Here are some words about the natural gas industry that you might find interesting. We put them into sentences for you, but you can try to write some of your own.
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- 800-4GAS
- If there is an emergency, you can call NGC at 800-4GAS, or 800-4427.
a
- Accident free
- Having no accidents.
- Air-conditioning
- Machines used to keep buildings cool Natural gas can be used in air-conditioning systems.
- Aluminium
- A strong, light metal. Your mummy wraps your sandwiches in aluminium foil.
- Ammonia
- A chemical made from natural gas. Ammonia is used to fertilise plants. It is also used in cleaning liquids, like the one you use in the kitchen.
- Arc-eye
- Damage to the eye that can be caused by some very bright lights. This is why you must never look at welding operations.
- Associated gas
- Gas that is found in the same place as oil is called wet gas or associated gas.
- Atoms
- Very small particles of matter.
b
- Butane
- Butane is one of the gases in the natural gas stream. It is used in cigarette lighters.
c
- Call first
- Call first before you dig near an NGC pipeline marker!
- Carbon dioxide
- Carbon dioxide is one of the gases found in natural gas. The bubbles in your soft drink are made by carbon dioxide.
- Caution tape
- NGC buries caution tape above its pipelines to let you know to stop digging when you see it. The tape is yellow. The word CAUTION is printed on it in black.
- Compression
- Natural gas is pumped into the pipeline. This is called compression. This means that a of of gas is squeezed into a small space, to make it go faster through the pipelines.
- Condensate
- Small drops of liquid natural gas is called condensate. It is removed from the pipeline and sold.
- Construction
- Building or creating. Always be careful when pipelines are under construction near you.
- Consumers
- A consumer is a company that uses natural gas. NGC sells natural gas to over 100 consumers.
- Cooling
- Making temperatures lower, so you feel more comfortable. Some large buildings use natural gas in their air-conditioning or cooling systems.
- Corrosion
- Rusting. NGC takes care to avoid corrosion or rust, which can cause pipelines to crack or burst.
- Cracking
- Different gases are separated from the gas stream by a process called cracking.
- Crude oil
- Crude oil is the state in which oil is found before it is processed.
- Cubic feet
- Natural gas is measured in cubic feet. This is a unit of volume. A cubic foot of natural gas fits in a space that’s one foot wide by one foot long by one foot deep. This is about the size of a football.
d
- Development
- Growing or advancing. NGC contributes to the development of Trinidad and Tobago by supplying gas for electricity generation and to many factories and other consumers.
- Digging
- Digging near a natural gas pipeline can be dangerous, because the pipeline might get damaged. If you see anyone digging near a pipeline Right of Way, without NGC personnel present, call NGC on 800-4GAS.
- Distribution
- Small pipelines that leave the larger transmission pipelines and go to consumers are called distribution lines.
- Drilling
- To use a machine to dig deep into soil and rock. In Trinidad and Tobago, drilling is done for both oil and gas.
e
- Economical
- Bringing good value compared to the amount of money you spend. Natural gas is the most economical fossil fuel. This means you can get more heat from burning natural gas than you can from other fossil fuels like oil or coal.
- Efficient
- Getting the best result with the least effort or waste. Natural gas is a cheap and efficient fuel. It burns cleanly and leaves very little waste behind.
- Emergency number
- This is the number you call when you need help. Write down NGC’s emergency number (800-4427) and keep it nearby.
- Encroachment
- Taking up someone else’s space. Planting crops or building houses on NGC’s Right of Way (the area where the pipes are run), is called encroachment, and it’s both unsafe and illegal.
- Energy
- The strength needed to do things. All living things and machines need energy in order to function. We also need energy to make machines work.
- Environmentally responsible
- Causing the least harm to the environment. Natural gas is an environmentally responsible form of energy. It doesn’t leave much waste behind, and doesn’t create as much greenhouse gases as other fuels do.
- Ethane
- Ethane is one of the gases found in the natural gas stream. It is used to make ethylene, a raw ingredient in making plastic.
- Ethylene
- A raw ingredient in making plastic.
- Evacuate
- To leave a dangerous area quickly. If there is a serious gas leak in your area, you will be asked to evacuate.
- Expand
- To make larger. NGC is always expanding its pipeline network.
- Exploration
- To find out new things about an area. Exploration often leads to the discovery of more natural gas.
- Export
- To ship goods overseas.
f
- Feedstock
- A raw ingredient. Natural gas is a feedstock in making ammonia, urea and methanol.
- Fertiliser
- Ammonia and urea are both fertilisers, and are made from natural gas. Fertilisers make plants grow.
- Field worker
- People who work out in the open air. NGC field workers wear orange coveralls with the NGC logo.
- Fields
- Areas where oil or gas are found in abundance are called fields.
- Flammable
- Can catch fire easily. Natural gas is flammable.
- Follow the rules
- To do as you are told. If you follow the rules of natural gas safety, you and your community will be safe.
- Fossil fuel
- Fossil fuels, like natural gas, oil and coal, were formed millions of years ago by the remains of dead plants and animals.
- Fuel
- Fuels contain energy to make things go.
g
- Gas field
- An area where natural gas is found underground. Many gas fields in Trinidad are named after trees, flowers and animals.
- Gas resources
- The gas that is in the ground, waiting to be removed. NGC helps ensure that the natural gas resources of T&T are best used to the benefit of all citizens.
- Gasolene
- Natural gasolene is a liquid fuel found in the gas stream. It is removed and sold to refineries like Petrotrin.
- Generate electricity
- To create electricity using machines. Natural gas is used to generate electricity.
- Greenhouse gas
- Greenhouse gases are released when many fossil fuels are burned They can harm the ozone layer. Natural gas releases less greenhouse gases than the other fossil fuels like oil or coal, and thus does much less harm to the environment.
h
- Heating
- In cold countries, natural gas is used for heating buildings.
- Hotline
- A hotline is an emergency telephone number. NGC’s hotline 800-4GAS (800-4427) is operated 24 hours a day.
- Hydrocarbon
- Natural gas and oil are called hydrocarbons because they are made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms.
i
- Industrial site
- An industrial site is an area set aside for large factories. Point Lisas is the largest industrial site in the country.
- Industry
- Getting together to offer services or make goods for sale. NGC has contributed a lot to local industry by selling gas that is used to make many products.
- Invisible
- Difficult or impossible to see. Natural gas is invisible, like air.
- Iron
- A common metal that is used in making many goods. Natural gas is used to heat the furnaces when making iron and steel.
- Iron ore
- Iron ore is a raw ingredient in making iron.
l
- Landslides
- Slipping of the land due to heavy rains or earthquakes. Landslides can cause pipeline ruptures.
- Leak
- An accidental hole that allows liquid or gas to escape. If you see bubbles in puddles of water where a gas pipeline is buried, that may mean there is a leak.
- Liquefied Natural Gas
- Natural gas that is converted to a liquid by freezing and storing in pressurised containers. It is also called LNG.
- Low cost energy
- Natural gas is a form of low cost energy.
m
- Market development
- Creating new businesses in the country. NGC is responsible for natural gas market development in T&T.
- Methane
- A simple hydrocarbon. Methane is the main component of natural gas.
- Methanol
- Methanol, which is made using natural gas as feedstock or a raw ingredient, is used to make many things, including paint and varnish.
- MMscfd
- MMScfd stands for millions of standard cubic feet per day. This is how natural gas in measured.
n
- Natural gas chain
- A series of stages that take a raw material to the final product. The natural gas chain starts with production from the gas field, to transportation, to use by consumer.
- Natural gas liquids
- Natural gas liquids are liquid hydrocarbons that are found with the gas. They are removed from the pipeline and exported.
- Nitrogen
- Nitrogen is a gas found in the natural gas stream. It is used to make ammonia and urea.
o
- Odourless
- Having no smell. Natural gas is odourless.
- Offshore
- Out at sea, away from the coast. NGC’s offshore compression platforms are called Teak and Poui.
- Orange coveralls
- NGC’s field employees can be identified by their orange coveralls.
p
- Pentane
- Pentane is a very heavy gas found in the natural gas stream.
- Petrochemical
- Chemicals made from fossil fuels like oil and gas. Ammonia, urea and methanol are called petrochemicals.
