Natural Gas Underground Storage Question

I store natural gas in my underground, but it always leaks out eventually.

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how do they know if there’s a leak?

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You walk around with a lighter and see if anything blows up.



Just kidding. Hydrocarbon monitors detect leaks.

Typically no. Odorant is normally not added until it’s delivered into a distribution system. The caverns are mainly monitored by pressure. Changes to the existing pressure could indicate a possible leak.

TigerCliff and thejudge pretty much gave you the perfect and complete answer. Storage of natural gas is monitored by pressure. Mercaptan (the odorant that everyone recognizes as natural gas) is usually added along the distribution lines. This was generally done at a compressor station by Columbia Gas System companies, and I imagine most other natural gas companies did the same. Natural gas actually does have a natural odor to it, but it's very light and subtle, and tends to be a teensy bit on the sweet side for an aroma. But again, it is such a light aroma that it is essentially unnoticeable to anyone who is not actively and intentionally trying to detect it.

Mercaptans are used more by your LDC's for distributions to homes, etc to detect smell. For gas storage facilities - monitors, lots of monitors to detect the presence among other things.

Here's a simple but interesting Youtube video on the creation of natural gas salt caverns my old boss showed me... Natural Gas Salt Cavern