February 19, 2021 – Forbes
Winterization And The Texas Blackout: Fail To Prepare? Prepare To Fail
By Jim Krane, Robert Idel and Peter Volkmar
..Natural gas is the workhorse of the Texas power grid, producing half of Texas’ power on average. So, gas’ failure in Texas this week was by far the most catastrophic. There was no chance of restoring full power in Texas without restoring the gas network.
Gas fell victim to two problems: frozen pipes and power outages. These were detailed in an explainer by RBN Energy and in a 2013 study by ERCOT. Frozen pipes or “freeze offs” happen when water or natural gas liquids freeze. This can happen anywhere from the wellhead to the separator plant and along gathering, transmission and distribution lines all the way to the power plant at the far end. The diagram below provides some detail on the multiple potential failure points.
The dramatic expansion of shale-directed fracking in Texas has increased the production of liquids-rich “wet” gas that contains freeze-prone gas hydrates. When hydrates freeze, they are tougher to melt than water ice. This is a well-known issue that is directly addressed in northern latitudes, but not in Texas…
Read the full article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/thebakersinstitute/2021/02/19/winterization-and-the-texas-blackout-fail-to-prepare-prepare-to-fail/?sh=765bacd27c83