- Phoenix Park Gas Processors
- Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited removes heavy gases (such as butane, propane and pentane) and liquids from the natural gas stream. They are also called PPGPL.
- Pipelaying
- Welding pipes together and burying them underground.
- Pipeline
- A long hollow pipe through which gases or liquids flow. NGC transports its natural gas through pipelines.
- Pipeline marker post
- A signpost that lets you know where the pipelines run. NGC’s pipeline marker posts are yellow.
- Plastics
- Materials that can be moulded when warm into different shapes. Many plastics are made from natural gas.
- Platform
- A raised horizontal surface. Natural gas is compressed on a platform.
- Polyethylene
- Polyethylene is a type of plastic that can be made from natural gas. It is often used to make plastic bags.
- Polymers
- Polymers are sets of carbon and hydrogen molecules strung together like a chain. They are the “building blocks” from which plastics are made.
- Popular fuel
- A fuel that many people use because of its properties. Natural gas is one of the most popular fuels in the world.
- Poui
- NGC named the Poui platform after this beautiful tree.
- Power generation
- To create electricity using machines. T&T uses natural gas for power generation.
- Pressure
- Force used to push a substance into a smaller space. Natural gas is transported through pipelines under pressure.
- Producers
- Companies that find gas offshore and pump it into pipelines. NGC buys natural gas from producers and sells it to over 100 consumers.
- Production
- Natural gas production has increased over the past few years.
- Propane
- One of the gases found in the natural gas stream. It is often used for cooking.
r
- Reserves
- The amount of natural gas believed to exist underground.
- Reservoirs
- Natural pockets in the rock where gas or oil can be found.
- Right of Way
- The path along which the pipeline runs is called a Right of Way.
- Rotten eggs
- Sometimes, NGC puts a substance in the gas stream that smells like rotten eggs. This is called an odourant, and can help you tell if there’s a leak.
- Rupture
- When a pipeline is burst or damaged, it’s called a rupture.
s
- Safety
- Being free from harm. Your safety is always the most important thing for NGC.
- Security
- Free from theft or interference. NGC is very serious about the security of the pipeline.
- Slug catcher
- A machine used to remove puddles of natural gas liquids (called slugs) from the gas stream.
- Spark
- A tiny flash of light and energy. If there is a gas leak, even a tiny spark from a telephone, match or electrical switch can cause a fire.
- State enterprise
- NGC is a state enterprise. This means it is a business owned by the government.
- Steel
- A form of iron hardened with carbon. Steel is made in furnaces heated using natural gas.
- Subsea
- Beneath the surface of the sea. A pipeline that runs under the sea is called a subsea pipeline.
- Sweet gas
- Natural gas with very little hydrogen sulphide. Most of the gas found in Trinidad and Tobago is sweet gas.
t
- Teak
- One of NGC’s gas compression platforms is named after the strong Teak tree
- Third party damage
- Damage caused by persons other than NGC and their consumers, carrying out unauthorised activity. Most of the damage to NGC’s pipelines is third party damage.
- Transmission
- NGC’s large cross-country pipelines are called transmission lines. Smaller lines that go to consumers are called distribution lines.
u
- Underground
- Beneath the surface of the ground. NGC buries its pipelines as much as 6 feet or 2 metres underground to keep them safe from damage.
- Urea
- Urea is a solid, white, granular fertiliser made with ammonia and carbon dioxide.
v
- Value added
- Taking a raw material and turning it into something that has value. Natural gas can be turned into ammonia, and then used on plants, to grow crops, thus creating something valuable that everyone can use.
- Vehicular fuel
- Fuel that makes cars go. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a cheap vehicular fuel.
- Volume
- The amount of space occupied by a substance. Natural gas is measured in cubic feet, a unit of volume. For further explanation, see “cubic feet” higher up in this list.
w
- Warning
- A message informing of danger. Always pay attention to warning signs, like NGC’s yellow marker posts.
- Welding
- Joining pieces of metal using heat. Never look at welding operations; you might hurt your eyes.
- Wet gas
- Gas that is found in the same place as oil is called wet gas or associated gas.
y
- Yellow tape
- NGC places yellow tape above its pipelines to warn you not to dig any further.