Because cubic feet is a unit of volume and the pound is a unit of mass, converting cubic feet to pounds is not a straightforward computation. For example, a cubic foot of lead will weigh far more than a cubic foot of feathers. Using the density of the object in the equation is the key to translating volume to mass. With a simple calculation, you can convert cubic feet to pounds if you know the density of the object.
What is the definition of a cubic foot of natural gas?
At a certain temperature and pressure, a cubic foot of natural gas is the amount of gas that can be contained in a cube one foot on a side. However, gas is not produced on a large scale “Temperature and pressure are “standard.” The amount of gas that may be held in a one-foot cube is affected by temperature and pressure. The more gas that can be trapped in a cubic foot of space, the higher the pressure. Conversely, when the temperature rises, the amount of gas that can be trapped in a cubic foot of space decreases. As a result, when a gas is measured, it must also be measured in terms of pressure and temperature. The volume of the gas at its current temperature and pressure can then be rectified to indicate the volume of the same gas at a standard temperature and pressure. The volume provided by producers to the Texas Railroad Commission at standard temperature and pressure is also the volume utilized to calculate the price the purchaser will pay for the gas.
When measuring volume, another factor to consider is the amount of water present. When most gas is created, some water vapor is dissolved in it. Water vapor takes up a lot of room. As a result, gas containing a lot of water vapor has less natural gas per unit volume than gas containing no water vapor. “There is no water vapor in “dry gas.” “Water vapor is present in “wet gas.” “The highest amount of water vapor that may be held in a gas without precipitating out as liquid water is called a “saturated gas.” As a result, measured gas volumes must be corrected for the presence of water vapor.
Technically, gas measurement is a well developed science. Gas meters do not directly measure volume. An orifice plate is a plate having a small hole in it through which the gas must travel in a gas meter. The pressure on either side of the orifice is measured by the meter. The volume of gas going through the aperture can be calculated using the pressure differential (the difference in pressure on either side of the orifice).
Gas is sold based on its heating value rather than its volume. British thermal units, or Btu’s, are used to measure the amount of heat in a room. At one atmosphere of pressure, a Btu is the amount of heat necessary to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. The calorie equivalent of a Btu is 251.99 Btu.
We’ll have to go back to high school chemistry for this. Methane makes up the majority of natural gas. CH4 is the chemical formula for methane, a hydrocarbon molecule with one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. However, natural gas may contain ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10), and other hydrocarbons as it is created “hydrocarbons that are “heavier.” For the same amount of volume, heavier hydrocarbons have a higher heating value a higher Btu content.
At standard temperature and pressure (60 degrees Fahrenheit and 14.73 pounds per square inch), one cubic foot of methane gas contains exactly 1,000 Btus. One million Btus, or one MMBtu, is contained in one thousand cubic feet of methane, or 1 mcf. The MMBtu unit of measurement is used to price gas. Gas sold at $5 per MMBtu would be $5 per mcf if it was purely methane.
Natural gas, on the other hand, is frequently a mixture of methane, ethane, propane, and other hydrocarbons, thus its Btu content can easily reach 1,000 Btus per cubic foot. Because natural gas is sold in MMBtu units, it is necessary to determine not just its volume but also its Btu composition. The Btu content of gas is determined by obtaining a sample and analyzing it to identify its hydrocarbon elements. Because the hydrocarbon content of gas from a specific well does not fluctuate significantly over time, this is done once or twice a year for each well. “Natural gas that is “rich” in Btu concentration can have as much as 1,200 Btu per cubic foot or more. Carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other gases may be present in natural gas, lowering its heating value to less than 1,000 Btus per cubic foot.
MMBtus/mcf is the standard unit of measurement for gas Btu content. The Btu content of gas with a Btu content of 1,200 Btu per cubic foot is 1.2 MMBtus/mcf.
The volume of a gas can readily be converted to Btus once the heating value has been determined. If a well produces 100,000 mcf of gas with a heating value of 1,200 Btu per cubi foot, the total MMBtu’s of gas produced is calculated by multiplying mcf by MMBtu’s/mcf: 100,000 X 1.2 = 120,000 MMBtus.
A barrel of oil, for example, has around 5.8 MMBtus (depending on the constituency of the oil). As a result, a barrel of oil is about equivalent to 5.8 mcf of methane in terms of heating value. When firms report production or reserves in “barrels of oil equivalent,” or “boe,” they are converting their gas reserves into oil barrels at a 5.8-to-1 ratio. Methane is now significantly cheaper than oil based on its heating value. Oil would sell for $20.30 per barrel on a Btu-equivalent basis at the present price of natural gas, which is around $3.50 per mcf.
