LNG Basics

for Petroleum Engineers

Michael Choi

Retired

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 Primary funding is provided by

The SPE Foundation through member donations

and a contribution from Offshore Europe

The Society is grateful to those companies that allow their

professionals to serve as lecturers

Additional support provided by AIME

Society of Petroleum Engineers

Distinguished Lecturer Program
www.spe.org/dl
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Present an Overview of LNG Plant
• Why LNG?
• Pre-Treatment Required
• Typical Multi-Trains Plant
• Natural Gas Liquefaction
Thermodynamics
• Commercial Liquefaction
Processes
• Equipment for Liquefaction
• Unique Auxiliary Facilities
Oman LNG Plant
• Novel Plant Concepts
• Concluding Remarks

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 Stranded Gas Looking for Markets
• LNG Proved to be Most Economic for Distances >1,500 Mile
• Volume Reduction of 600:1
• Transported in Insulated Tankers @ -162C & 1 atm.

Supply
Demand

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LNG Process & Equipment ?

Big Refrigeration System

• Compressor/Driver
• Refrigerant Condenser
• Evaporator (Process
Heat Exchanger)

Similar to the AC System

in Our Home!

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 Typical 2-Train LNG Plant
Make- Fuel
Up Fuel
Gas
Train 1
Gathering
Inlet Gas Gas Inlet Gas NGL Liquefaction LNG Storage
Reception Treating Recovery
1.5 Bcfd Liquid LNG
8 Mtpa
NGL (1.1 Bcfd)
Train 2
Fractionation

Propane Propane
Condensate Storage .73 Mtpa
Stabilization (27 Mbpd)

Butane Butane
Storage .5 Mtpa
(17 Mbpd)
Condensate Condensate
Storage 1.2 Mtpa
(34 Mbpd)

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 Typical 2-Train LNG Plant
Make- Fuel
Up Fuel
Gas
Train 1
Gathering
Inlet Gas Gas Inlet Gas NGL Liquefaction LNG Storage
Reception Treating Recovery
1.7 Bcfd Liquid LNG
Inlet Gas ReceptionInlet Gas TreatingNGL Recovery
9 Mtpa
• Pipeline
• Amine
NGL • forScrub
Manifold
FractionationCO Column/KO
2 &
Train NGLafter C3 Pre-Cool
2 H2S Removal
(1.2 Bcfd)

• Pig
• Deethanizer •
Receivers<50• Primarily
ppm & < 4 C4+
ppmFractionation
to Prevent Freezing
• Inlet
• VaporSeparator• LNG
• Compression
Sulfur Heat Value
Recovery Unit ifImportant
H2S for US & Propane Propane
Condensate Storage
• Slug •Catcher
Mol Sieve European Markets
Dehydration* .73 Mtpa
• Depropanizer & Treating
Stabilization (27 Mbpd)
• < 100 • 1,070 btu/scf Max
ppb
• 95% & 200 psig VP
Condensate Stabilization Butane Butane
• Mercury •<15ppm
Vapor Need Turbo-Expander for High
Removal* Storage
• <.5ppm
• Multi-Stage
H 2 S & Column S
C3+ Removal
.5 Mtpa
(17 Mbpd)
• Debutanizer • Activated
• Vapor &Compressor
Treating Carbon Adsorber Condensate Condensate
• 95%
• 10-12
& 70psiapsigRVP
VP @100F Storage 1.2 Mtpa
(34 Mbpd)
• <.5ppm
• De-Odorized
H2S & <15ppm S
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 180,000 M3 LNG Tank
• Full-Containment Tank to Reduce
Impound Area & Improve Safety
• Approx. 75M Dia x 40M H
• Insulated for <.05%/D of Boil-off
• Top Entry In-Tank Pumps

• Total Capacity Based on

Tanker Size (135,000 M3)
• Plus 4+ Days Production

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 Inside the Tanks

Single-Stage Multi-Stage

Tank with Pump Caissons

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LNG Loading System

• 16” Chiksan Type

• 3+1 – LNG Arms
• 3,500 M3/Hr/Ea.
• 10,500 M3/Hr
• 140K M3 Tanker
• 4+1 – Systems
• 14,000 M3/Hr
• Qmax & Qflex
• 200K+ M3
• 1 – Vapor Return

