Turning natural gas to liquid for export

LNG is natural gas in its liquid, rather than gaseous form. To export natural gas where pipelines don’t exist, natural gas is cooled to -162 degrees Celsius, liquefied and stored in insulated vessels at atmospheric pressure. At this temperature, gas turns into a liquid and its volume is reduced by 600 times – not unlike the volume of a beach ball reduced to the volume of a ping pong ball. In its liquid form, natural gas can be stored at atmospheric pressure and efficiently shipped via ocean-going LNG carriers to global markets. When the cargo arrives at port, LNG is warmed, which returns it to its gaseous state, so it can be shipped via pipeline to its final destination.

Natural gas is odorless, colorless, non-toxic and non-corrosive. In its liquid form, LNG is stored at standard pressure, which means it is non-explosive. In the case of a leak, LNG evaporates when mixed with air and if concentrations of natural gas are below five percent or above 15 percent, it is not flammable.