Introduction LNG

AN INTRODUCTION TO LNG

Presentation to the 45 th Annual GGA Measurement School

Presentation to 45th Annual CGA Measurement School 2 June 7, 2006

Presentation Outline

Ø What is LNG? Ø Uses of LNG Ø Components of an LNG Plant Ø LNG Storage Ø LNG Risks and Vulnerabilities Ø Safety Record Ø LNG – the Past Ø LNG – the Future Ø Canadian LNG Standard Ø New Technical Developments


What is LNG? Ø LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) is natural gas cooled until it condenses into a clear liquid.

Ø Odourless, colourless, noncorrosive and nontoxic

Ø Normally stored at 162 o Celsius (260 o F) at atmospheric pressure in a “thermos” like storage container.

Ø Takes up far less space – about 1/600 th of its original volume as a gas.

Ø Weighs approximately 45% as much as water

Ø LNG (the liquid itself) is not flammable or explosive.

Ø Vapour is initially heavier than air. Ø As the vapour warms it becomes lighter

thanair Ø Natural Gas is flammable when it occurs

in a 5% to 15% concentration in air.


Uses of LNG

Ø Peak Shaving Ø Base Load (import / export) Ø Gas Supply to Remote Facilities Ø Emergency / Temporary Supply Ø Vehicle Fuel


The Terasen Gas Peakshaving Plant

The Tilbury Island LNG Plant: •Converts pipeline gas to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) through a refrigeration process •Stores the LNG at cryogenic temperatures (260 0 F) until needed •Regasifies LNG and injects it into the Lower Mainland transmission system during short periods of peak customer demand


Production of LNG 4 Key Steps Step 1Gas pretreatment Ø Molecular sieve removes CO2, water, odourant and

other impurities Ø These impurities, normally present in pipeline gas,

would freeze during LNG liquefaction process and plug the heat exchangers in the coldbox (see below)

Step 2Liquefaction Ø Warm gas is passed through a series of complex

heat exchangers Ø Gas is cooled by the vapourization of liquid

refrigerants (butane, propane, ethane, methane and nitrogen) which progressively lower the termperature of the gas until it changes to liquid state


Production of LNG (cont.) Step 3LNG Storage Ø LNG is maintained at 162 0 C (260 0 F) Ø Tank volume is 28,000 cubic metres (1 million

cubic feet) or 6 million Imperial gallons Ø Tank is 36 metres high (118 feet), 39 metres

diameter (127 feet) Ø The one million cubic feet of LNG stored in the tank

is equivalent to 600 million (0.6 billion) cubic feet of natural gas once regasified

Step 4LNG Regasification (or vapourization) Ø LNG is heated from 162 0 C (260 0 F) to

approximately 5 0 C Ø During peak demand, the vapourizers can send out

as much as 150 million cubic feet of gas per day


Pictorial Summary of LNG Plant Processes

Preheater

Boiloff Compressor

LNG Vaporizers

LNG Tank

LNG Tanker Unloading & Loading

to Transmission Pipeline System

LNG Pumps

Feed Gas

Tail Gas

Dessication Liquefaction

Pretreatment

(From Transmission System)

Step 1 Step 2

LNG Storage

Step 3

Step 4


Peakshaving Applications

Ø Small plants (relative to baseload plants) Ø Seasonal use Ø Improve load factor for Local Distribution Companies (LDC)

Gas Supply Savings Ø Operational benefits include Security of Supply, System

Reinforcement, and Operation Flexibility (trim) Ø Most North American plants built in 1960s to mid 1975

(70+) Ø More plants are built starting in late 1980s and 1990s (3+)


LNG Plants in North America


Production (Export) Terminal

LNG Storage

Loading Jetty and Ship

LNG Pumps

Feed Gas (From Production Field)

Pretreatment

Liquefaction

Ship Loading

Step 2

Step 4

Step 1

Step 3


Alaska Liquefaction (Export) Plant


Arzew (Algeria) Liquefaction (Export) Plant


Facilities in Asia


Facilities in Japan


Facilities in Europe


Facilities in North and South America


Marine Tanker (Spherical Tanks)


Marine Tanker (Cubic Tanks)


Receiving (Import) Terminal

LNG Storage

LNG Pumps

Pretreatment

Ship Unloading Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

To Transmission Pipeline System

LNG Vaporizers

Loading Jetty and Ship


Import Facility – Cove Point, Maryland


Import Facility Tokyo


Proposed Irving Oil Import Terminal (St John, New Brunswick)


Other Uses of LNG

Ø Supply Remote Facilities Ø Emergency / Temporary Supply Ø Vehicle Fuel


Remote Facilities

Ø Supply to remote communities or industrial facilities Ø LNG Supply from baseload facility or peakshaving plant Ø LNG Trailers used for transportation of LNG


Supply to Sawmill in BC Interior


Emergency or Temporary Supply

Ø LNG Tanker and Ambient Vapourizer used for various temporary gas supply situations

Ø Supply small sections of a distribution system or critical customers during system alterations

Ø Supply small communities in emergency situations


Temporary LNG Supply


LNG as a Vehicle Fuel

Ø Commonly Used for Trucks Ø LNG has been used for other Transportation Modes Ø Railway locomotives Ø Marine vessels Ø Planes (experimental)


