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In order to serve you better, please select your Dominion Energy location services.

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Sulfur Content

Much of the sulfur contained in the gas consists of compounds that naturally occur in the gas. Common sulfur compounds that may be found in the gas supply are Tetrahydrothiophene (THT), Tertiary Butyl Mercaptan (TBM), Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS), and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S).

These compounds are harmless at low levels but can cause customer complaints due to excessive gas odor, or in the case of Hydrogen Sulfide, become dangerous at very high levels.

We continuously monitor the gas stream for specific sulfur compounds at several points on its system as part of its program to ensure that the gas is properly odorized and that sulfur levels are within established limits.

Environmental Comparisons

Comparison of typical fossil-fuel-emissions levels
(pounds per billion Btu of energy input)

Emission Component Natural Gas Oil Coal
Carbon Dioxide 117,000 164,000 208,000
Carbon Monoxide 40 33 208
Nitrogen Oxide 92 448 457
Sulfur Dioxide 1 1,122 2,591
Particulates 7 84 2,744
Mercury 0.000 0.007 0.016


Typical emissions levels for natural gas-fired generating plants
(pounds per megawatt-hour)

Plant Configuration Carbon Dioxide Carbon Monoxide Nitrogen Oxides Sulfur Oxides Particulate Matter Mercury
Combined-cycle 760 0.26 0.60 0.01 0.05 0.00000
Simple-cycle 1,140 0.39 0.90 0.01 0.07 0.00000


Typical emissions levels for coal and fuel-oil-fired generating plants
(pounds per megawatt-hour)

Plant Configuration Carbon Dioxide Carbon Monoxide Nitrogen Oxides Sulfur Oxides Particulate Matte Mercury 
Coal-fired/steam 2,028 2.03 4.45 25.26 26.75 0.00016
Oil-fired/ steam 1,600 0.32 4.37 10.93 0.82 0.00007


Comparison of emissions for auto engines
(pounds per million Btu)

Fuel Type Carbon Dioxide Carbon Monoxide Nitrogen Oxides Total Hydrocarbons Particulate Matter
Natural Gas 119.6 0.409 0.082 0.193  
Gasoline 160.7 1.125 0.095 0.061  


Comparison of emissions for heavy-duty truck engines
(pounds per million Btu)

Fuel Type Carbon Dioxide Carbon Monoxide Nitrogen Oxides Total Hydrocarbons Particulate Matter
Natural Gas 125.6 0.004 0.844 0.893 0.001
Diesel 166.7 0.078 1.443 0.045 0.025

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