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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Homestead] Gas explosions
  • Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:05:44 -0700


On Jan 14, 2009, at 12:40 PM, Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:

We have so much natural gas that
there are stories of wells exploding from natural gas and an electrical
spark from the pump.

Have many Irish there? Such stories are blarney. Pumps are not enclosed in buildings, which is where conditions for explosion are most common. Natural gas does not burn (explode is just real fast burn) unless it and oxygen are at certain levels. From my Pacific Gas & Electric days I vaguely recall the number being about fourteen percent, either way.

I used to put on a fun show for my fellow workers and spectators when our crew would be out fixing a bad leak where the gas was blowing hard. I would casually take a deep drag on my ciggie and then, with the ciggie end glowing brightly, wave my arm over the gas. The sidewalk supers would fade back. Not to fear. The pressure disallows ignition.





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