14th April 2009

LIQUEFIED
NATURAL GAS
(LNG)
An Introduction
Presented By: N. MANIKANDAN

Contents
I. LNG OVERVIEW
II. TECHNIPS LNG CAPABILITY
III. LNG MANUFACTURING PROCESS
IV. LIQUEFACTION TECHNOLOGIES
V. CRITICAL EQUIPMENT
VI. LNG REGASIFICATION

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

LNG OVERVIEW
LNG is Natural Gas reduced to liquid state by cooling it to 162C
LNG is colorless, odorless, non-toxic and the gaseous form is lighter
than air
Natural gas required to manufacture LNG from gas reservoirs often
offshore
Gas produced from two different kinds of reservoirs, each requiring a
different processing technique.
Gas reservoirs produced at High Pressure
Oil reservoirs oil-gas dispersion/mixed phase or oil reservoir
gas caps; relatively lower pressure
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

LNG OVERVIEW
Methane (CH4 )

LIQUID AT 1 Bar
n-Butane 0.5C

Ethane (C2H6)
Propane (C3H8)

i-Butane 12C

LPG

NATURAL Butane (C4H10)

NGL
HEAVIER FRACTIONS also referred to as:
GAS
ex-well

C5 +
Pentanes Plus

Propane 42C
Ethane 88C
Ethylene 103C
Methane 161C

Natural Gasoline

Oxygen 184C

Condensate

Nitrogen 196C

Non-Hydrocarbons

H2 253C
Helium 269C

H2O, CO2, H2S, N2, Hg, etc.

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

Why should Natural Gas be liquefied?

Liquefaction reduces gas volume by approx. 600 times.

More economical for liquid transport
through ship between countries/continents
through road carriers in land.

For remote gas fields (especially offshore) pipeline transportation

of gas is expensive hence natural gas is liquefied before
transportation

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

WHY WE NEED LNG?

9Growing power demand in the world and forecast
that by 2050 energy needs will double that of today
gas is a cheaper source of fuel.
9Oil companies under pressure to reduce gas flaring
develop strategies for dealing with gas.
9Growing demand for cleaner fuels gas is the
preferred choice for large-scale power plants.
9Reservoir recovery on an average about 60% of
the gas in the reservoir is recoverable, as compared
to 33% of an oil deposit.

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

NG A CLEAN FUEL COMPARED TO DIESEL

Flue gas from Flue gas from
Diesel burning
NG burning
Values in grams/kWH power generation
CO

15.5

NOx

HC

0.5

PM

0.15

0.05

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

How is LNG/NG Measured?

Natural Gas is measured in

Volume units, i.e. cubic feet or cubic meters

Energy Units, i.e. Million BTU or Million kCalories
VOLUME UNITS

Supplies to Power plants measured in Million standard cubic feet/day (MMSCFD)

or Million standard cubic meter/day (MMSCMD).
Resources and reserves calculated in Trillions of standard cubic feet (Tcf).

A Gas field containing 3.65 TCF around 12 MMSCMD gas for 25 years
A rough way of visualizing a trillion cubic feet of gas imagine enough of
product to fill a cube with its sides two miles long
ENERGY VALUES

Amount of energy obtained from the burning unit volume of Natural Gas measured in
British Thermal Unit (BTU) or kCalorie or kJoule.

At sea level, it takes about 75 BTU (19 kCal) to make a cup of tea.
A cubic feet of natural gas gives off about 1050 BTU (depends on quality of
gas) one cubic feet of Natural Gas may make 14 cups of tea
1 BTU = 0.252 kCalories = 1.055 kJoules
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

How is LNG/NG Measured?

1 Ton LNG
~1420 Std. m3 Gas
~51.7 Million BTU
~13 Million kCal
~54.5 Giga Joules

100 MW power plant requires ~ 0.5

MMSCMD Gas(~ 352 Tons/day)
15 MMTPA LNG Plant requires ~ 1 TCF
Natural Gas Per Annum
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

LNG Chain
Upstream

Regasification

Transportation

Treatment and
Liquefaction

Marketing

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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FEATURES OF LNG CHAIN

Gas Wells
Land/Offshore
Raw Gas
Pretreatment

Extracted NGL

Sweet Gas

NG

Liquefaction &
Fractionation

Vaporization

LNG

LNG

Storage

Storage

LNG
Loading

Natural gas
distribution
network

LNG
LNG

Transportation

LNG

Unloading

(Ship/Road tanker)

