Method and apparatus for warming and storage of cold fluids

A method for storing and discharging a fluid from an uncompensated salt cavern and distribution through a pipeline to a market:

• securing a transport ship carrying a cryogenic liquid to a mooring/docking facility;
• offloading the cryogenic liquid from the transport ship;
• pumping the cryogenic liquid, at sufficient pressure to convert the liquid into a dense phase fluid, through a heat exchanger where the dense phase fluid is warmed using a warmant selected from the group consisting of seawater,
• fresh water and warmants from industrial processes, to a temperature that is compatible with an uncompensated salt cavern;
• transferring the warmed dense phase fluid into the uncompensated salt cavern;
• and
• discharging the warmed dense phase fluid from the uncompensated salt cavern through a pipeline to a market.

A method for storing and discharging fluid from an uncompensated salt cavern and distribution through a pipeline to a market comprising:

• securing a transport ship to a mooring/docking facility, the ship carrying a cryogenic liquid;
• transferring the cryogenic liquid from the transport ship to a pumping system;
• pumping the cryogenic liquid through a conventional vaporizer system where the liquid changes to a warmed fluid that has been warmed to a temperature that is compatible with an uncompensated salt cavern, the vaporizer system being reinforced to withstand the pressures of the pumping system;
• transferring the warmed fluid into the uncompensated salt cavern;
• and
• discharging the warmed fluid from the uncompensated salt cavern through a pipeline to a market.

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal comprising:

• a mooring/docking facility for at least one LNG ship;
• a low pressure pumping system with sufficient pressure to transfer the LNG from the LNG ship to a high pressure pumping system;
• the high pressure pumping system raising the pressure of the LNG to convert the LNG into dense phase natural gas (DPNG), the high pressure pumping system also providing sufficient pressure to move the DPNG through a Bishop Process heat exchanger and transfer the DPNG into an uncompensated salt cavern;
• the heat exchanger warming the DPNG to a temperature compatible with the uncompensated salt cavern, using a warmant selected from the group consisting of seawater, fresh water and warmants from industrial processes.

A method for storing dense phase natural gas (DPNG) in an uncompensated salt cavern:

• securing a LNG ship to a mooring/docking facility;
• transferring the LNG from the LNG ship to a high pressure pumping system;
• pumping the LNG, at sufficient pressure to convert the LNG into DPNG, through a Bishop Process heat exchanger where the DPNG is warmed to a temperature that is compatible with an uncompensated salt cavern, a warmant being selected from the group consisting of seawater, fresh water and warmants from industrial processes;
• and
• transferring the warmed DPNG into the uncompensated salt cavern.

A method for storing and discharging dense phase natural gas (DPNG) from an uncompensated salt cavern and distribution through a pipeline to a market comprising:

• securing an LNG ship to a mooring/docking facility;
• transferring a LNG from the LNG ship to a high pressure pumping system;
• pumping the LNG, at sufficient pressure to convert the LNG into DPNG, through a Bishop Process heat exchanger where the DPNG is warmed to a temperature that is compatible with an uncompensated salt cavern, a warmant being selected from the group consisting of seawater, fresh water and warmants from industrial processes;
• transferring the warmed DPNG into the uncompensated salt cavern;
• discharging the DPNG from the uncompensated salt cavern through a pipeline to a market.

A fluid handling terminal comprising:

• a mooring/docking facility for at least one transport ship carrying at least one cryogenic liquid;
• a low pressure pumping system with sufficient pressure to transfer the cryogenic liquid from the transport ship to a high pressure pumping system;
• the high pressure pumping system raising the pressure of the cryogenic liquid to convert the cryogenic liquid into dense phase fluid, the high pressure pumping system also providing sufficient pressure to move the dense phase fluid through a Bishop Process heat exchanger and transfer the dense phase fluid into an uncompensated salt cavern;
• the heat exchanger warming the dense phase fluid to a temperature compatible with the uncompensated salt cavern, using a warmant selected from the group consisting of seawater, fresh water and warmants from industrial processes.

A method for storing a fluid in an uncompensated salt cavern:

• securing a transport ship carrying a cryogenic liquid to a mooring/docking facility;
• transferring the cryogenic liquid from the transport ship to a high pressure pumping system;
• pumping the cryogenic liquid, at sufficient pressure to convert the liquid into a dense phase fluid, through a Bishop Process heat exchanger where the dense phase fluid is warmed using a warmant being selected from the group consisting of seawater, fresh water and warmants from industrial processes;
• and
• transferring the warmed dense phase fluid into the uncompensated salt cavern, the dense phase fluid being warmed to a temperature that is compatible with the uncompensated salt cavern.