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 Cost of Refrigeration

Methane
or Nitrogen

Cost/Btu
Removed

Ethylene Air/Water
Propane
-162C Temperature 25C
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 Natural Gas Liquefaction Processes
25C
Gas Cooling

Condensation
Temperature
Min. DT

Liquid
Sub-cooling
-162C

H (Enthalpy - Heat Removed)

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 Cascade LNG Process
• Most Straight Forward of All Processes 80F Propane
Refrig.
1st Stage

• Kenai Plant Continuous Operation 1969 2nd Stage

CoP Optimized
Cascade Refrigerant Cycle

Temperature
• CoP License, Plant Build by Bechtel
3th Stage

1st Stage
Ethylene Refrig
2nd Stage
1st Stage

2nd Stage
Methane Refrig. .
-260F 3th Stage

H (Enthalpy - Heat Removed)

Kenai, Alaska

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 C3 Precooled – Mixed Refrigerant Process
• Most Widely Used Licensed by APCI 80F Propane
Refrig.

• 1st Plant in Algeria Operating Since 1972 1st Stage

2nd Stage
Propane PreCooled
Mixed Refrigerant Cycle

• Plants Built by KBR, Chiyoda, JGC, FW

Temperature
3th Stage

Mixed Refrigerant

-260F

H (Enthalpy - Heat Removed)

QatarGas LNG Plant

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 APCI AP-X Process
• Largest Train Capacity @ 8 Mtpa
• Overcome Spiral Wound MCHE Limit APCI Supplies
• Process Design
• First Unit Started in 2009 (QG-II)
• Cold Boxes
• No Plants Outside of Qatar • Spiral Wound Exchanger
• Turbo-Expanders

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 All Processes Use Similar Equipment

GE MS7001 FB Gas Turbine

• Most New Plants Use Large Gas Turbine (& Combined
Cycle) to Drive Refrigerant Compressors
• Some Older & Smaller Trains Have Steam Turbine Drives
• Many Peak Shaving Plants on Electric Drives
• Use Large Process Type Centrifugal Compressors
• Main Difference is in the Cryogenic Heat Exchangers
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Main Cryogenic Heat Exchanger
Use by Mixed Refrigerant Process
Air Products & Chemicals
& Linde: Spiral Wound Ex.
• Max. Diameter: 5,030mm
• Height: ~55m
• Stainless Steel Core
• 25mm Aluminum Tubing
• Externally Insulated
• Chill & Liquefy Gas
– From –34ºC to –152ºC
– At 55 to 69 Barg

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APCI’s MR Main Cryogenic Heat Exchanger (MCHE)
Spiral Wound Design

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Heat Exchanger for Cascade Process

Plate Fin
Exchanger

• Many Manufacturers
• Use Extensively in Air Separation
• Cascade & Other LNG Processes
Cold Box Configuration
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 Advances in LNG Plants
Onshore
Conventional Design

Near-shore
GBS Design

Offshore
Steel or Concrete
Floater
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 FLNG is about to be Reality

Shell Prelude Petronas Kanowit

•Floated out of dry dock in Dec. •EPC in progress
2013 •1.2 mtpa of LNG Capacity
•3.6 mtpa of LNG capacity
•Start-up expected in 2016 •Scheduled for deployment
in 2015 ?
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 Conclusions
• LNG Liquefaction Process Same as AC System in Our Home
• Pre-Treatment Facilities Can Dwarf Liquefaction System
– Mole Sieve Dehydration & Mercury Removal Required
– Gas Treating & NGL Extraction May be Needed
– Stabilized Condensate & Fractionated NGL Add Value
• LNG Exchangers, Storage & Loading Systems Are Unique
• Commercial Liquefaction Processes Well Proven, Robust & Can
be Optimized for Plant Size, Gas Composition, Sales &
Commercial Needs
• Novel Near-Shore & Offshore Floating Concepts Are Developed

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LNG ?

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