PROCESSES WITHIN THE LNG

SYSTEM OF AN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

Difference between robotics, automation, AI, IoT and industry

1. Extraction 5 LNG carriers

Natural gas is extracted from underground reservoirs (onshore or offshore).

2. Separation and Pretreatment

The gas is cleaned to remove:

Water

CO₂

H₂S (sour gas)

Mercury and other impurities

3. Liquefaction

The clean gas is cooled to about -162°C to turn it into liquid.

This reduces its volume by around 600 times for easier transport.

4. Storage

The LNG is stored in large cryogenic (very cold) tanks near the liquefaction plant.

5. Transport

LNG is loaded onto special insulated ships (LNG carriers) for overseas transport.

6. Receiving Terminal

At the destination, LNG is offloaded into insulated tanks at a regasification terminal.

7. Regasification

The LNG is warmed up and turned back into gas.

8. Distribution

The natural gas is sent through pipelines to:

Homes

Industries

Power plants

PRIMARY ELEMENTS

1 Flow meters
 Used for safety monitoring to detect leaks or blockages
 Used in process control to maintain a steady flow in pipelines and optimize compression and
cooling stages
 Common brand: SITRANS FS230 from Siemens
 Ultrasonic ones are more common in LNG plants because it has no moving parts, usually
installed outside the pipe, so no contact with fluids and have a high accuracy for custody
transfer.

2 Pressure transmitters
 Trigger alarms or shuts down the system if pressure goes above safe limits to prevent a pipe
burst or tank explosion
 Control pressure in heat exchangers, cold boxes and compressors
 Interface with pressure safety valves (PSVs) and venting systems.
 Common brand: Rosemount 2088 from Emerson

3 Temperature sensors

3.1 RTD
 Monitor process temperatures in cryogenic and high-temperature zones to prevent freezing,
overheating or inefficiency of equipment
 Provide continuous temperature data inside storage tanks at multiple levels.
 Control temperature loops in heat exchangers, compressors, pumps, and liquefiers.
 Common brand: TR10-A from WIKA
 3.2 Thermocouple
 Similar function to the RTD but, can be more advantageous due its ruggedness, higher range,
fast response and lower price. However, it is less precise, stable and has a lower sensitivity.
 Common brand: Rosemount X-well Technology from Emerson

4 Radar level transmitters

 Common brand: Rosemount 5408 from Emerson
 Common in LNG plants because it is non-contact, accurate and can withstand harsh
environments
 Measure LNG level in storage tanks, keeping track of the quantity and safety limits
 Monitor liquid levels in boil-off gas (BOG) separators or recondensers to control gas
handling.

FINAL CONTROL ELEMENTS

1 Pneumatic control valves

 They regulate the flow of natural gas, refrigerants, or LNG through pipelines
 Common brand: Fisher GX from Emerson
 Pneumatic valves are more common because their systems use air, not electricity or oil, so
they don’t create ignition sources

2 Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

 VFDs adjust the speed of main refrigeration compressors. This optimizes cooling during
liquefaction
 VFDs are used on feed gas pumps, cooling water pumps, and condensate pumps to save
energy and reduce mechanical stress.
 In air-cooled heat exchangers and ventilation systems, VFDs control fan speeds to optimize
heat transfer and minimize power use.
 Common brand: ACS880 from ABB

ON/OFF controls

In LMG plants, some control loops use simple ON/OFF controls usually for Emergency Shutdown
valves, feed or transfer pumps, starting or stopping compressors and isolation valves for
maintenance.
COMMON LNG EQUIPMENT

1 Heat exchangers

In liquefaction, it is used to transfer heat from natural gas to cold refrigerants in stages until it
becomes a cryogenic liquid.

LNG plants usually use shell and tube heat exchanger

2 Compressors

When LNG evaporates (boils off), compressors (BOGC) collect the gas and compress it for re-
liquefaction.

Compress refrigerant gases (like propane, methane etc.) to raise their pressure and temperature
before being used in heat exchangers.

