REDUCING LNG CAPITAL COST IN TODAY’S COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

摘要

The Air Products propane pre-cooled, mixed refrigerant LNG process (C3MR) has been the workhorse of the LNG industry for more than 30 years. It has been applied in LNG plants producing from 1 to 5 Mta of LNG per train, using steam and gas turbine drivers, sea water and air cooling, rich and lean feeds containing a broad range of nitrogen, with and without LPG extraction. The process has proven to be efficient, flexible, reliable, and cost competitive.rnThe AP-XTM LNG Process will increase single train capacities to 7-10 Mta. This capacity expansion has the potential to bring down the capital cost of LNG significantly. By producing warmer LNG at pressure, today’s C3MR process capacity can be increased up to 80% with the same proven equipment in use today. The warmer LNG is then subcooled to storage temperature by an all vapor, nitrogen refrigerant in a compression/expansion cycle that has been used for years to liquefy oxygen, nitrogen, and natural gas. The efficiency of this process is as good as what has been achieved in the industry by any other process, while the capital cost of the liquefier is reduced significantly. rnThis paper will present applications of the AP-X™ LNG Process to achieve not only maximum capacity in a single train with a variety of compressor drivers, but also high LPG recovery, lower LNG heating value for new markets, and maximum efficiency. This range of applications demonstrates that the AP-X™ LNG Process brings significant economies of scale to the industry, reducing the capital cost of LNG while maintaining the efficiency, flexibility, and reliability of the C3MR process.