The modern world energy market is extremely mobile. It brings a wealth of news and surprises. The most “surprise” part is, of course, new technologies. These include primarily the shale revolution and everything related to liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The technology and processes of the LNG sector are closely monitored by both business and political communities around the world. The tectonic shifts of big world politics are sometimes caused by the technological development of energy production and logistics.
Natural Gas Liquefaction Technology
Liquefied gas is obtained from natural gas using two physical processes: compression and cooling. In the final, liquefied gas is reduced in volume by six hundred times.
The technological process is multi-stage. Each stage is a compression of 5-10 times, followed by cooling and transfer to the next stage. When passing from the first to the penultimate stage, the gas remains gas. It turns into a liquid only at the last stage. To produce one ton of LNG gas, about one and a half thousand cubic meters of natural gas are required.
Technological stages with compression and cooling require significant energy costs, up to 25% of the total amount of liquefied gas.
Production nuances
LNG production plants differ in the nature of the physical processes on which their action is based:
- throttle;
- turbo expander;
- turbine-vortex, etc.
To date, two methods of processing are used in the world:
- Condensation or compression of gas against a background of constant pressure. This method is no longer among the effective ones due to high energy costs.
- Heat transfer methods using refrigerators or chokes based on a change in gas temperature.
One of the most important technological requirements for LNG gas production is the high quality of thermal insulation and heat exchange equipment.
If we talk about the process of production of liquefied gas as a whole, then it consists of four mandatory and sequential stages:
- Gas production in the rigs, delivery through a gas pipeline to the liquefaction plant.
- Gas liquefaction, storage of LNG in special installations.
- LNG shipment to tankers with water transportation.
- LNG unloading in terminals, storage, regasification and delivery to the consumer.
LNG gas properties
The physical properties of liquefied gas are unique. It behaves very meekly: in its pure form it does not burn and does not explode. If placed in an open space with a normal temperature, the LNG will begin to evaporate quietly, mixing with air.
Ignition is possible, but only at a specific gas concentration in the air: from 4.4 to 17%. If the LNG content in the air is below 4.4%, the amount of gas for ignition will be too small. If the gas concentration in the air exceeds 17%, oxygen will not be enough for the flame. The regasification process is based on this. Evaporation is carried out simply without oxygen, that is, without air.
LPG Logistics
LNG delivery technology is not inferior in its dynamics and advancement to the methods of its production. If, for example, a rating of modern ships on aesthetics and design is carried out, then not cruise ships will win. Snow-white tankers for the transportation of liquefied gas will win, striking in their size, variety and unique designs.
Gas liquefaction plants are usually located near its production sites. At this stage, the most important element is the storage of LNG with the most serious technological requirements with their mandatory implementation. Cryocisterns are built on the principle of Dewar vessels, designed to store substances with a temperature different from normal. The main element in such vessels is double walls. Cryocisterns for storage and transportation of LNG can be located on sea tankers or special vehicles. For railway transportation, special cars in the form of cryocisterns are used.
If LNG gas has already undergone regasification, it is sent to the consumer through a classic gas pipeline.
What is more profitable?
It has long been estimated that LNG transportation technologies are more profitable than a conventional pipeline over long distances exceeding several thousand kilometers.
In Russia, Gazprom is most worried about LNG production. According to his leading experts, Russian LNG has already begun to make unnecessary competition to the pipeline method. One of the arguments is the absence of export duty and tax on mining in the same Yamal LNG. This situation is called the "loss of budget efficiency."
A compromise seems to have been found by President Vladimir Putin. He also does not see anything good in the competition between the two types of Russian natural gas. At the same time, LNG technologies need to be promoted on the domestic market for the restructuring of public transport on a new type of fuel - gas engine. In addition to buses, there are many LNG consumers in Russia, mainly residents of remote locations where there are no gas pipelines.
Russian LNG
Sakhalin-2 and Yamal LNG are two operating gas liquefaction plants in Russia for 2018. The first and oldest enterprise is the Sakhalin plant, whose shares are owned by Shell, Mitsubishi and Mitsui, and the controlling stake is owned by Gazprom.
Oil and associated gas production, as well as LNG production, are subject to a special production sharing agreement. The LNG plant was commissioned in 2009; it became the first Russian company of this profile.
The younger brother is the second plant owned by Novatek. This is the Yamal LNG project, which from the very beginning was focused on the export of liquefied natural gas. Within its framework, five bulk terminals with a huge annual total capacity of up to 58 million tons will be built and commissioned.
US gas
The United States is not only the motherland of reduced gas production technology, but also the most powerful producer of LNG from its own raw materials. Therefore, when the Donald Trump administration put forward the ambitious program “Energy Plan - America First” with the goal of making the country the main energy power in the world, all the players on the global gas platform need to listen to this.
This kind of political turn in the USA was not a special surprise. The position of the US Republicans regarding hydrocarbons is clear and simple. This is cheap energy.
Forecasts on the export of American LNG are very different. The biggest intrigue in trading gas solutions is developing in the EU countries. We are faced with a picture of the strongest competition between Russian "classical" gas in Nord Stream-2 and American imported LNG. Many European countries, including France and Germany, assess the current situation as an excellent opportunity for diversifying gas sources in Europe.
As for the Asian market, the trade war between the United States and China led to the complete rejection of Chinese energy by imported American LNG. This step opens up tremendous opportunities for the supply of Russian gas through pipelines to China for a long time and in huge volumes.
LNG Safety
Safety in many industries has become a boring routine. Such an attitude does not apply in any way to the production of liquefied gas, nor to everything connected with the word “gas”.
The main risks are associated with the overall combustibility of the gas as a whole. LNG combustibility is, of course, lower. LNG safety regulations focus on the process of spilling and vaporizing liquefied gas. If, for example, a new gas with a different density is poured into the LNG tank (this occurs), the liquids can separate without mixing. In this case, a denser gas will settle to the bottom with the formation of two cavities with independent circulation of liquids. The fluids are eventually mixed in the course of convective exchange. If it occurs quickly, stratification begins: LNG quickly and abundantly evaporates. To prevent this, use special devices for controlled mixing and special methods of filling tanks.
LNG Advantages: Summary
You need to start with the benefits of using LNG in the domestic market. The use of liquefied gas in boiler rooms is the most optimal type of fuel: the highest calorific value, maximum efficiency and very moderate cost, which in the end is even more economical than fuel oil.
LNG logistics is easily tied to boiler houses of any location, including the most remote points, thanks to the well-developed production of LNG transportation means in the form of cryocisters of very different configurations.
Since LNG burns more efficiently than coal or fuel oil, harmful emissions into the atmosphere are minimal: flue gases do not contain particulate matter or sulfur compounds.
From the point of view of LNG export and the development of the global energy market, LNG and its production are becoming an increasingly priority factor for the largest economies in the world, including France, South Korea, Spain, and others. Japan is the main global consumer of liquefied gas, with 100 gas imports % LNG.