In some setups, the incoming natural gas is compressed to make them flow at the right pressure and
speed through the liquefaction units. Useful for long pipelines or offshore systems

3 LNG pumps High-pressure pumps for loading LNG onto ships.

4 Marine Loading Arms (MLA) Articulated arms for safe LNG transfer to vessels.

5 LNG storage tanks double walled tanks that store the LNG at -162 degrees Celsius with a vacuum
or perlite in between the walls to reduce heat transfer into the interior part of the tank.

6 Cold boxes sealed, insulated containers used to house and protect cold process equipment, such
as heat exchangers, valves, and pipes, operating at very low temperatures

7 Inlet separators vessels used to remove liquids and solids (like water, oil, sand) from a gas stream
before it enters processing equipment.

They protect downstream equipment (e.g. compressors, heat exchangers) from damage caused by
liquids or solids and prevent hydrate formation (ice-like blockages formed when gas mixes with
water at high pressure and low temperature).

8 Slug catchers large vessel or pipe system designed to catch and temporarily hold slugs (sudden
surges of liquid or foam) in a gas pipeline to protect downstream equipment.

They smooth out the flow by holding the liquid temporarily and allowing controlled draining to
prevent damage to compressors and separators from sudden liquid slugs. Ex: 1 Ex: 2

9 Amine Treating Unit a system used to remove acid gases like CO₂ (carbon dioxide) and H₂S
(hydrogen sulfide) from natural gas using a special chemical called amine.

CO₂ and H₂S freeze at cryogenic temperatures, causing blockages and are corrosive and toxic.
Simplified process

1 Gas Inlet → dirty gas enters the absorber tower.

2 Absorption → amine solution absorbs CO₂ and H₂S from the gas.

3 Clean Gas Out → clean (sweetened) gas exits the top, ready for drying and chilling.

4 Regeneration → the rich amine (now full of acid gases) goes to the stripper column, where it's
heated. The acid gases are released, and the regenerated amine is reused in the cycle.

10 Dehydration Unit a system used to remove water vapor from natural gas before it enters
cryogenic (LNG) processes or pipelines.

Water in gas can freeze at very low LNG temperatures (–160°C), forming ice or hydrates and these
can block pipes and damage equipment.

Simplified process

This method, triethylene glycol (TEG) is used to absorb water vapor.

1 Wet gas enters a contactor tower.

2 Glycol flows down, gas flows up – glycol absorbs water.

3 Dry gas exits the top.

4 Water-rich glycol is sent to a reboiler, where it's heated and regenerated.

11 Mercury Removal Units (MRUs)

A system used to remove trace amounts of mercury from natural gas to protect equipment and
meet safety/environmental standards using adsorbents (sulfur-impregnated activated carbon).

Mercury, even in tiny amounts, is highly corrosive to aluminum, which is used in cryogenic heat
exchangers and toxic to humans and the environment.

Simplified process

1 Gas flows into a fixed-bed reactor filled with mercury adsorbents.

2 Mercury in the gas bonds with the material (usually sulfur-impregnated activated carbon or
molecular sieves).

3 Clean gas exits with mercury levels reduced to <10 Nano grams/m³.
12 Gas turbine drivers Gas turbine drivers are rotating engines that burn natural gas or liquid fuels to
produce mechanical power. They are called "drivers" because they drive (turn) major equipment like
compressors and pumps in LNG operations.

How Do They Work?

Gas turbines operate in three basic stages:

1. Air Intake and Compression

Ambient air is drawn in and compressed by a multi-stage axial compressor.

This increases the pressure and temperature of the air.

2. Combustion

Compressed air enters a combustion chamber where it mixes with fuel (usually natural gas).

The mixture is ignited, producing high-temperature, high-pressure gas.

3. Turbine Expansion

The hot gases expand through turbine blades, spinning them.

The turbine shaft transfers this mechanical energy to the attached compressor or pump.

13 coalescing filters