangers of Exceeding Maximum Inventory Levels
NGL storage caverns have a maximum safe inventory capacity based on its geological characteristics and construction. Exceeding this capacity can compromise cavern integrity and lead to leaks, collapses, or catastrophic failures.
Cavern Instability and Collapse
Filling a cavern beyond its safe volume can cause instability. The immense pressures exerted on cavern walls from overfilled inventories can cause rock shifts, collapse, or buckling. Sudden cavern failure results in rapid inventory releases, vaporization, explosions, and fires capable of significant destruction.
### Loss of Containment and NGL Releases
Overfilling storage caverns also increases the risk of seal failures around access wells or weaknesses developing in cavern walls from excessive pressure. This can lead to leaks of NGLs outside the storage cavern – a dangerous event called loss of containment.
Released NGLs can mix with air and explode with devastating force. Liquid leaks also vaporize rapidly, creating a flammable vapor cloud. Toxic fumes can asphyxiate people and animals if released near populated areas.
Environmental Impact
NGL leaks not only endanger people but also cause severe environmental damage. Released NGLs contaminate groundwater aquifers and drinking water wells near storage facilities. Vaporized NGLs also increase volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, contributing to smog. Liquid NGL spills on land kill vegetation and seep into the soil.
Overfilling storage caverns risks public safety and requires costly environmental cleanup efforts. Wise fill-level policies are essential.
Regulating Fill Levels
Preventing dangerous overfill conditions requires regulations on storage cavern inventory volumes. Well-designed regulations can balance market needs for NGL supply availability with the geological realities of safe storage.
Establishing Maximum Fill Levels
Gas facility and cavern managers must conduct rigorous cavern modeling and geomechanical assessments to determine maximum safe inventory capacity. This maximum fill limit forms the overfill threshold that should never be exceeded. Regulators must codify these limits and require facilities to have systems detecting overfill conditions.
Inventory Monitoring and Reporting
Once safe thresholds are established, real-time monitoring of inventory levels and reporting to regulators is essential. Storage operators must track volumes pumped in and withdrawn each day and forecast changes anticipated from market activities. Monitoring and transparent reporting ensure oversight on fill levels.
Experience Responsible NGL Storage With Pro-Gas Services, LLC
NGLs provide essential energy, but their storage comes with risks if cavern capacity is exceeded. Protecting the health and the environment requires regulatory policies keeping inventory levels from entering dangerous overfill conditions.
At Pro-Gas Services, LLC, we provide facilities and storage caverns with reliable NGL storage equipment. Trust our team of natural gas industry experts to help your facility make the best NGL storage choices in the new year.
Contact us today to learn more about our product availability and the services we provide to natural gas production facilities nationwide.
