Understanding natural gas and LNG
LNG 101: Exploring the Fundamentals
Natural gas, sometimes informally referred to simply as ‘gas’, is a fossil fuel that has been in use since ancient times. But what exactly is natural gas? And what is the difference between raw gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG)? How is it made and transported? Read on to learn more facts about this transition and destination fuel.
History of Natural Gas
Legend states that livestock herders in Greece discovered a burning natural gas seep on Mt. Parnassus in 1,000 BC and created a temple around it. Around 500 BC, people in China used crude bamboo pipelines to transport gas to boil seawater. But it was not until much, much later in 1821 that the first commercial natural gas well was dug in the United States by William Hart in Fredonia, New York, which led to the formation of the Fredonia Gas Light Company in 1858.
What is natural gas?
Natural gas is a naturally occurring fossil fuel primarily composed of methane (CH4), a colorless, odorless gas. It is found deep beneath the earth’s surface, often alongside oil deposits, and is one of the cleanest-burning fossil fuels. Natural gas is used for a variety of purposes, including electricity generation, heating, industrial processes, and as a feedstock for producing chemicals and fertilizers.
Natural Gas: From Formation to Function
What are the key characteristics of natural gas?
Abundant: Natural gas is widely available and can be found in many parts of the world.
Clean Burning: It emits significantly lower levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to coal and oil, making it an important part of the transition to cleaner energy.
Versatile: It can be used for power generation, transportation, cooking, and industrial applications.
How is natural gas formed?
Natural gas is formed from the underground decay of organic matter under intense heat or temperature (typically between 90°C and 150°C or 194°F to 302°F) and pressure (between 2,000 and 20,000 psi) over thousands of years through the process of diagenesis and catagenesis. It can be found in underground reservoirs, often alongside other fossil fuels like coal and oil (petroleum).
Natural gas is composed mainly of methane (CH4), usually up to 90%, but it can also contain small amounts of other gases and components like ethane, propane, butane, nitrogen, water and carbon dioxide. Natural gas is the cleanest form of fossil fuel and can be burned for heating, cooking, and electricity generation as well as an industrial feedstock in the manufacture of commercially important commodities. Once the natural gas has been separated into its useful parts, there are two ways to make it dense enough to transport: compressing it or liquefying it.
What are the types of natural gas?
Natural gas is often categorized into two forms; Associated Petroleum Gas (APG) and Non-Associated Petroleum Gas (n-APG).
Associated petroleum gas comes along with crude oil during petroleum production. During oil production, the associated natural gas is most often times flared away rather than being collected and used due to lack of infrastructure. A key focus of our project at TWD Energy is to establish the infrastructure to enable capture and monetization of the flared gas so it can be utilized and not vented into the atmosphere causing environmental pollution.
Non-Associated Petroleum Gas can be extracted independently (in its native gaseous form) from reservoirs that contain only gas with no significant amounts of crude oil.
What is natural gas used for?
Natural gas is a versatile energy source used for a variety of applications. It powers electricity generation, provides heating and cooking fuel in homes and businesses, and serves as a raw material for industrial processes like ammonia and petrochemical production. It is also used as an alternative fuel in transportation (CNG and LNG), and in backup power systems. Natural gas is crucial for producing hydrogen, and its by-products, such as propane and butane, have various industrial uses. With its lower emissions compared to coal and oil, natural gas plays a key role in transitioning to cleaner energy solutions.
Efficient and Safe Global LNG Transport and Distribution
LNG is transported in specialized LNG carrier ships with cryogenic tanks that maintain temperatures around -162°C (-260°F) to keep the gas in its liquid state. These carriers feature insulated, double-walled tanks to prevent heat ingress and advanced safety systems, including pressure relief valves and vapor containment to manage any pressure changes or leaks during transit.
Upon arrival at an LNG terminal, the liquid gas is offloaded, regasified, and either distributed via pipelines or used directly for power generation. This method enables efficient long-distance delivery of LNG to regions without pipeline infrastructure, making it a key solution for global energy distribution.
