Several recent threads have stated that one of the causes of the recent heating oil shortage in the northeast was that, when temperatures fell below 20 degrees, utilities could no longer supply natural gas to their large customers, and those customers had to switch to oil (and/or perhaps that the natural gas utilities themselves had to switch to oil). Certainly home use of natural gas continues at 20 degrees and below. So what gives? Apologies if this has already been asked.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), January 26, 2000

Answers

Thi is just a guess so take it for what it is worth:

With all the new construction, the demand for natural gas increases as temperature drops. There is a finite amount of nat gas that can be pushed thru a given pipe. If the demand exceeds supply alternatives must be added to satisfy demand.

recall the winter of '77-78 when natgas was rationed and offices were closed due to shortfalls. Business and industry were closed but home heating was not jeopardized.

For sun cycle followers 77-78 + 22 = 99-00. Maybe history repeats itself???

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), January 26, 2000.

My husband works for a large plant here in the upper Midwest. Can't/won't give the name. His plant usually burns natural gas. They prefer to whenever possible. Cleaner burning, easier on the equipemnt, etc. When they need to switch to oil (#6), it can be a bit of a problem at first. But they can and do switch either because they're pissed at the gas company or the gas company has cut them off. The workers are trained to make the switch as rapidly as possible. The company knows that they will burn oil at times and is prepared. They store at least half a million gallons of #6, usually they have one million gallons plus on hand. They have huge tanks, tank cars sitting on their railroad sidings, plus tank cars stashed anywhere they can find some where to park them. The company also has purchased oil and options for oil that they can have delivered. Basically they can run full time on oil for at LEAST three months with the oil already sitting at the plant.

I rather doubt that large companies can be blamed for the shortages. If they need oil to run, they've got it on hand. Because of their stockpiles, they tend to wait out any shortages with the accompanying higher prices. Companies smaller than the one my husband works for also stockpile oil. While they don't have as much on hand, they don't need as much. Some individual companies may not have had full stocks for some reason such as a shortage of money or the oil buyer gambling that oil prices would drop. But over all, industry keeps fuel on hand. Mousie

-- Mousie (mousie@mymousehole.com), January 26, 2000.

Probably has to do with Bournes' Law (I think that was the name). basically temperature affects volume of a gas and this might be a problem with the flow pressures through the pipelines.swag.

-- jim (jim@jim.com), January 26, 2000.

It's Boyles Law , but , you have to bring in Charles Law to deal with temperature . I recall it's formula was:

Pressure(1 x Volume(1) x Temperature(1) =

Pressure(2) x Volume(2)x Temperature(2) . THEREFORE , when the gas leaves the source at say 68 degrees and hits a pipeline at eight degrees , volume will stay the same , BUT Pressure will DROP (i.e. the flow, will slow ) . As most pipelines are underground , it would not be so drastic a change , until it comes out of the ground somewhere and hits that artic blast ! I know . It's clear as mud but hope it helps . Eagle

-- Hal Walker (e999eagle@FREEWWWEB.COM), January 26, 2000.

Actually, that explains something I've noticed since the first week of January. I live in PA and have natural gas for my house. For the first time ever, I noticed that the flame on my range was burning yellow (a sign of inefficient burning). A few hours later, it would return to solid blue (as it should be). The yellow returns fairly frequently and at different intensities each day. If the problem was in my burners (i.e. clogged), then it would not return to blue. I suspected that the pressure of the natural gas (which I believe is minimal anyway) must be varying as it comes into the house. This just provides a potential explanation. Thanks.

-- David Bowerman (dbowerman@blazenet.net), January 26, 2000.