A GAS ECONOMY BRIEF

LNG Technology

The purpose of liquefying natural gas at

storage.The heavier components can

for the highly efficient platefin heat

very low temperatures is to enable trans-

be shipped as a condensate product,

exchangers,collectively known as the

portation from the producing region to a

or can be fractionated into pure marketable

cold box.The cold box contains a

distant market by a specially built tanker.

products,including propane and butane.

number of platefin heat exchanger

The liquefied natural gas occupies a

To cool the refrigerant,which then

cores,which allow multiple streams

volume which is approximately 1/600th

cools the natural gas feed,the pressure

to be heated/cooled to extremely close

of the volume occupied by the gas at

is reduced by passing the refrigerant

temperature differences.The mixed

atmospheric pressure.The process of

through a partially open valve,a process

refrigerant (MR) is then fully condensed

liquefaction is energy intensive,and it is

referred to as flashing.This sudden

before it is flashed across an expansion

only chosen as a method of transport

pressure drop causes the refrigerant

valve,which causes a dramatic reduction

when the distance to the market is too

to cool (known as the Joule-Thompson

in temperature.This very cold vapour

large for conventional pipeline transport.

effect).The energy required to recompress

is used to condense the MR stream,as

the refrigerants is supplied by very large

well as the natural gas feed stream.

gas turbines.

The warmed low-pressure MR vapour

There are currently three major commercial

processes available for LNG production,
the Single Mixed-Refrigerant Process,
the Propane Pre-Cooled MixedRefrigerant Process, and the Cascade

is then sent to the compressor for

Process 1 Single Mixed

Refrigerant (SMR) Process
COMPRESSOR

NATURAL
GAS FEED

gas down to a temperature where it is a

liquid at ambient pressure,approximately
161C (258F).The method of cooling
the natural gas is where the processes
differ.In each of the three processes

remove the heavier components,which

The expanded MR then cools the light

MIXED
REFRIGERANT
LOOP

components,primarily methane,to
the liquefaction temperature.Black

COLD BOX

and Veatch Pritchard are licensors of

EXPANSION
VALVE

NGL TO
FRACTIONATION

it is treated to remove carbon dioxide,

hydrogen sulphide,mercury and

The gas is then sent to a separator to

are sent to the fractionation plant.

CONDENSER

wet natural gas passes through the

pre-treatment section of the plant,where

stream enters the cold box and is

initially cooled to about 35C (31F).

Process. All of the processes are based

on a common concept cool the natural

recompression.The natural gas feed

LNG TO
TANK

this technology.

Process 2 Propane Pre-Cooled

Mixed Refrigerant (PPMR) Process

mercaptans and dehydrated to remove

water.The treated,dry gas is then pre-

The SMR process utilises a multi-

cooled to an intermediate temperature,

component refrigerant,composed

approximately 35C (31F).This

of nitrogen,methane,ethane,propane,

will cause the heavier hydrocarbon

butane,and pentane.The component

components,which can freeze at very

ratio is chosen to closely match its

low temperatures,to condense and

boiling curve with the cooling curve

separate from the gas.The lean gas,

of the natural gas feed.The closer

mainly methane and ethane,is then sent

the curves match,the more efficient

to the liquefaction section of the plant,

the process is.The mixed refrigerant

where it is cooled to approximately

is compressed and partially condensed

161C (258F) before sending it to

prior to entering the insulated enclosure

LNG TO
TANK
HP
MP
PROPANE PROPANE
CHILLER CHILLER

NATURAL
GAS FEED

NGL TO
FRACTIONATION

HP
PROPANE
CHILLER

MP
PROPANE
CHILLER

LP
PROPANE
CHILLER

LP
PROPANE
CHILLER

MIXED
REFRIGERANT
LOOP

The PPMR process is similar to the

vapour streams are then chilled further

and therefore the lowest temperature.

SMR in that it utilises a multicomponent

before being flashed across Joule-

The propane circuit cools the ethylene,

refrigerant,which however has a lower

Thompson valves which provides the

methane,and the natural gas feed to a

molecular weight and is composed of

cooling for the final gas liquefaction.BP

temperature of approximately 35C

nitrogen,methane,ethane,and propane.

is currently partnered in plants using this

(31F).From here the natural gas is

The natural gas feed is initially cooled by

process at Das Island,Abu Dhabi,Bontang,

sent to fractionation to remove the

a separate propane chiller package to an

Indonesia,and Northwest Shelf, Australia.

heavier components which would

intermediate temperature,approximately

Air Products and Chemicals,Inc.(APCI) is

freeze at very low temperatures.The

35C (31F),at which the heavier

the main licensor of this technology.

light natural gas is returned,and with

components in the feed gas condense

out and are sent to fractionation.The
natural gas is then sent to the main heat
exchanger,which is composed of a large
number of small diameter,spiral wound
tube bundles,which permit very close
temperature approaches between the
condensing and boiling streams.

the methane refrigerant stream is

Process 3 The Cascade Process

The Cascade Process consists of 3 discrete,
pure component cooling circuits,composed
of propane,ethylene,and methane.

to a temperature of approximately
100C (148F).Finally,the natural gas
is liquefied by the evaporating methane

Each of the circuits cools by flashing

circuit,at a temperature of approximately

high-pressure condensed coolant across

a valve,causing it to cool down signif-

161C (258F).BP is a partner in Atlantic

LNG in Trinidad,where a variation of this

icantly.In each circuit,a portion of

process,licensed by Phillips,is used.

The MR refrigerant is partially condensed

the refrigerant is expanded in each of

by the propane chiller before entering

three stages,at three different pressures,

the cold box.The separate liquid and

gradually flashing to the lowest pressure,

Cascade Process

cooled by the evaporating ethylene,

NATURAL GAS
FEED

ETHYLENE
CIRCUIT

EXPANSION
VALVES
EXPANSION
VALVES
NATURAL GAS TO
LIQUEFACTION

PROPANE CIRCUIT

LNG TO
STORAGE
TANK

NGL TO
FRACTIONATION

EXPANSION
VALVES

Jeff Sawchuck, Gas Processing and LNG, Houston, Texas, USA Tel: (1) 281 366 3178 e-mail: sawchujh@bp.com
Mark Howard, Gas Processing and LNG, Sunbury, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1932 762133 Fax: +44 (0) 1932 764120 e-mail: howardmj3@bp.com

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