Configurations and methods for offshore LNG regasification and BTU control
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing a natural gas product, comprising:
- providing vaporized supercritical LNG, optionally from an offshore location to an onshore terminal;
splitting the vaporized supercritical LNG into a first and second stream;
processing the first stream to remove at least some non-methane components from the first stream to form a lean natural gas product, wherein the step of processing includes a first turbo-expansion of at least a portion of the first stream;
compressing the lean natural gas product using at least in part energy from the first turbo-expansion; and
combining the compressed lean natural gas product with the second stream to thereby form a sales gas with predetermined content of non-methane components.
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Abstract
LNG is pumped to supercritical pressure and vaporized, preferably in an offshore location to thereby form a natural gas stream with an intermediate temperature. A first portion of that stream is then processed in an onshore location to remove at least some non-methane components to thereby form a lean LNG, which is then combined with a second portion of that stream to form a sales gas having desired chemical composition. The intermediate temperature and the split ratio of the gas stream in first and second portion are a function of the concentration of the non-methane components in the LNG.
15 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of providing a natural gas product, comprising:
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providing vaporized supercritical LNG, optionally from an offshore location to an onshore terminal; splitting the vaporized supercritical LNG into a first and second stream; processing the first stream to remove at least some non-methane components from the first stream to form a lean natural gas product, wherein the step of processing includes a first turbo-expansion of at least a portion of the first stream; compressing the lean natural gas product using at least in part energy from the first turbo-expansion; and combining the compressed lean natural gas product with the second stream to thereby form a sales gas with predetermined content of non-methane components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A facility comprising:
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a source of LNG and a pump fluidly coupled to the source, wherein the pump is configured to produce LNG at supercritical pressure; a regasification unit coupled to the pump and configured to regasify the supercritical LNG to a predetermined temperature; and a controller operationally linked with the regasification unit and enabled to set the temperature of the regasified LNG as a function of a concentration of non-methane components in the LNG. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A LNG processing plant comprising:
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a portion, optionally offshore, configured to pump LNG to supercritical pressure and to regasify the pressurized LNG; an onshore portion configured to process one portion of the regasified LNG to remove at least a portion of non-methane content in the LNG to thereby form a lean natural gas product; and wherein the onshore portion is further configured to produce a sales gas from the lean natural gas product and another portion of the regasified LNG. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A LNG processing plant comprising:
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a source that provides regasified LNG at supercritical pressure, wherein the LNG has a first quantity of non-methane components; a flow divider that is configured to produce a first and a second stream from the regasified LNG; an absorber that is configured to produce a lean natural gas product from a turbo-expanded portion of the first stream; a compressor that compresses the lean natural gas product, wherein the compressor is configured to use energy from the turbo-expansion of the first stream; and a flow combining element that is configured to produce a sales gas from the compressed lean natural gas product and the second stream, wherein the sales gas has a quantity of non-methane components that is less than the first quantity. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification