Liquefied natural gas process

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Gas production

Natural gas, or coal seam gas in the case of the Queensland Curtis LNG Project, is collected from underground reservoirs and transported by pipeline to a liquefaction plant.

Liquefaction

In the liquefaction process, impurities are removed from the gas before it is cooled.

The cooling of natural gas to -162°C causes it to liquefy at which point it takes up 1/600^th of its original volume.

This allows the gas to be stored and transported safely and economically in large vessels.

Transportation

Liquefied natural gas is transported in specially insulated, double-hull ships that usually carry about 125,000m³ to 170,000m³ of gas. That’s enough energy to power every household in Brisbane city for about four-and-a-half weeks or every household in the metropolitan area for two-and-a-half weeks.

The liquefied natural gas remains at -162ºC during transit and ships are often powered by the gas they carry.

Regasification

When liquefied natural gas is off-loaded at regasification terminals, the liquefaction process is reversed.

Liquefied natural gas is pumped from ships to onshore storage tanks and warmed so it returns to natural gas.

It is then transported through local pipeline systems and used to cook meals, warm homes, and power cars, buses and power stations.