STORAGE OF NATURAL GAS IN LIQUID SOLVENTS AND METHODS TO ABSORB AND SEGREGATE NATURAL GAS INTO AND OUT OF LIQUID SOLVENTS

摘要

Bulk storage of natural gas or methane is facilitated by absorbing gas in aliquefied medium. Systems and processes are provided that facilitate theabsorption of natural gas or methane into a liquid or liquid vapor medium forstorage and transport, and back into a gas for delivery to market. In apreferred embodiment, the absorptive properties of ethane, propane and butaneunder moderate conditions of temperature and pressure are utilized to storenatural gas or methane at more efficient levels of compressed volume ratio.The preferred mixing process efficiently combines natural gas or methane witha solvent medium such as liquid ethane, propane, butane, or other suitablefluid, to form a concentrated liquid or liquid vapor mixture suited forstorage and transport. The solvent medium is preferably recycled in theconveyance vessel on unloading of the natural gas.