LNG Process Overview

March 2023 Ahmed Helal 1

 Overview Objectives.

This presentation is designed to create an

overall understanding of the liquefaction
process and and an awareness of the
different processes that are required to
liquefy Natural Gas

March 2023 Ahmed Helal 2

 Topics for Discussion:
1. What LNG means.
2. Why we produce LNG.
3. How we produce LNG.
4. How we store LNG.
5. How we transport LNG.
6. What the customers do with the LNG.
7. The purpose of the Process ‘Support Units’.
8. The purpose of the Service Units

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1. What is LNG ?

The initials LNG are an abbreviation of

Liquefied Natural Gas
LNG is Natural Gas in its liquid state. Just as
water is the liquid state of steam.
Steam that is cooled to 1000C can be
condensed.
Natural Gas can be condensed in exactly the
same way when it is cooled to its boiling point
of - 1620C. (please check the table in
material) 4
 1.1 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
LNG is a clear, 2
3

colourless, odourless, 4
5
6
cryogenic liquid 7
8
9
which has less than 10
11
12
half the density of 13
14
water. 15
16
17

When it is liquefied 18
19
20
the volume of Natural 21
22
23
Gas is reduced by a 24
25
26
factor of 600. 27
28
29
30

5
 1.2 Natural Gas.
Natural Gas is the term used to describe the lightest
members of the Hydrocarbon Family.
The actual composition of Natural Gas varies
depending on its source.
The lightest Hydrocarbons are Methane, Ethane,
Propane and Butane.
Natural Gas can also include small amounts of
heavier Hydrocarbons, together with: Nitrogen,
Carbon Dioxide, Water, Hydrogen Sulphide and
other impurities.

March 2023 Ahmed Helal 6

 2. Why We Produce LNG.
When Natural Gas is found close to the customers it
only has to be cleaned and dried before it is fed to
them through a pipeline distribution system.

When Natural Gas is found far away from the

customers it must be liquefied so that it can be
transported to them cheaply and safely.

The volume reduction (by a factor of 600) achieved

through liquefaction makes it economical to transport
LNG to the customers.
March 2023 Ahmed Helal 7
 3. How We Produce LNG.
Before light Hydrocarbons are liquefied to produce
LNG all components that would solidify at LNG
temperature must be removed.
LNG production involves a number of stages:
A. Acid Gas removal
B. Dehydration
C. Mercury Removal
D. Scrub Section
E. Fractionation
F. Liquefaction
We can regard these Processing Units
as the heart of an LNG Plant.
March 2023 Ahmed Helal 8
 3.1 Typical LNG Plant Overview
TRAIN 1

TRAIN 2
GAS INLET ACID GAS DEHYDRATION MERCURY LIQUEFACTION LNG STORAGE LNG SHIP
& METERING REMOVAL REMOVAL & LOADING
SHIP
VAPOUR
HP LP CO2 RECOVERY
HP End Flash Gas

HP
HP & LP
FUEL GAS LP

HEAT TRANSFER
FLUID SYSTEM CONDENSATE STORAGE
HP Fuel Gas HP & LP
FRACTIONATION & LOADING CONDENSATE
SHIP
Propane
Ethane
HP FUEL GAS INSTRUMENT INERT
& TOOL AIR GAS REFRIGERANT
Reinjection STORAGE
Gas
Boil Off Gas

POTABLE & Ethane

ELECTRICITY DIESEL FUEL OIL PROCESS WATER
GENERATION & DIST.
Propane
COMMON FACILITIES & POWER GENERATION
March 2007 9
3.2 LNG Production.
In addition to Units that process the Natural Gas we can
see from the Plant Overview that there are other Process
Units:
• A Unit for the measurement of gas quantity and quality.
• A Unit for the storage of refrigerant (ethane and propane).
• A Unit for LNG storage
• A Unit for Condensate storage
• A Unit for LNG loading
• A Unit for Condensate loading

These are the Process ‘Support Units’.

10
3.3 LNG Process Units:
We will now look at each
of the LNG Processing
Units in turn.
You need to have an
understanding of each
Processing Unit
Each Unit is like the
piece of a jigsaw puzzle
Only when you put the
pieces together you see
the complete picture
11
A. Acid Gas Removal
The purpose of an Acid Gas Removal Unit is to remove
impurities which would freeze at cryogenic temperature
and block process linework.
The impurities removed in the Acid Gas Unit are mostly
Carbon Dioxide together with some Sulphur.
The acid gases are removed in a Sulfinol Absorber
column by a Sulfinol solvent.
Treated gas passes through the Unit and the solvent is
treated in a Regenerator column to remove absorbed
acid gases.