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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TYPICAL COMPOSITION OF LNG

COMPONENT

COMPOSITION (vol %)

Methane

>85

Ethane

<9.2

Propane

<3.0

Butanes

<2.0

Pentanes

<0.25

Nitrogen

<1.25

Water

<0.5 ppm

Carbon Dioxide

<50ppm

H2S

<3ppm

Mercury

0.01 ppb

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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TECHNIPS
LNG Capability

Technip in the LNG chain

GAS FIELDS

LIQUEFACTION

TERMINALS

Nigeria

Algeria

Freeport

Obite
Amenam

Nigeria

Enagas
Barcelona

Brunei
OPP

Qatar
Qatargas
QGII

Indonesia
Tunu
Peciko

Egypt
Samian Sapphire

NLNG Tr 1+2
NLNG Tr 3
NLNG Tr 4+5
NLNG Tr 6
NLNG Tr 7+8
OK LNG

Gulf LNG

Qatar

Qatargas expansion
QGII
QGIII/IV
Rasgas III

Yemen
Iran
Indonesia

Bontang I

Turnkey solutions for reduced cost marine works

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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Technip and LNG in short

Camel, Algeria, 1964

QGII, Qatar, 2008

We built the first ever LNG Plant, 45 years

ago...
We have been active ever since,
introducing many concepts that are
widely used
Tealarc process abandoned in 1993 in
favour of APCI liquefaction technology
under license
YLNG and OK LNG confirm our position
in the first tier of EPC contractors in LNG
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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Camel, Algeria, 1964

Camel, Algeria , 1964

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

16

Three Mega LNG Projects in Qatar

Qatargas II: construction of 2 of the worlds
largest LNG trains (4 & 5) with a total capacity of
15.6 million tons/year
Qatargas III and IV: construction 2 additional
trains (6 & 7)
Rasgas III: construction 2 trains (6 & 7)

Qatargas II

Saudi
Arabia

Qatar

Technip, in a joint venture,

is building the 6 largest LNG trains in the
world, with a capacity of 7.8 million
tons/year each.

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

17

LNG plants are huge!

Qatargas II View from Flare stack 24th May 2007

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

18

Yemen LNG
Client: Total, Yemen Gas &
partners
Capacity: 2 x 3.35 million
tons/year
Execution: Technip leader of
Yemgas JV

Yemen LNG

Commissioning: 2009

Using its LNG expertise and supported by

its presence in the Middle East, Technip and
its partners are building Yemens first LNG
plant.
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

19

Aerial view of Balhaf plant (Yemen LNG), Oct 2008

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

20

Shtokman LNG (FEED)

Client: Shtokman Development AG
Gazprom 51%
Total 25%
StatoilHydro 24%
Location: Teriberka, near Murmansk
One 7.5 Mt/y LNG train, APCI C3/MCR
One gas export train
FEED by Technip to be completed mid-2009

Shtokman LNG site

Technip is engineering the

LNG and gas plant facilities
for the first phase of
development of the largest
undeveloped gas field in the
world.

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

21

II. LNG MANUFACTURING

PROCESS

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

22

LNG Manufacturing Process

f Receiving gas from wells and manifolds
f Pressure control/reduction
f Inlet gas-condensate-water separation
f Feed gas compression
f Acid gas removal
f Gas Dehydration

Feed gas pretreatment

f Mercury removal
f Liquefaction

LIQUEFACTION FORMS THE HEART OF ANY LNG

MANUFACTURING FACILITY
f End flash
f LNG Storage and loading
f Fractionation of C1, C2, C3, C4 and NGL (i.e. Demethanizer, Deethanizer,
Depropanizer and Debutanizer)
f Condensate/NGL Storage and loading

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

23

LNG PLANT BLOCK DIAGRAM

Non Associated
Natural Gas

Liquefaction Process License

Associated
Gas

Sulphur
Recovery

Field
Facilities

Pipeline
Reception

Acid Gas
Removal

Dehydration

Mercury
Removal

LNG Storage
Loading

Fuel gas

N2 Rejection

NGL
Extraction

Liquefaction

LNG

Refrigeration

LNG Train
Refrigerant Make up
Fractionation

Condensate
Stabilisation

C5+ Gasoline (LPG)

Field condensate
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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III. NG LIQUEFACTION
TECHNOLOGIES

