Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Parkdota on February 4, 2011 at 15:26

150.....wow, that's a big number.  I wonder how much daily natgas use that might be?

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Permalink Reply by Stevew on February 4, 2011 at 19:23

Was there or is there a coal plant planned for Texarkana (outside of it?)  Seems like I heard about one in AK, south of Texarkana???

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Max on February 6, 2011 at 6:43

The last I heard AEP-SWEPCO has a coal unit going up in SW Arkansas.  They had a problem with air permits and the construction is running behind.

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Permalink Reply by CypressKnees on February 5, 2011 at 6:34

1. Here's a dumb question: Is coal oil same as "heating oil" ?

2. Why has natural gas not supplanted  "heating oil" ?

Thanks-

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Permalink Reply by Max on February 6, 2011 at 6:52

 

 

Heating oil is very similar to diesel fuel, and both are classified as distillates. It consists of a mixture of petroleum-derived hydrocarbons in the 14- to 20-carbon atom range. That is, heating oil's chemical formula is usually either C₁₄H₃₀, C₁₅H₃₂, C₁₆H₃₄, C₁₇H₃₆, C₁₈H₃₈, C₁₉H₄₀, or C₂₀H₄₂. During oil distillation, it condenses at between 250 and 350 °C (482 and 662 °F). Heating oil condenses at a lower temperature than the heavy (C20+) hydrocarbons such as petroleum jelly, bitumen, candle wax, and lubricating oil, which condense between 340–400 °C (644–752 °F). But it condenses at a higher temperature than kerosene, which condenses between 160–250 °C (320–482 °F).

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Permalink Reply by Max on February 6, 2011 at 6:54

 

 

Coal oil is a term once used for a specific shale oil used for illuminating purposes, but from the late 19th century to the present it generally refers to kerosene or lamp oil.^{[citation needed]} Coal oil is obtained from the destructive distillation of cannel coal, mineral wax, and bituminous shale, while kerosene is obtained by the distillation of petroleum. A special type of coal known as cannel coal (classified also as terrestrial type of oil shale) is required to produce it.^{[citation needed]}

Coal oil was first produced in 1850 by James Young on the Union Canal in Scotland. He was the first to patent the process of distilling this cannel coal into kerosene. This industry thrived in Scotland creating much wealth for Young.

It consists mainly of several hydrocarbons of the alkane series, having from 10 to 16 carbon atoms in each molecule, and having a higher boiling point (175–325°C) than gasoline or the petroleum ethers, and a lower boiling point than the oils. Early belief that kerosene was produced from coal led to kerosene being popularly referred to as "coal oil".^[1][2][3]

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Permalink Reply by Max on February 6, 2011 at 7:06

CypressKnees,

 

If a home or business has a heating oil system to provide heat, they would have to purchase a new unit that is designed to use NG to switch over.

 

Any type of heating unit is expensive and not economical to replace until the existing unit is worn out.  NG would have to be available in the area to switch over, so a decision to switch would have to include the fuel being available.

Max

 

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Permalink Reply by drilltheshale on February 7, 2011 at 6:41

Remember that areas in which businesses and residences predominantly use heating oil for heating could also receive electricity generated by natural gas.

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Permalink Reply by essay on February 7, 2011 at 7:33

I think I read it's something like 80% of the heating oil use is concentrated in the New England area, which indeed has close proximity to the Marcellus.

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