The Travels of Natural Gas Answers

Group One:

Processing plant—A place where natural gas is treated to remove impurities.

Transmission pipes—A network of large steel pipes that carries natural gas from processing plants to utilities.

Compressor station—A station that pressurizes (“squeezes”) the natural gas as it flows through the transmission pipes so that the volume is reduced and it can flow faster.

Group Two:

Storage tanks—Holding tanks at gas distribution companies that store extra gas that has been brought up from the ground but is not yet needed by individual utilities.

Utility—A company that delivers natural gas to homes and businesses.

Distribution main—Small pipes originating at the gas utility that run below the street to the service line.

Group Three:

Service line—A narrow pipeline leading from the distribution main to a house.

Gas meter—A device for measuring the amount of gas used in the home.

Gas line—A pipe leading from a house’s gas meter to the individual appliances within.

Group Four:

Pressure regulator—A device that reduces the pressure of the gas traveling along a service line just before entering a house’s gas meter.

Valve—A movable part that controls the flow of a liquid or gas through a pipe or other channel.

Pilot light—A small flame or spark used to ignite gas at a burner. Most new appliances have electric pilots; older appliances have a small permanent flame.