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

25

Available Technologies for Liquefaction

Mixed Refrigerant Cycle (MRC)
Single Mixed Refrigerant
Propane + Mixed Refrigerant
Dual Mixed Refrigerant

Cascade Refrigeration Cycle (CRC)

Simple/pure component cascade
Mixed Fluid Cascade

Expander Cycle (EC)

Nitrogen Cycle (different versions to suit plant capacity)

Technology selection based on Plant Capacity,

type of facility, feed gas composition changes,
trade-off between operating cost versus capital
cost.
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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CYCLE EFFICIENCY COMPARISON

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

27

Main Liquefaction Technologies

Process
C3/MCR

Licensor
APCI

Cycles

Plants in Operation

Exclusive
Contractor
None

1. C3
2. N2, C1, C2, C3

90% market

1. C3
2. C2=
3. C1

Trinidad, Egypt Idku,

Darwin Australia, Eq.
Guinea

Bechtel

Yemen, Nigeria (Bonny &

OK), Brunei, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Australia,
Qatargas, Rasgas, Oman,

CoP LNG
Process

ConocoPhillips

MFCP

Statoil/Linde 1. C2, C3
2. C1, C2, C3
3. N2, C1, C2
1. C3
APCI
2. C1, C2, C3
3. N2
SGSI
1. C2, C3
2. N2, C1, C2, C3

Snohvit (never reached

capacity)

Linde

6 under construction in
Qatar
QG Tr4 s/u 2008
1 under construction
Sakhalin s/u 2008

None

Axens

Pars LNG
(Technip/JGC FEED)

None

AP-X
DMR
Liquefin

1. C2, C3
2. N2, C1, C2, C3

None

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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Types of refrigeration cycles for Liquefaction

f Reverse Rankine Cycles

fUsed in large liquefaction plants

f Mixed Refrigerant Cycles
f Pure Component Cycles
f Hybrid e.g. pure propane cycle and one mixed refrigerant cycle
f Reverse Brayton Cycles

fSmall peak shaving units, LNG carrier boil off gas re-liquefaction
f Nitrogen cycles

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

29

MIXED REFRIGERANT CYCLE (MRC)

Sweet gas pre-cooling done by propane
Liquefaction done by main mixed refrigerant (MR)
Mixture comprises of Nitrogen and hydrocarbons (C1
to C3).
Mixture composition specified such that liquid
refrigerant evaporates over a temperature range
similar to that of liquefaction.
Advantages
9

Simple configuration

Higher thermodynamic efficiency

Fewer items of machinery

Only one or two compressors for refrigerant compression

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

30

TYPICAL NATURAL GAS REFRIGERANT COOLING CURVE

TEMPERATURE

Basic principles for cooling and liquefying the gas using refrigerants
involve matching as closely as possible the cooling & heating curves of
the process gas and refrigerant.

Nat. Gas Cooling curve

Refrigerant Cooling curve

HEAT
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

31

APCI PROPANE PRECOOLED MIXED REFRIGERANT PROCESS (C3/MCR)

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

32

NG Liquefaction with Mixed Refrigerant (C3/MCR)

HP-MR

Temperature (C)

PROPANE

TG

Water or Air

20
TG

Propane Cycle
Dew Pt

-20
-40
-60
-80

B Pt

Liquefaction Refrigerant

-100
-120
-140
-160

3000

2600

2200

1800

1400

1000

600

200

3400

H (kcal/kmole)

-180

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

33

LICENSORS FOCUS
THREE ASPECTS OF LNG PRODUCTION
COMPRESSION REQUIRED FOR REFRIGERATION CYCLES
POWER TO DRIVE REFRIGERATION CYCLES
- EARLIER PLANTS USED STEAM TURBINES
- CURRENT INDUSTRY NORM IS COMBUSTION GAS TURBINES OR
ELECTRIC MOTORS
MAIN CRYOGENIC HEAT EXCHANGER TO CHILL THE INCOMING GAS
- SPIRAL WOUND HEAT EXCHANGER (SWHE) DOMINATED MARKET
- BRAZED ALUMINIUM PLATE-FIN HEAT EXCHANGERS CHALLENGE
DOMINANCE OF SWHE