Truck Being Fueled with LNG


Houston Metro LNG Bus


Burlington Northern LNG Locomotive

•20,000 Gallon LNG Tender (coal train) •Test run from Wyoming to Minnesota


Storage

Ø Well insulated, nonrefrigerated tank Ø LNG @ near atmospheric pressure (a maximum of 2 psig) Ø LNG @ 160 oC (or 260 oF) near the boiling point of LNG Ø Boiloff (evaporation) keeps the remaining LNG refrigerated. Ø Excessive boiloff is removed by boiloff compressor to prevent over

pressurizing the tank Ø Additional relief valves to prevent rapid buildup of vapour due to

sudden drop in atmospheric pressure (e.g. low pressure storm) Ø Two Levels of Earthquake Design: Ø Operating Basis Earthquake (OBE) Ø operational during and after OBE

Ø Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE) Ø no loss of containment during and after SSE


Types of LNG Storage Tanks

ØNext series of slides will illustrate several types of LNG Storage tanks and containment systems ØPrimary tank types are: Ø Single Containment Ø Double Containment Ø Full Containment


Single Containment Tank with Earthen Dyke


Single Containment Tank


Double Containment Tank


Full Containment Tank


LNG Risks and Vulnerabilities

Ø Primary Hazards Ø Pool Fires (Thermal Radiation) Ø Flammable Vapour Clouds

Ø Secondary Hazards Ø Freezing Liquid and Cold Vapour Ø Rapid Phase Transitions (Flameless Explosions) Ø Rollover


Potential Failure Mechanisms

Ø Land Facilities Ø Natural Hazards Ø Earthquakes

Ø Material Failures Ø Operating Errors

Ø Marine Vessels Ø Ship Accidents

Ø Common Threats Ø Terrorism


Hazard Mitigation

Ø Conservative Codes and Standard Ø Prescriptive Separation Distances Ø Conservative Design Criteria Ø Good Design and Construction Management Practices Ø Good Operating, Maintenance and Training Programs


Safety Record A Few Worldwide Statistics Ø 17 export facilities Ø 40 import facilities Ø 113 active LNG facilities in the US Ø 136 LNG Ships Ø In 40 years, 33,000 LNG carrier voyages covering more than 60 million miles Ø Ships frequently operate in high density areas Ø In 2000, one ship entered Tokyo Bay every 20 hours on average Ø Some incidents (some LNG spillage but no cargo fires) but no major

accidents either in port or on the high seas

Ø Source – Introduction to LNG, University of Houston Law Center, Institute for Energy, Law & Enterprise, January 2003


Safety Record – Major Accidents

Ø Cleveland, Ohio, 1944 Ø Tank failure with 128 deaths

Ø Staten Island, New York, 1973 Ø Industrial accident unrelated to presence of LNG Ø 40 workers died

Ø Cove Point, Maryland, 1979 Ø Explosion in electrical substation due to vapour migration Ø 1 operator died, another seriously injured

Ø Skikda, Algeria, 2004 Ø Explosion and Fire Ø Multiple deaths


LNG – The Past

1873 Karl Von Linde built first practical compressor refrigeration machine

1917 First US LNG plant begins operation in West Virginia 1941 First commercial LNG plant, Cleveland, Ohio 1959 First LNG tanker (Methane Pioneer) delivered LNG from Lake

Charles, LA to Canvey Island, UK 1964 UK becomes the world’s first LNG importer and Algeria the first

exporter 1964 – Alabama Gas begins construction of a peakshaving plant 1969 – First US export of LNG (Alaska to Japan) 1971 to 1980 – 4 import terminals built in the US 1999 – First Atlantic Basin liquefaction plant (Trinidad)


LNG – The Future (North America)


LNG – The Future (North America)


CSA LNG Standard – Z276 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) – Production, Storage and Handling

This standard applies to the design, location, construction, operation and maintenance of facilities at any location for the liquefaction of natural gas and for the storage, vapourization, transfer, handling and truck transport of LNG as well as the training of personnel involved.

The standard does not apply to Ø The transportation of refrigerants by any means Ø The transportation of LNG by railcar, marine vessel, or pipeline Ø Facilities designed to allow the use of LNG as a fuel for highway

vehicles, railroad locomotives or marine vessels


CSA Z276 Technical Committee

Owner/Operators Ø Enbridge Ø Gaz Metro Ø Irving Oil Ø Terasen Gas Ø TransCanada Ø Union Gas

Government/Regulatory Ø NEB Ø BC Ø NS Ø NB Ø NRCan Ø PQ

Other Interests Ø Brytech Ø CB&I Ø CDS Research Ø Ind Consultant (Seismic) Ø Ind Consultant (TC Chair) Ø Westport Innovations Ø Cdn Welding Bureau


Proximity to the Public


Off Shore ReGasification and Connecting Pipeline (Excelerate Energy – Energy Bridge System)


Off Shore Gravity Based Structure (CB&I)


Off Shore Gravity Based Structure


That’s All Folks!!

Thanks for your attention

Questions ???

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Introduction LNG