Even though the actual pricing is based on Btus, exploration companies must record their natural gas production in mcf on royalty checks. To determine the price per MMBtu, you must first determine the gas’s Btu content. Some businesses provide this data in their check details. If the information isn’t available, the corporation should supply it if asked. Without knowing the Btu content of the gas being produced, it is impossible to compare pricing between companies and wells.
Is natural gas heavier or lighter than air?
Natural gas is lighter than air, therefore when it is discharged, it quickly dissipates into the atmosphere. When natural gas is burned, it produces a high-temperature blue flame and complete combustion, which results in just water vapor and carbon dioxide. Its heating value per cubic foot is around 1000 BTUs.
Is it true that home gas is heavier than air?
Natural gas is always lighter than air, therefore if it escapes from a burner or a leaking fitting, it will rise in the room. Propane, on the other hand, is heavier than air and will settle in a basement or other low-lying location. When the gas mixture is richer than 10%, incomplete combustion can occur.
What is the weight of a gallon of natural gas?
A US gallon of gas weighs 6.1 pounds, but an Imperial gallon weighs 7.2 pounds, according to the Science and Technology Desk Reference. Here are a few things to bear in mind to get a better picture of how much that is: 1. One gallon of gas weighs less than one gallon of water.
1 cubic foot is how many pounds?
The weight of 150.23 lb is equal to 1 cu ft – ft3, or one cubic foot. It’s the SAME concrete volume number as 1 cubic foot, but in pounds instead of feet.
How do you convert 2 cubic feet of concrete (cu ft – ft3) to pounds (lb)? Is there a formula for calculating this?
Divide the two unit variables first. Then divide the result by two – for instance:
What is the volume of gas in a cubic foot?
“PROPANE” refers to a gaseous paraffin hydrocarbon that turns liquid under pressure or at low temperatures, which is found naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas and can also be created by cracking, in either gaseous or liquid form.
INFORMATION ON COMPRESSED PROPANE (GASEOUS FORM) EQUIVALENCE: At 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 14.73 pounds per square inch (psi),
“NATURAL GAS” refers to naturally occurring mixes of hydrocarbon gases and vapors, primarily methane, in both gaseous and liquid form.
INFORMATION ON NATURAL GAS (GASEOUS FORM) EQUIVALENCE: At 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 14.73 pounds per square inch (psi),
The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit is measured in “British Thermal Units” (Btu).
The amount of gas occupying a cubic foot of space at a pressure of 30 inches of mercury (about 14.7 psi) and a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit is defined as a “cubic foot,” which is a standard unit of gas measurement.
A gallon is a unit of volume that equals 231 cubic inches. It refers to a gallon of liquid natural gas or other liquid fuels at a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit when employed as a standard unit of measure.
To convert liters to gallons, multiply the number of liters by 0.26417 to get the equal quantity in gallons.
When temperature and pressure corrections are required (e.g., when motor vehicle fuels are not tested at 14.73 psi or 60 degrees Fahrenheit), consult the National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook No. 44 (1991).
Is it cheaper to use natural gas to create your own electricity?
Natural gas prices are consistently two to three times lower than electric pricing, even when a range of electric prices is evaluated. In reality, when all costs are factored in, a $0.06 per kilowatt hour (kWh) power bill would have to be $1.77 per therm to be competitive.
What does 1000 cubic feet of natural gas cost?
Natural gas can be priced in dollars per therm, dollars per MMBtu, or dollars per cubic foot in the United States.
1 To translate these costs from one price basis to another, the heat content of natural gas per physical unit (such as Btu per cubic foot) is required. The annual average heat content of natural gas provided to consumers in the United States in 2020 was around 1,037 Btu per cubic foot. As a result, 100 Ccf of natural gas equals 103,700 Btu, or 1.037 therms. A thousand cubic feet (Mcf) of natural gas equals 1.037 million British thermal units (MBtu), or 10.37 therms.
These calculations can be used to convert natural gas prices from one pricing basis to another (assuming a heat content of 1,037 Btu per cubic foot):
Natural gas heat content varies by location and type of natural gas customer, as well as with time. For information on the heat content of the natural gas they supply to their clients, consumers and analysts should contact natural gas distribution firms or natural gas suppliers. Customers’ invoices may include this information from some natural gas distribution providers or utilities.
1 Natural gas was measured in cubic feet by the US Energy Information Administration from 1964 to 1964 at a pressure of 14.65 psia (poundspersquareinchabsolute) at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Since 1965, the pressurebase has been 14.73 psia at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