12
 A.1 Acid Gas Removal ATMOS

TREATED GAS
To Condenser
Dehydation

CW
Reflux
Vessel
Sulfinol Flash Vessel
Absorber

MAKE-UP GAS
TO HP FUEL
GAS
Regenerator Reflux Pump

Reboiler
Feed Gas K.O Regenerator
Vessel Feed Pre-
Heater Hot Oil or
Steam

Sulfinol Charge
HC DRAIN
Pump
FEED GAS FLASH GAS TO Hot
FROM TO Oil
Gas Metering
March 2007 LP FUEL GAS 13Furnace
 A.2 Acid Gas Removal

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B. Dehydration
•The purpose of the Dehydration Unit is to remove water
from the Natural Gas to prevent it turning to ice when cooled
•‘Sweet Gas’ from the Acid Gas Removal Unit is passed
through Molecular Sieve driers which remove water by
adsorption.
•There are normally three gas driers, two of them are in
service at all times with the third drier under Regeneration.
The driers are changed automatically at regular intervals.
•When a drier is taken out of service it is ‘regenerated’ by
passing hot gas through it to drive off water that the sieve has
adsorbed.
15
 B.1 Dehydration
.

Mercury Removal Column and Natural Gas Driers

16
 B.2 Dehydration

Compressor

Knock
out
Drier A Drier B Drier C

K.O pot
AAon
Knock Ads
out
Furnace
orpti
on
HP C3
Propane Water Circ’
Coolers

HHP C3

Mercury
WET FEED WATER MAKE-UP TREATED GAS Removal
GAS From TO WATER TO
Acid Gas Flash Vessel LIQUEFACTION
Filter
Unit VesselVessel

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C. Mercury Removal
Sweet dry gas from
the Dehydration Unit
is passed through a
Mercury Removal
Adsorber to remove
any traces of mercury.
Mercury is harmful to
the aluminium
equipment used in the
Liquefaction process.
18
D. Scrub Section

The purpose of a Scrub section is to remove heavy

hydrocarbons that would freeze out in the
Liquefaction Section of the Plant.
After Mercury removal sweet,dry Natural Gas is
cooled to the point at which the heavier
hydrocarbons condense out.
Heavy’ hydrocarbons are then separated in the
Scrub Section of the Plant and fed to Fractionation
for separation.

19
 METHANE
MAKEUP

BUTANE
RECYCLE
LP PROPANE

D.1 Scrub Section Hydro-

carbon
Scrubber

TO
DEFROST
CONNECTIONS Reflux
Electric HP PROPANE MP PROPANE Pump

Mercury TO Cryogenic
Removal Exchanger

nnnExchang
SCRUB COLUMN erExchanger
BOTTOMS TO
Dehydration FRACTIONATION

Acid Gas
UNIT 1100
HP PROPANE HHP PROPANE Gas Metering
March 2007 20
E. Fractionation
In a Fractionation Unit
heavy hydrocarbons are
separated by distillation.
Methane and Butane are
re-injected to feed.
Ethane and Propane are
transferred to storage for
use as refrigerant.
Hydrocarbon Condensate
is transferred to storage
for shipment.

21
 TO
NGL/LP PROPANE
E.3 Fractionation Unit Overview (1) COOLER

FCO Condenser

MP PROPANE

FCO

ETHANE
MAKEUP TO
MR
Sep[ar

Ethane liquid
De-methaniser Column

De-ethaniser
Column

Ethane pump
TO
NGL/LP PROPANE
COOLER

Reboiler
ETHANE
Reboiler TO/FROM
REFRIG STORAGE

HTF HTF

TO
SCRUB COLUMN
BOTTOMS FROM
Cooler DEPROPANISER
LIQUEFACTION
March 2007 CW 22
 FCO FWW

Propane Butane
CW liquid CW liquid

Butane Reflux
De-propaniser De-butaniser Pump
Column PROPANE Column
TO / FROM
LIQUEFACTION

TO
Butane Re-injection Pump
NGL / LP
C3 COOLER
TO
NGL / LP
C3 COOLER

Reboiler Reboiler

HTF HTF
DE-ETHANISER
BOTTOMS CONDENSATE
TO
Condensate STORAGE
March 2007 TO / FROM CW 23
FWW LP FUEL GAS Cooler
SYSTEM
 F. Liquefaction
Liquefaction of Natural gas is achieved by refrigeration.
Initial cooling of the gas is carried out by heat exchange
with Propane refrigerant at 4 different pressure levels,
which reduces the gas temperature to around minus 320C.
After cooling with Propane the Natural Gas is cooled to
minus 1620C by means of heat exchange against a ‘Mixed
Refrigerant’.
Mixed Refrigerant consists of:
Nitrogen, Methane, Ethane, Propane and Butane.

