Regular readers of this
blog may recall that about two and a half years ago I read several books about
utility depreciation.
This was part of my preparation for a new job at the time. I recently changed
jobs, and that is starting a new round of reading.
A book that came highly
recommended by my new supervisor is Contents
Under Pressure by Sylvia F.
Munson. In this book, Munson describes the business
processes and operations of natural gas
pipelines.
This book provides a
very straightforward description of the process. It is complicated. Munson does
not avoid the complexity, but neither does she get bogged down in trying to
describe every situation that may arise.
Readers of this book can
gain an understanding of how the business of a natural gas pipeline is set up.
It shows how the industry and regulators have solved a lot of practical
problems. How does a customer of a pipeline (shipper) tell the pipeline how
much gas it wants to transport (nomination)? How does the pipeline figure out
how to balance the gas available and wanted and how to move it (scheduling)?
How does the pipeline reconcile what was schedules with what actually happens
(allocation) because gas moving in a pipe is a complex thing? Munson describes
these processes and the regulations and standards that govern them.
Munson does not try to
be excessively comprehensive. Anyone who works doing this type of work for a
pipeline or shipper will need to become familiar with a lot of rules, standards
and company-specific procedures. However, Contents
Under Pressure is a place to get started. It is also a book that shows the
process from beginning to end so one can see how one step leads to the next.
The book has several
short segments that are contributed by other authors. These contributors have
experience in the energy industry and most are connected to the North
American Energy Standards Board through positions of leadership or
committee service.
If you’re interested in
this book, you may also be interested in
Munson, Sylvia F. Contents Under Pressure: The Complete
Handbook of Natural Gas Transportation. Houston, TX:
Farris
Ventures.
