The scope of this manual is to provide the reference informationnecessary for gas system operators to assess, monitor, and managevariables that define the gas quality management plan. Thisincludes:
understanding the fundamental constituents and properties ofnatural gas
understanding the basis of historical pipeline receipt andmarket area delivery data
understanding pipeline and delivery system design and marketarea end-use requirements, including specific limitations atpotentially sensitive points within the pipeline system
understanding the gas constituents of concern and resultingproperties and parameters, potential effects on delivery and enduse
conducting the ongoing data collection and retention necessaryto define gas quality for a system
managing gas quality changes
The gas supply picture in the United States is evolving to meetprojected current and long-term demand. As a result, stakeholdersacross the value chain must understand that gas compositions changeas new supplies are introduced to the pipeline system. It is thischange that drives the industry to understand and define theacceptable ranges of variability without compromisingtransportation and end-use reliability and safety. In summary, thismanual provides the gas operator with a practical set of guidelinesand information necessary for developing a gas quality managementplan and recognizes that what is in the pipe is as important asthe pipe itself.