17 engineering guides for project economics, tariff analysis, and thermodynamics
Pipeline tariff fundamentals: FERC cost-of-service methodology, rate base calculation, WACC determination, revenue requirements, and oil/gas pipeline rate structures.
NPV analysis: net present value calculations, discount rates, cash flow analysis, WACC, and project economics for pipeline investments.
NPV and IRR fundamentals for midstream project economics: discounted cash flow analysis, WACC calculation, MACRS depreciation, and sensitivity analysis.
Pipeline operating costs (OPEX): fuel costs, maintenance, labor, utilities, and life cycle costing for midstream operations.
Payback period analysis: simple payback, discounted payback, NPV, IRR, breakeven analysis, and time value of money for project economics.
Gas vs diesel fuel cost analysis: energy equivalency (~136 scf gas per gallon diesel), engine efficiency comparisons, and economic breakeven for compressors.
Z-Factor (gas compressibility factor) fundamentals: Standing-Katz chart, DAK and Hall-Yarborough correlations, AGA-8, pseudo-critical properties, and sour gas corrections.
Ideal gas law applications: PV=nRT fundamentals, gas constant R, combined gas law, partial pressures, and when ideal gas applies versus real gas.
Gas density calculations: ideal gas law, real gas behavior, compressibility factor Z, and equation of state methods.
Gas velocity calculations: erosional velocity per API RP 14E, sonic velocity limits, Mach number, and pipeline sizing criteria for midstream engineers.
Vapor pressure calculations: Antoine equation, vapor-liquid equilibrium, Reid vapor pressure testing, and practical midstream applications.
Phase envelope diagrams: critical point, cricondentherm, cricondenbar, retrograde condensation, hydrate formation curves, and EOS modeling for natural gas.
API gravity fundamentals: definitions, formulas, VCF temperature corrections, ASTM measurement standards, and practical applications for petroleum engineers.
Atmospheric pressure: barometric pressure measurements, altitude corrections, standard conditions, and pressure unit conversions for pipeline calculations.
Temperature drop: pipeline heat transfer, J-T cooling at pressure reduction, hydrate prediction, overall heat transfer coefficient, and buried pipe calculations.
Heating value fundamentals: combustion chemistry, GPA 2145 physical constants, HHV vs LHV, Wobbe Index, gas quality specifications, and BTU determination.
FERC methodology
Z-factor: Standing-Katz, DAK, Hall-Yarborough, AGA-8
EOS: Peng-Robinson, SRK for natural gas systems