Gaseous nitrogen possesses suitable chemical properties that make it suitable for pipeline drying, including its inert, non-reactive nature, which makes it very stable. Nitrogen gas will displace oxygen, water vapor, and other impurities that can erode the pipelines or alter the quality of their contents.

The nitrogen purging process typically involves feeding nitrogen gas into a selected pipeline at one end. The propulsive force and chemical nature of the gaseous nitrogen are sufficient to push residual water and impurities through the pipeline’s length and expel them through an exit port at the other end. 

The drying process is deemed complete when a difference of at least 10°F between the feed gas dewpoint and outlet gas dewpoint is obtained.