LNG
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up approximately 1/600th the volume of natural gas in the gaseous state at standard temperature and pressure.
LNG is odorless, colorless, non-toxic, and non-corrosive. Hazards include flammability after vaporization into a gaseous state, freezing and asphyxiation. The liquefaction process involves removal of certain components, such as dust, carbon dioxide, helium, water, and heavy hydrocarbons, which could cause process upsets downstream. The natural gas is then condensed into a liquid at close to atmospheric pressure by cooling it to approximately −162 °C (−260 °F); maximum transport pressure is set at around 127 kPa (18 psi), which is approximately 1.25 times atmospheric pressure at sea level. The gas stream is typically separated into the liquefied petroleum fractions (butane and propane) and the lighter ethane and methane fractions. These lighter fractions of methane and ethane make up the bulk of LNG that is liquefied and stored.
Before the late 20th century natural gas was largely considered a byproduct of oil production. The development of production processes, cryogenic storage, and transportation made it possible to commercialize natural gas, creating a global market which now competes with other fuels. The development of LNG storage made natural gas transportation much more reliable. Unlike simple tank storage used for other fuels, natural gas previously could not be stored for extended periods due to the difficulty of preventing gas leakage. Large-scale cryogenic storage made it possible to create reliable long-term storage reserves for natural gas as well. These reserves of liquefied gas could be quickly deployed through regasification processes, and today are the main means for networks to handle local peak shaving requirements.
Production of LNG is an energy intensive process concentrated in a few countries, and typically requires specialized ports for handling the export of the LNG for use in other countries. As of 2023, the United States, Australia and Qatar had the most capacity for exporting LNG, and China, Japan, and South Korea were the biggest importers. A 2025 report by the IEA found that more capacity would be coming on in the upcoming decade. This hyper-concentration of production creates choke points in global supply chains, with the 2026 War in Iran affecting Qatar's LNG exports, causing a ripple effect in LNG access and cost.
Similar Artists