LNG means more U.S. gas arriving by sea

摘要

Energy planners and project developers are looking to liquefied natural gas (LNG) to supply a growing share of U.S. gas needs, while recent history and known constraints provide clues as to the potential role LNG will play. LNG is natural gas that has been super-cooled to minus 260 F degrees so that it transforms into its liquid state, shrinking the volume to 1/600th of the gaseous state. LNG can then be economically shipped from remote locations to markets like the U.S. in heavily insulated tankers (only very slight pressure is maintained on LNG, while insulation is used to retain the very cold liquid state). As LNG, natural gas is a cryogenic liquid and has very different properties that contribute to its safe handling. LNG, for example, will not ignite until regasified back into natural gas and mixed with air at specific concentrations (between 5 and 15 percent volume concentration).