 |
|
Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
Bechtel is no stranger to LNG. Since the industry’s birth some 40 years ago, we have built about a third of the world’s liquefaction capacity — more than any other contractor.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas chilled to minus 162 degrees Celsius (minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit). At this temperature, natural gas becomes a liquid that occupies one six-hundredth the volume of gas, so it can be transported safely and economically by sea. LNG can then be “regasified” at a receiving terminal and used for heating, cooking, fueling power plants, and many other industrial purposes.
Our successful collaboration with ConocoPhillips on the Phillips Optimized Cascade Process has revolutionized the industry. The process, developed by Phillips Petroleum, streamlines the cooling of natural gas by refrigerating it in stages, allowing critical components to be duplicated within a single train.
The ConocoPhillips Optimized Cascade LNG Process was first used in Alaska, at the ConocoPhillips Petroleum Kenai plant built by Bechtel in 1969. It’s a dependable alternative—Kenai has been operating continuously since it was commissioned and has not missed a shipment. Bechtel and Phillips operate a joint development center in Houston to improve and market the process. Standardization of parts and smaller, more efficient compressors have brought costs down even further.
Bechtel has also designed and/or constructed LNG facilities found in Algeria, Indonesia, UAE, Libya, Egypt, Trinidad, and Australia.