Flow control for floating LNG

Natural gas is a source of energy and an important feedstock in petrochemicals and fertilizers production. LNG is purified and liquefied natural gas (methane) and it is used to produce electricity in gas fired power plants. Natural gas reserves are plenty, but number of large fields, which allow building big capacity on-shore LNG plants (so called base load plants) and related infrastructure in commercially viable manner, is limited. Floating LNG plants make it feasible to develop gas fields, which are too small or are too far offshore to have an onshore plant.

Floating LNG represents new technology. LNG has been produced and transported in commercial scale in onshore plants for over 30 years, so it is not new as such. Producing floating LNG is different and technology to do this has been developed only recently. The main challenges are confined spaces and weight limitations in processing, storing and offloading facilities on a vessel and making the system sloshing resistant. Careful design and construction is needed to maintain safety. The production capacity of a Floating LNG plant is typically 1.0 - 2.0 million tons per annum, while a base load on-shore plant capacity is 3 – 5 million tons per annum.