Natural-gas processing

Natural gas processing is like sorting candy. Natural gas is like a bag of different colored candies, but we only want the red candies (methane) because they're the tastiest and the easiest to use. So, we use special machines called processing plants to separate the red candies from the other colors.

First, we remove any big candies, like dirt or rocks, that might be in the bag. We do this in a machine called a scrubber. Then, we remove any water or ice that might be in the bag. We do this in a machine called a dehydrator.

Next, we remove the candies that are too small or too light to be useful. We do this in a machine called a separator, which uses special filters to only let the red candies through.

Finally, we clean up any leftover candies that might be sticking together, and we put the red candies into a new bag so people can use them. This new bag of red candies is called "pipeline-quality natural gas."

And just like how you share your candy with your friends, pipeline-quality natural gas can be shared with lots of people through pipelines that go all across the country.