LNG Bridges Today’s Energy Needs
with Tomorrow’s Energy Solutions
As the world shifts toward a more sustainable energy future, LNG is expected to play a key role in bridging the gap between current energy demands and the transition to renewable sources. Advancements in LNG technology, including the development of carbon capture and blue hydrogen solutions, are helping further reduce emissions and increase the sustainability of LNG operations.
LNG’s potential to provide a cleaner, more flexible, and secure energy supply continues to make it an important part of the global energy landscape.
What is LNG?
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is natural gas that has been cooled to a liquid state for easier storage and transportation. By cooling natural gas to approximately -162°C (-260°F), it becomes a liquid that is about 600 times smaller in volume than its gaseous form. This makes LNG much more efficient to transport over long distances, especially to regions that do not have pipelines.
How is LNG made?
Gas Gathering and Extraction: Natural gas is extracted from deep underground reservoirs or shale formations.
Pre-Treatment Purification: Impurities such as water, dust, heavy hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide are removed.
Gas Conditioning: Further purification processes to remove hydrogen sulfide and other unwanted compounds.
Dehydration: Water vapor is removed from the gas stream to prevent ice formation during liquefaction..
Liquefaction: The purified gas is then cooled to cryogenic temperatures, turning it into liquid form.
Storage and Transport: LNG is stored in specialized tanks at -162°C and transported by LNG carriers (ships) to markets around the world.
Regasification: Upon reaching its destination, LNG is regasified, or converted back to its gaseous state, for distribution through pipelines or use in power plants and industries.
The Liquefaction Process
How do we do it?
Basically, it involves technology similar to your home’s refrigerator or air conditioner, only on a much larger and more complex scale. As we mentioned above, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas that has been chilled to about -260 degrees Fahrenheit (-162°C), which liquefies it, greatly reducing its volume. In liquefied form, we reduce the volume of the natural gas by 600 times. That’s like taking 600 one-gallon jugs of natural gas and liquefying it so that you’re left with just a single one-gallon jug of liquefied natural gas.
The natural gas arrives at our de-flaring plant via pipeline at a temperature of about 80°F. The production units are called “trains”. The natural gas is treated to remove any contaminants. Then the cooling phase begins. Numerous turbine engines, compressors, and many large cooling fans are employed to pull refrigerants throughout the entire liquefaction process. During the first cooling phase, the clean gas is cooled by a propane refrigerant to less than 0°F. The cold gas is then sent to the second cooling phase where it is cooled even more with an ethylene refrigerant. The gas is further cooled in the third phase of the cooling process before it is cooled one last time to reach -260°F. Now in liquid form, the LNG is moved into insulated storage tanks. At this point, we have LNG!
After liquefying the natural gas, it is loaded onto special LNG carrier ships designed to keep the LNG cold and in liquid form. The ships set off to to final destinations such as Europe and Asia. Once the ships arrive at their destination terminal, the LNG is converted back into its gas state in a process called re-gasification. This process involves warming the LNG using heat exchangers or other methods to raise its temperature and allow it to revert to its original gaseous form so that it can be piped into homes and businesses.
LNG remains a critical part of the global energy mix
Moving toward a lower-carbon future.
Why LNG?
Global Energy Solution: LNG makes it possible to deliver natural gas to markets that are not connected to pipelines, providing access to energy in regions with limited infrastructure.
Cleaner Alternative: LNG burns cleaner than coal and oil, helping reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Energy Security: By providing an alternative to other forms of fossil fuels, LNG can enhance energy security by diversifying supply sources.
Flexibility: LNG can be used in a wide range of applications, from power generation to heating and industrial processes, and even as a fuel for transportation.
Affordability: LNG is typically more affordable than oil and coal on a per-unit energy basis. While LNG prices fluctuate with supply and demand, it is usually cheaper than oil for power generation and industrial use. LNG often has a cost advantage over coal due to lower transportation and environmental compliance costs.
Leaning into LNG, and away from coal
50% less carbon dioxide emissions.
Is LNG Safe?
Yes, LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) is considered safe when handled in accordance with established industry standards and safety protocols. The infrastructure around LNG, including storage tanks, pipelines, and transport vessels, is designed with high levels of safety to prevent accidents and has been in use for many decades. However, like any energy source, any potential risks are managed through strict regulations, safety practices, and technologies to ensure that LNG is safely used in energy production, transportation, and other applications.
Safety in transportation and storage
- Non-toxic and non-corrosive: LNG is primarily composed of methane, which is a colorless, odorless gas. It is non-toxic, meaning it doesn’t pose a direct health hazard if it escapes into the air. However, methane is highly flammable when mixed with air in certain concentrations.
- Cryogenic temperatures: LNG is stored and transported at extremely low temperatures (around -162°C or -260°F). While this makes it safer to handle than gas in its gaseous form, it requires specialized containers (cryogenic tanks) to prevent leaks or accidents due to temperature extremes.
- Leak prevention: LNG is stored in double-walled tanks with safety mechanisms in place, such as pressure relief valves, to prevent leaks. Additionally, LNG is transported in specially designed ships or trucks to minimize the risk of accidents.
Safety during re-gasification (converting LNG back to gas)
LNG is typically converted back into its gaseous state at re-gasification facilities. This process is well-controlled, and modern facilities are designed with robust safety systems to ensure safe handling and storage during re-gasification.
Environmental Safety
LNG has lower environmental risks compared to other fossil fuels, particularly in terms of air quality. It burns cleaner than coal and oil, emitting fewer particulate matter, sulfur oxides (SOx), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). This makes it a more environmentally friendly option for power generation and transportation.
In the case of an accidental spill, LNG would evaporate quickly into the air and not cause long-lasting damage to soil or water. However, safety procedures are still in place to minimize risks to local ecosystems.
Industry Regulations and Standards
LNG production, transport, and storage are subject to rigorous safety standards and regulations set by international bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and local regulatory agencies in countries where LNG facilities operate. These regulations ensure the proper handling, storage, and transportation of LNG to minimize risks to workers, communities, and the environment.
Gas is crucial for driving human advancement
Natural gas (including LNG) accounts for around 25% of global energy consumption.
Cleaner, More Efficient Energy
METHANE
Methane is found abundantly in nature and is formed by the decay of natural materials. Methane is the primary component of natural gas, which is widely used for heating, electricity production, automotive fuel (CNG) and rocket fuel. Methane is a highly efficient energy source, producing more heat and light per mass compared to other fossil fuels like coal and gasoline, while emitting significantly less carbon dioxide and pollutants that contribute to smog and poor air quality. Methane is used to manufacture organic chemicals and is a common ingredient in fertilizer and anti-freeze.
ETHANE
Ethane is a colorless, odorless gaseous hydrocarbon and the second most significant component of natural gas. It is primarily used to produce ethylene, a key feedstock in the production of plastics. One notable application is in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is utilized in construction, insulation, plumbing, siding, and flooring, particularly in sterile environments. Ethane is also used in the preparation of ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid which find use in paints, varnishes, adhesive and plastic. Additionally, ethane is used as a refrigerant in cryogenic systems and is found in products such as antifreeze and detergents. It also plays a role in the production of welding gas.
METHANE
Methane is found abundantly in nature and is formed by the decay of natural materials. Methane is the primary component of natural gas, which is widely used for heating, electricity production, automotive fuel (CNG) and rocket fuel. Methane is a highly efficient energy source, producing more heat and light per mass compared to other fossil fuels like coal and gasoline, while emitting significantly less carbon dioxide and pollutants that contribute to smog and poor air quality. Methane is used to manufacture organic chemicals and is a common ingredient in fertilizer and anti-freeze.
ETHANE
Ethane is a colorless, odorless gaseous hydrocarbon and the second most significant component of natural gas. It is primarily used to produce ethylene, a key feedstock in the production of plastics. One notable application is in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is utilized in construction, insulation, plumbing, siding, and flooring, particularly in sterile environments. Ethane is also used in the preparation of ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid which find use in paints, varnishes, adhesive and plastic. Additionally, ethane is used as a refrigerant in cryogenic systems and is found in products such as antifreeze and detergents. It also plays a role in the production of welding gas.