LNG Production Plant

What it is

Whenever the source of natural gas production is a long distance from the location of potential usage and a pipeline is not a viable solution, liquefaction of the natural gas may be an economical choice. The liquefaction of natural gas reduces its volume about 600 fold and allows the gas to be exported to distant ports as a liquid in LNG tankers.

New LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) production plants are constantly being built to satisfy the growing global demand for natural gas. Likewise, in order to reduce the unit production cost, liquefaction line capacity has been increasing year by
year and is currently topped by Qatar's mega LNG lines, each producing about 8 Mtons/y of LNG.

Technology innovation and economies of scale have been the two key contributors to the industry's progress. GE Oil & Gas has a long history of leadership in the evolution of LNG technology. Our sustained commitment to innovative design and world-class engineering, and our production and testing capabilities have allowed us to push the envelope of highly reliable, advanced LNG solutions.

How it works

The natural gas from the filed is first treated in a gas processing unit to remove higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, sulfur compounds and water. It is then fed to the liquefaction process where it is, depending on the process used, cooled in two or three cascade cooling cycles down to the liquefaction temperature of -160°C (- 256 °F). The cold liquid LNG is then transferred to heavily insulated storage tanks at atmospheric pressure, and from there it is loaded into LNG tankers for shipment.

Each of the cooling cycles requires a very large compression train which is typically driven by a gas turbine. The 8 Mtons/y plants in Qatar are based on three trains, each driven by a 125MW Fr9E gas turbine.

GE Oil & Gas Offerings

  • Gas Turbine Packages for power generation (10 to 125 MW)
  • Mechanical Drive Gas Turbines (23 to 125 MW)
  • Large Centrifugal and Axial Compressors for the liquefaction loop
  • Steam Turbines
  • Other Compressors (Centrifugal, Reciprocating, Oil-free Screw)
  • Centrifugal Pumps
  • High Power Variable Frequency Drives
  • Modularized Compression and PowerGen solutions
  • Air Cooled Heat Exchangers
  • Steam Condensers
  • Control & Safety Valves
  • Product Installation & Maintenance Services
  • Revamps & Rerates
  • Contractual Service Agreements
  • Technical Training

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