Expectations met by remotely controlled recuperated turbine/compressor sets

Northwest Pipeline Corp., a subsidiary of Northwest Energy Co., is a natural-gas-transmission company with a system which extends from the San Juan basin in NW New Mexico to the Canadian border near Sumas, Washington. Northwest supplies industrial and domestic customers along the pipeline with pipeline-quality gas from major gathering systems in NW Colorado and Wyoming, as well as gas imported from Canada. Pipeline facilities consist of 826 miles of 26-in. mainline, 667 miles of 22-in. mainline, 230 miles of 30-in. mainline, 1367 miles of branch transmission lines, 2249 miles of gathering lines, and 62 compressor stations with a total of 235,797 reciprocating and turbine horsepower. Northwest's first large project as a new company consisted of the addition of 3 new compressor stations to the main pipeline and a single unit addition to an existing compressor station. Factors which were considered in making the final selection were low emission rates, flexibility, and ease of installation.