A method for storing and discharging a fluid from an uncompensated salt cavern and distribution through a pipeline to a market:

• securing a transport ship carrying a cryogenic liquid to a mooring/docking facility;
• transferring the cryogenic liquid from the transport ship to a high pressure pumping system;
• pumping the cryogenic liquid, at sufficient pressure to convert the liquid into a dense phase fluid, through a Bishop Process heat exchanger where the dense phase fluid is warmed using a warmant being selected from the group consisting of seawater, fresh water and warmants from industrial processes;
• transferring the warmed dense phase fluid into the uncompensated salt cavern, the dense phase fluid being warmed to a temperature that is compatible with the uncompensated salt cavern;
• and
• discharging the warmed dense phase fluid from the uncompensated salt cavern through a pipeline to a market.

A method for storage of fluid in an uncompensated salt cavern:

• securing an LNG ship to a mooring/docking facility;
• transferring an LNG from the LNG ship to a pumping system;
• pumping the LNG through a conventional vaporizer system where the fluid is warmed to a temperature that is compatible with an uncompensated salt cavern;
• and
• transferring the warmed fluid into the uncompensated salt cavern.

A method for storing and discharging fluid from an uncompensated salt cavern and distribution through a pipeline to a market comprising:

• securing a cryogenic transport ship to a mooring/docking facility;
• transferring a cryogenic fluid from the cryogenic transport ship to a pumping system;
• pumping the cryogenic fluid through a conventional vaporizer system where the fluid is warmed to a temperature that is compatible with an uncompensated salt cavern;
• transferring the warmed fluid into the uncompensated salt cavern;
• and
• discharging the warmed fluid from the uncompensated salt cavern through a pipeline to a market.

A method for storing dense phase fluid in an uncompensated salt cavern:

• securing a transport ship to a mooring/docking facility, the ship carrying a cryogenic liquid;
• transferring the cryogenic liquid from the transport ship to a high pressure pumping system;
• pumping the cryogenic liquid, at sufficient pressure to convert the cryogenic liquid into a dense phase fluid, through a conventional vaporizer system where the dense phase fluid is warmed to a temperature that is compatible with an uncompensated salt cavern, the conventional vaporizer system being modified and strengthened to withstand the high pressure of the dense phase fluid from the high pressure pumping system;
• and
• transferring the warmed dense phase fluid into the uncompensated salt cavern.

A method for storing and discharging a dense phase fluid from an uncompensated salt cavern and distribution through a pipeline to a market comprising:

• securing a cryogenic transport ship to a mooring/docking facility;
• transferring a cryogenic liquid from the cryogenic transport ship to a pumping system;
• pumping the cryogenic liquid, at sufficient pressure to convert the cryogenic liquid into a dense phase fluid, through a conventional vaporizer system where the dense phase fluid is warmed to a temperature that is compatible with an uncompensated salt cavern, the conventional vaporizer system being modified and strengthened to withstand the high pressure of the dense phase fluid from the pumping system;
• transferring the warmed dense phase fluid into the uncompensated salt cavern;
• and
• discharging the warmed dense phase fluid from the uncompensated salt cavern through a pipeline to a market.

A method of warming liquefied natural gas (LNG) and converting the LNG into dense phase natural gas (DPNG) for subsequent storage in an uncompensated salt cavern, comprising;

• pressurizing the LNG to a pressure that will keep the LNG outside of the two-phase envelope and change the LNG into DPNG;
• warming the DPNG in a Bishop Process heat exchanger to a temperature that is compatible with a salt cavern;
• and
• storing the DPNG in an uncompensated salt cavern.

A method of warming liquefied natural gas (LNG) and converting the LNG into dense phase natural gas (DPNG) for storage and discharge from an uncompensated salt cavern and distribution through a pipeline to a market comprising;

• pressurizing the LNG to a pressure that will keep the LNG outside of the two-phase envelope and change the LNG into DING;
• warning the DPNG in a Bishop Process heat exchanger to a temperature that is compatible with a salt cavern;
• storing the DPNG in an uncompensated salt cavern;
• and
• discharging the DPNG from the uncompensated salt cavern through a pipeline to market.