Natural gas (LNG – liquefied natural gas) is the second most consumed fuel in the world after crude oil. Data from global economies forecast an increase in the consumption of this fuel. Therefore, it is necessary to plan well in advance for the expansion of existing and new transmission and storage infrastructure, covering the entire logistics chain of supply for this raw material. Currently, about 75% of natural gas is transported via pipelines, while the remaining 25% consists of liquefied gas deliveries, a market that is recording the highest growth in the global gas sector due to the location of extraction sources – wells.LNG is a liquefied mixture of hydrocarbon gases with small admixtures of nitrogen, ethane, and propane; the main component is methane (about 95%). As a result of liquefaction, a liquid with a reduced volume (about 600 times smaller) is obtained, which is colorless, non-toxic, difficult to ignite, and non-explosive, has no corrosive properties, is characterized by a density half that of water, and has an octane rating close to 130.
At atmospheric pressure, liquefied natural gas remains at a temperature of 111 K and is usually stored and transported at this temperature by LNG carriers. The critical temperature of methane is 190 K. It follows that the temperature range in which natural gas exists in liquid form is between
111-190 K.
The world’s largest natural gas reserves are located in Russia, amounting to over 27 percent of global reserves, estimated at 6,188 trillion cubic feet. Two other gas giants are Iran and Qatar, which hold 15.3 percent and 14.6 percent of global reserves, respectively. The remaining 50 percent (…)
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Source: Logistyka Magazine 5/2011
Risks and problems in the maritime transport of natural gas – PDF file for download