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F.1 Liquefaction. TO
LNG
STRIPPER

TO
END FLASH GAS
COMPRESSOR

Turbine

Cryogenic FROM LNG

STRIPPER
Exchanger

Mixed
Refrigerant FROM
Separator MR coolers

ETHANE MAKEUP
FROM TO/FROM
SCRUM COLUMN STORAGE
REFLUX DRUM

ETHANE MAKEUP
FROM TO/FROM
FRACTIONATION
SCRUB COLUMN
REFLUX PUMPS

TO LP MR
NGL'S FROM SUCTION DRUM
FRACTIONATION
March 2007 25
F.2 Refrigeration.
Refrigeration in the Plant follows the same principles as a
domestic refrigerator:
Cold liquid refrigerant is vaporised in an evaporator which, because it is
colder than its surroundings, draws in heat.
The cool vapour is drawn off by a compressor which raises the pressure
and temperature of the vapour and passes it to a condenser.
In the condenser the vapour is condensed by heat exchange with a
refrigerant.
The high pressure liquid then passes through an expansion valve to the
low pressure side of the circuit where it is cooled and partially vaporised
by ‘flashing’.
The vapour/liquid mixture then passes to the evaporator to complete the
circuit.

26
F.3 Refrigeration Principles.

March 2007 27
 F.4 Refrigeration in the Plant.
Propane
Refrigerant is
used for the
initial cooling
of Natural Gas
to -300C

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 F.5 Refrigeration in the Plant.

Mixed Refrigerant
is used to achieve
the Natural Gas
Liquefaction
temperature of
-1620C

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 F.6 A Propane Refrigerant Circuit.
PROPANE
MAKEUP

CW CW

Cooler Cooler
SC Propane Compressor

HHP
LP K.O MP K.O HP K.O K.O Re-
cycle

Propane
Accumulator

CW

HP FUEL GAS
FROM
V - 4411 TO
LP FUEL GAS
SYSTEM
SYSTEM

30
 F.7 A Mixed Refrigerant Cycle.
TO
HP MR
SEPARATOR

LP PROPANE MP PROPANE HP PROPANE HHP PROPANE

ASC ASC ASC

CW CW
FROM
MAIN HEAT
EXCHANGER

CW

PROPANE MAKEUP

METHANE MAKEUP

SC LP MR HP MR M
NITROGEN MAKEUP
Turbine

ETHANE MAKEUP HP FUEL GAS

31
 4. How We Store LNG.
LNG remains as a liquid only if it
can be kept at a temperature of
minus 162 degrees.
The LNG storage tanks, each of
which has a capacity of 120,000m3
have very heavy insulation to
minimise heat ingress.
LNG storage tank pressure is
maintained slightly above
atmospheric pressure for structural
and economic reasons.
Boil-off gas that is generated as a
result of heat in-leakage is
compressed and fed to the Fuel
Gas System by the Boil-off Gas
Compressor.
32
 5. How We Transport LNG
LNG is pumped from storage tanks through loading arms on a
dedicated loading jetty into LNG marine tankers.

Like the storage tanks the

tankers are very heavily
insulated to minimise
vaporisation.
A typical LNG Tanker carries
130,00m3 of LNG.
LNG that is vaporised during
the voyage is used to fuel the
tanker boilers.

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 6. What the Customers do With LNG.
There are three different types of LNG Plant.
The three different types of LNG Plant i.e. LNG Export, Import and
‘Peak Shaving’ plants have a number of similarities.
The primary function of an Export plant such as OLNG is
production i.e to liquefy a large amount of gas and load it into ships.
An Import terminal unloads ships and continuously vaporises the
LNG back to Natural Gas for use.
A Peak Shaving Plant’s primary function is storage which can be
made available for vaporisation to supply customers needs during
periods of extreme demand.