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34

IV.CRITICAL EQUIPMENT

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

35

CRITICAL EQUIPMENT IN LNG PLANT

CRYOGENIC HEAT EXCHANGERS
LARGE COMPRESSORS CENTRIFUGAL AND/OR AXIAL
LARGE DRIVERS FOR COMPRESSORS (>50MW DRIVERS)
GAS TURBINES OR MOTORS
LARGE COOLERS FOR COMPRESSOR INTERSTAGE (AIR
COOLED OR SEA WATER COOLED)
LARGE UTILITY SYSTEMS
LARGE CRYOGENIC STORAGE TANKS

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

36

Types of Heat Exchangers for Liquefaction

(Main Cryogenic Heat Exchangers MCHE)

fSpiral wound Heat Exchangers

(SWHE)
9Cylindrical tall tower, packed with spiral wound
bundle of narrow tubes.
9Transportation constraint limit the size max size
4.5m dia x 30m tall, as a single piece.
9Flexible to operate
9Proprietary item less competition

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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Air Products Main Cryogenic Heat Exchanger

APCI documents
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

38

REFRIGERATION COMPRESSORS
Propane pre-cooling
Centrifugal compressor
Side-streams at 3 or 4 pressure levels
Typically 50 MW
Gas Turbine plus Starter/Helper Motor

Mixed refrigerant liquefaction and sub-cooling

Large volumetric flows
Two casing arrangements (LP and HP)
Axial LP / centrifugal HP compressor (45 48 bar)
Typically 80 MW Gas Turbine (e.g. Frame 7) plus Starter/Helper Motor
LP compressor - axial or centrifugal
HP centrifugal compressor

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

39

Centrifugal Compressors

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

40

PROPANE COMPRESSOR (CENTRIFUGAL)

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

41

Gas Turbines - General Electric

Frame 9

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

42

Heat rejection air and water cooling

Liquefaction plants reject a large amount of heat to the surroundings to

provide cooling for the refrigeration compressor systems

Water cooling

Air cooling

Typical cooling water requirement

about 70,000m3/h
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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Typical Utilities for LNG Production

fElectric power
typical power requirement about 300 MWe for 5 MMTPA LNG plant

using all motor driven refrigeration compressors,.

Depending on Train Capacity each Refrigeration Compressor in MRC
consumes 50 to 75MW power (turbine or motor driven)

fHot water/Hot oil as heating medium in

fractionation section, glycol regeneration, solvent recovery in acid gas

removal unit.
Hot water generated by heat recovery from gas turbine exhaust
Typical process demand of thermal energy from hot water is about
100MWth for a 5 MMTPA LNG plant.

Nitrogen high purity (99.9%) used in refrigerant make-up

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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LNG STORAGE TANKS

Capacity: 30,000 m3 ~200,000 m3
Typically about 44 to 80m dia and 22 to 36m Height
Types of Storage Tanks
Above-ground
Conventional single wall tank with Dike
Double containment tank (steel roof)
Full containment tank (concrete roof + steel )

Under-ground
The UG tanks are of continuous membrane walls, sidewalls and Basement
slabs and Roof.
Design Pressure: 290 ~ 310 mbarg / -5 ~ -10 mbarg, Design Temperature: 166C to 170C.

Storage Tank Protection (Vacuum & Relief Devices)

Pressure relief valve: Set Pr 260 mbarg to flare

Pressure relief valve: Set Pr 280 mbarg to Atm
Vacuum relief valve: Set Pr -5 mbarg In breath N2

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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LNG STORAGE FACILITY Contd.

Storage Tank Selection

Criteria

Location
Environmental considerations
Operational conditions
Safety and economic efficiency

Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

46

Full containment tank

TANK DESIGN PRESSURE

15 to 300 mbarg
CARBON STEEL VAPOUR BARRIER

GLASSWOOL

Filling, Emptying, Instrumentation,

ALL PENETRATIONS THROUGH THE CONCRETE DOME
9% Ni STEEL
INNER TANK

REINFORCED
CONCRETE ROOF

NG
POST-TENSIONED
CONCRETE SHELL

PERLITE

SUSPENDED DECK

RESILIENT
BLANKET

Liquid Gas at 160C

9% Ni THERMAL
CORNER PROTECTION
HEATING SYSTEM

CONCRETE
SLAB

9% Ni SECONDARY BOTTOM

CELLULAR GLASS
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION
The MOC of major/critical Equipment in Pre-cooling and liquefaction units:

