Over the last four winters, winter storms Uri , Elliott , and most recently, Heather interrupted weekly U.S. natural gas production by more than 15 billion cubic feet per day , according to daily estimates from S&P Global Commodity Insights. These declines were the largest interruptions to U.S. natural gas production during the past four years.
Other production interruptions are involuntary. Freeze-offs can occur when water or hydrates in the natural gas stream freeze at a lower temperature or pressure, which creates blockages and disrupts the flow of natural gas from a well or through a natural gas transportation system.
Freezing temperatures cause power outages that prevent natural gas equipment from functioning properlyProducers often attempt to prevent freeze-offs within the natural gas stream by injecting methanol or other chemicals into the natural gas stream to lower the freezing point of the water in the stream, reducing ice blockages.
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