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 7. Process ‘Support Units’:
Gas Metering Unit

Measures gas
quantity and
quality from
the supplier
for fiscal
transfer
purposes

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 7.1 Process ‘Support Units’:
Refrigerant Storage

Ethane Storage Bullet

Storage of refrigerant for

make up purposes Propane Storage Sphere

36
7.2 Process ‘Support Units’:

LNG Storage

Two or three
Storage Tanks
each holding
approximately
120,000 cum mts

37
 7.3 Process ‘Support Units’:

Condensate Storage

Storage of
Hydrocarbon
Condensate
(Pentane and
heavier).

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 7.4 Process ‘Support Units’:

LNG Loading Arms

Two liquid loading

arms, one vapour
return arm and one
spare

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 7.5 Process ‘Support Units’:
Condensate Loading

E - 3601 Z - 3601

CW

P - 3601A/B

JETTY CIRCULATION

CONDENSATE CONDENSATE RETURNED

COOLING / CIRCULATION
& KICKBACK LINE TO FROM FROM CONDENSATE
STORAGE TANKS STORAGE STORAGE TO STORAGE

40
 8. Service Units:
LNG can not be produced without Utility or Service
Plants. Plant services include:
Power Generation
Hot Oil
Sea Cooling Water
Tempered Water
Fuel Gas
Instrument Air
Nitrogen
Flare System
Effluent Treatment

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 8.1 Power Generation:
The electrical power demand for an LNG Plant is
met by a dedicated Electrical Generation and
Distribution Unit which comprises 3 or 4 self
contained generators.
Each generator has a normal site rating of
approximately 30 MW. During steady operation
all generators run on partial load.

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8.1 A Power Generation Plant:

43
8.2 Hot Oil System
•A Hot Oil system is installed in each Process Train
•Each system comprises of a number of heat exchangers
in which heat is transferred to the various process
streams through the medium of hot oil.
•The heat transfer medium used is normally Thermia B
which is selected for its thermal stability
•The hot oil is heated in a furnace and supplied to the
process exchangers through two circulation headers
which operate at 2100C and 1850C.

44
8.2 Hot Oil System

45
 8.3 Sea Cooling Water:
•A Sea Cooling Water System provides and distributes
cooling water for process and utility equipment on a once
through basis.
•Sea Cooling Water is also supplied to the Desalination Unit
for the production of drinking, service and process water.
•A Sea Cooling Water system is dosed with Sodium
Hypochlorite to kill marine organisms which would foul
the exchangers.

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 8.3 Sea Cooling Water:

March 2023 Ahmed Helal 47

 8.4 Tempered Water Cooling Water:
•A Tempered Cooling Water System provides fresh water
to cool critical rotating machinery.

•The Tempered Cooling Water System is normally

arranged in three independent loops, one for each
Process train and one for the Common Facilities Power
Generation and Distribution area

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 8.4 Tempered Water Cooling Water:

March 2023 Ahmed Helal 49

 8.5 Fuel Gas:
Two interconnected Fuel Gas systems take
gas from different parts of the process and
supply it to various parts of the process
High pressure gas is used as fuel for the Gas
Turbines and for the process flares
Low pressure gas is used as fuel for the
furnaces

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 8.5 A Typical Fuel Gas System:

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 8.6 Instrument and Tool Air Systems:
•An Instrument Air System, which provides compressed
air
for instruments and feed to the Nitrogen Unit, is
normally
supplied by a single compressor.

•After compression the air is dried and distributed to

the users through two identical headers

•Tool air for pneumatic tools is normally supplied by

mobile air compressors

March 2023 Ahmed Helal 52

8.6 Instrument and Tool Air Systems:

53
 8.7: Nitrogen
• Nitrogen, which is separated from air by distillation, is
used for the following purposes:

Drying
Purging
Refrigeration
Inerting

•Nitrogen is used in vapour form but liquid Nitrogen is

also produced and stored for use during high Nitrogen
demand periods such as Plant start up and shutdown.

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 8.7 Nitrogen Unit

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 9. Flare System
A Flare System collects and disposes of
hydrocarbon streams from the Plant which are
released due to upsets, emergencies, planned
maintenance, or start up and shut down activities.
Vapours from ‘warm’ sections of the Plant are sent
to a separate Flare Stack to prevent them being
frozen by ‘cold’ material released to Flare
Warm and cold hydrocarbon liquids are also
segregated and burnt in Liquid Burners

March 2023 Ahmed Helal 56

9.1 Flare System

57
 10. Effluent Treatment:

•An Effluent Treatment Plant collects, treats and

disposes of contaminated water streams from the
Plant plus domestic effluent in accordance with
local environmental specifications

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 10.1 Effluent Treatment Unit:

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