Dept.

of Ship Technology, CUSAT, Batch-XXXIX

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
 Dept. of Ship Technology, CUSAT, Batch-XXXIX

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Liquefied natural gas, consists mostly of methane (CH4) and is cooled to

approximately -256o F so that it can be transported from countries that have
more natural gas than they need to countries that use more natural gas than
they produce. In its liquefied state, natural gas takes up 1/600 th of the space,
making it much easier to ship and store when pipeline transport is not
feasible.
It is odourless, colourless, non-toxic and noncorrosive. Hazards include
flammability, freezing and asphyxia.
The liquefication process involves removal of certain components, such as
dust, acid gases, helium, water and heavy hydrocarbons, which could cause
difficulty downstream. The natural gas is then condensed into a liquid at close
to atmospheric pressure (maximum transport pressure set at round
25kPa/306 psi) by cooling it to approximately -162 o C (−260 °F). LNG is a
clear liquid with a density of about 470 kg/m 3, i.e. 47% of the density of water.
However, the liquid form at atmospheric pressure can only be maintained boil-
off of some of the gas.

The reduction in volume makes it more cost efficient to transport over long
distances where pipelines do not exist. Where moving natural gas by
pipelines is not possible or economical, it can be transported by specially
designed cryogenic sea vessels (LNG carriers) or cryogenic road tankers

Table 1.1 : Chemical Composition of Natural Gas

Component Range (mole %)

Methane 87.0 – 97.0
Ethane 1.5 – 9.0
Propane 1.1 - 1.5
Iso Butane 0.01 – 0.3
Butane 0.01 – 0.3
Oxygen Trace - 0.1
Carbon dioxide Trace - .0.05
 Dept. of Ship Technology, CUSAT, Batch-XXXIX

Natural gas source

Natural gas is found in deep underground rocks formation or associated with other
hydrocarbon reservoiers in coal beds and as methane clathrates. Petroleum is another
resource and fossil fuel found in close proximity to and with natural gas. Natural gas
extracted from oil wells is called casinghead gas or associated gas.
Shale Gas: Found in sedimentary shale rocks, shale gas depends on fractures to allow
gas to flow. Since 2000, shale gas has become a major source of natural gas in the
United States and Canada.
Town gas: Flammable gases fuel
Town gas: Flammable gases fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal. It contains a
variety of calorific gases including CO2, H2, Methane and other hydrocarbons. Most town
"gashouses" located in the eastern US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were
simple by-product coke ovens that heated bituminous coal in air-tight chambers. The gas
driven off from the coal was collected and distributed through networks of pipes to
residences and other buildings where it was used for cooking and lighting.
Biogas: Methanogenic archaea are responsible for all biological sources of methane.
Some live in symbiotic relationships with other life forms, including termites, ruminants,
and cultivated crops. Other sources of methane, the principal component of natural gas,
include landfill gas, biogas, and methane hydrate. When methane-rich gases are
produced by the anaerobic decay of non-fossil organic matter (biomass), these are
referred to as biogas (or natural biogas). Sources of biogas include swamps, marshes,
and landfills, as well as agricultural waste materials.

Uses
 Power generation
 Domestic use
 Transportation
 Manufacture of fabrics, glass, steel, plastics and paint
Dept. of Ship Technology, CUSAT, Batch-XXXIX
Dept. of Ship Technology, CUSAT, Batch-XXXIX
 Dept. of Ship Technology, CUSAT, Batch-XXXIX

1.14 RULES AND  REGULATIONS  FOLLOWED

 Rules and Regulations of the Country of Registry and Indian Registry
 Maritime Rules of Loading/Unloading Ports.

 Rules and Regulations of the Lloyd’s Register of Shipping

 IMO Rules and Regulations

 IMO IGC code 1994 “Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships
 carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk”

 International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 and amendments

 International Telecommunication convention, 1973with annexe and revisions

 International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969

 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, (SOLAS 74/78)
 including all subsequent amendments.

 International Convention for Preventing Collision at Sea 1972 and subsequent
amendments.
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 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships