Granted Patent B1

US 6,932,121 · App. 10/903,446 · Granted Aug 23, 2005

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A method for offloading and storage of liquefied compressed natural gas, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a. identifying a salt dome;

b. installing a platform over the salt dome;

c. constructing a storage cavern in the salt dome;

d. inserting piping into the storage cavern;

e. connecting piping to a platform offloading manifold disposed on the platform;

f. using a flexible offloading conduit comprising a platform end connected to the platform offloading manifold and a vessel end connected to a vessel offloading manifold located on a vessel;

g. connecting the vessel offloading manifold to a transport container of liquefied compressed natural gas disposed on the vessel;

h. using a flexible displacement gas conduit including a displacement platform end and a displacement vessel end, wherein the displacement platform end is connected to a displacement gas platform manifold located on the platform, wherein the displacement vessel end is connected to a displacement gas vessel manifold located on the vessel, and wherein the displacement gas comprises a pressure greater than a pressure of the liquefied compressed natural gas and a temperature of from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit to about 120 degrees Fahrenheit;

i. connecting the displacement gas vessel manifold to the transport container;

j. flowing the displacement gas from the source into the transport container to initiate offloading of the liquefied compressed natural gas from the vessel to the storage cavern, wherein the liquefied compressed natural gas is at a pressure of from about 750 psi to about 1100 psi and a temperature of from about −80 degrees Fahrenheit to about −110 degrees Fahrenheit; and

k. mixing the liquefied compressed natural gas with gas vapor in the storage cavern, wherein the gas vapor in the storage cavern is at a geostatic temperature and at a pressure lower than a pressure of the liquefied compressed natural gas.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of using an atomizer within the storage cavern to facilitate intimate mixing of the liquefied compressed natural gas with the gas vapor in the storage cavern.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of flowing the compressed natural gas from the storage cavern to a natural gas pipeline.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pumping the compressed natural gas from the vessel to the salt dome through the piping.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the platform is selected from the group consisting of a jacket, a jack up rig, a fixed leg platform, a tension leg platform, a Spar, a floating platform, a floating vessel, and a drill ship.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compressed liquefied natural gas is at a pressure from about 900 psi to about 1000 psi prior to being inserted into the piping.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displacement gas is a natural gas from a pipeline network or a natural gas from another storage cavern.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transport container comprises a top end and a bottom end and the displacement gas vessel manifold connects to the top end and the vessel offloading manifold connects to the bottom end.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of offloading the displacement gas from the transport containers.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of offloading the displacement gas comprises:

a. shutting of the displacement gas from a source;

b. connecting the platform offloading manifold to a low pressure sink;

c. flowing displacement gas from the transport container through the flexible offloading conduit to the low pressure sink until pressure in the transport container approaches a residual pressure; and

d. shutting off the low pressure sink to terminate offloading of the displacement gas.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the low pressure sink is a second storage cavity or a salt dome cavern.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein low pressure sink comprises a suction compressor.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the residual pressure provides sufficient inventory of residual natural gas to power the vessel.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein from about 16 to about 64 transport containers are disposed on the vessel.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of transport containers is further grouped into modules and each module comprises:

a. a first structural frame including a first stanchion and a second stanchion;

b. a second structural frame including a third stanchion and a fourth stanchion;

c. a skid shoe disposed on each stanchion;

d. a first rack connecting the first stanchion and the second stanchion; and

e. at least a second rack connecting the third stanchion and the fourth stanchion, wherein the transport containers are disposed in the first rack and the second rack.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transport containers are double walled.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of manifolds and a plurality of flexible conduits are used with the transport container, source and storage cavern.

Assignments (14)