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Society of Petroleum Engineers

Distinguished Lecturer Program
www.spe.org/dl
1
 LNG Basics
for Petroleum Engineers

Michael Choi

2
Present an Overview of LNG Plant
•  Why LNG?
•  Typical Multi-Trains Plant
•  Pre-Treatment Required
•  Unique Auxiliary Facilities
•  Natural Gas Liquefaction
Thermodynamics
•  Commercial Liquefaction
Processes
•  Equipment for Liquefaction
Oman LNG Plant
•  Novel Plant Concepts
•  Concluding Remarks

3
 Stranded Gas Looking for Markets
•  LNG Proved to be Most Economic for Distances >1,500 Mile
•  Transported in Insulated Tankers @ -162C & 1 atm.
•  Volume Reduction of 600:1

Supply
Demand

4
LNG Process & Equipment ?

Big Refrigeration System

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

Similar to the AC System

in Our Home!

5
 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
9 Mtpa
NGL (1.2 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)

6
 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 Reception
Inlet Gas TreatingNGL Recovery
9 Mtpa
•  Pipeline
•  Amine
NGL • forScrub
Manifold
FractionationCO 2&
Train
Column/KO NGLafter C3 Pre-Cool
2 H2S Removal
(1.2 Bcfd)

•  Pig • 
Receivers
•  Deethanizer <50•  Primarily
ppm & < 4 C4+
ppmFractionation
to Prevent Freezing
•  Inlet Separator
•  Vapor •  LNG
• Compression
Sulfur Heat Value
Recovery Unit ifImportant
H2S for US & Propane Propane
Condensate Storage
•  Slug • 
Catcher
Mol Sieve European
Dehydration*
•  DepropanizerStabilization
& Treating
Markets .73 Mtpa
(27 Mbpd)
•  < 100 •  1,070 btu/scf Max
ppb
•  95% & 200 psig
Condensate VP
Stabilization Butane Butane
•  Mercury •  Need
Vapor Turbo-Expander for High
Removal* Storage
•  <.5ppm
•  Multi-Stage
H 2S & <15ppm
Column
C3+
S
Removal
.5 Mtpa
(17 Mbpd)
•  Activated
•  Debutanizer
•  Vapor &Compressor
Treating Carbon Adsorber
Condensate Condensate
•  95%
•  10-12
& 70psia
psigRVP
VP @100F Storage 1.2 Mtpa
(34 Mbpd)
•  <.5ppm
•  De-Odorized
H2S & <15ppm S
7
 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

•  Total Capacity Based on

Tanker Size (135,000 M3)
•  Plus 4+-Days Production
•  Top Entry In-Tank Pumps

8
 Inside the Tanks

Single-Stage Multi-Stage

Tank with Pump Caissons

9
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

10
 Cost of Refrigeration

Methane
or Nitrogen

Cost/Btu
Removed

Ethylene Air/Water
Propane
-162C Temperature 25C
11
 Natural Gas Liquefaction Processes
25C
Gas Cooling

Condensation
Temperature
Min. DT

Liquid
Sub-cooling
-162C

ΔH (Enthalpy - Heat Removed)

12
 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
• 
3th Stage

CoP License, Plant Build by Bechtel 1st Stage

Ethylene Refrig
2nd Stage
1st Stage

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

ΔH (Enthalpy - Heat Removed)

Kenai, Alaska

13
 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

ΔH (Enthalpy - Heat Removed)

QatarGas LNG Plant

14
 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

15
 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
16
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

17
APCI s MR Main Cryogenic Heat Exchanger (MCHE)
Spiral Wound Design

18
Heat Exchanger for Cascade Process

Plate Fin
Exchanger

•  Many Manufacturers
•  Use Extensively in Air Separation
•  Cascade & Other LNG Processes
Cold Box Configuration
19
 Advances in LNG Plants
Onshore
Conventional Design

Near-shore
GBS Design

Offshore
Steel or Concrete
Floater
20
 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

21
LNG ?

22
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