Aluminum and SS for MCHE

Refrigeration Compressors 3.5Ni/13Cr
LNG Expanders SS
Endflash unit SS vessels and SS pumps
SS-316 for columns/vessels
The MOC of major/critical Equipment in LNG storage:

Storage tank 9% Ni Steel

LNG Pumps: Aluminum Alloy (Casting & Impeller)

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LNG IMPORT FACILITY

Unloading Jetty
Liquid Unloading Arms & Vapour Return Arms
Liquid Unloading & Vapour return pipelines
LNG Storage tanks
Boil-off Gas (BOG) Compressor
LNG pumps (LP and HP Pumps)
LNG Vaporizers
Metering Systems for gas distribution/send-out
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LNG REGASIFICATION
LIQUID PRODUCT VAPORIZED/REGASIFIED BEFORE
TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION BY PIPELINE
PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION FROM LIQUID STATE
TO GASEOUS STATE REQUIRES HEAT INPUT INTO
THE LNG
THE VAPORIZATION EQUIPMENT ACCOMPLISHES
HEAT TRANSFER IN A SAFE, EFFICIENT MANNER.
WIDELY USED VAPORIZATION EQUIPMENT
OPEN RACK VAPORIZER
SUBMERGED COMBUSTION VAPORIZER

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LNG REGASIFICATION BLOCK FLOW

DIAGRAM

VAP
LNG

VAPOUR
RETURN
ARM

BOG COMPR
EXPORT GAS
METERING

BOG
RECONDENSER

UNLOADING
ARMS

LNG VAPORISER *
LNG BOOSTER
PUMP
STORAGE
TANK
M

TO GAS
DISTRIBUTION
PIPELINE

IN TANK
PUMPS

SEA WATER
INTAKE

SEA WATER
DISCHARGE
Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

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151 to 105C
0 150 mbarg
0 19000 Nm3/h
(NET BOG)

BOG Compressor

30 to 0C
3 6 Barg

FSRU PROCESS
SCHEMATIC

TO VENT MAST

Recondenser

Vapour Return
Arm
Hybrid
Arm

160.5C
6 - 7 Barg

LNG Storage Tanks

(MOSS Spheres)
4 x 34250 m3

Metering

Intermediate Fluid
Vaporiser

LNG
Unloading
Arms

Natural Gas
0C; 84 Barg
14.7 MMSCMD
5.37 BCM/Yr

155C
87 Barg

157C
2 Barg
12,000 m3/h

M
145 to
150C
3 6 Barg

Sea water from power plant

turbine condenser
Sea water
return
PROPANE
DRUM

To 32
Subsea Pipeline
(via turret,
PLEM)

HP Send Out Pump

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LNG Vaporizers
LNG re-gasified in vaporizing units by heating,
through heat exchange with seawater or by
burning gas.
Open-Rack type LNG Vaporizer (ORV) uses sea
water as the heat source.
Submerged Combustion Vaporizer (SCV) uses NG
as the heat source
SCV used when ORV is under maintenance or for
peak shaving.
Multiple ORVs and only one SCV are used.
SCV capacity is generally 15 to 25% of ORV
capacity.
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Open-Rack Vaporizer
ORV composed of panel-shaped heat transfer tubes
made of aluminum alloy.
LNG flows upward inside the finned heat transfer tubes,
sea water flows down along the outer surfaces of the
tubes.
Performance Improvement and reduction of sea water
flow rate for conventional ORVs are limited due to ice
formation on the outer surface of heat transfer tubes.
Approx. sea water
evaporated at 5C T

requirement:

32

m3/ton

LNG

To protect the ORV against corrosion by seawater, an

aluminum-zinc alloy is thermal-sprayed on the panels and
upper and lower headers exposed to seawater.

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Open-Rack Vaporizer

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Liquefied Natural Gas - An Introduction

56

Submerged Combustion Vaporizer

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Distribution Facility
Gas Distribution by Pipeline

Power Plants
Petrochemical/Fertilizer Plants
Heavy/Light Industries (Steel/Automobile)
City Domestic Consumption
Liquid Distribution by Road Tanker

Small Consumers
Remote Housing Facility
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SUCCESS OF AN LNG PLANT DEPENDS ON

STRONG THERMODYNAMIC
FUNDAMENTALS
SOUND ENGINEERING
PRACTICES
WELL DEFINED EVALUATION
CRITERIA
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Thank you
for
your attention

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