# US 6,813,893 B2 · Flexible natural gas storage facility

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 6,813,893 B2
- Document ID: US6813893B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/384,156
- Filed: 2003-03-07
- Published: 2003-08-14
- Granted: 2004-11-09
- Earliest claimed: 2001-12-19
- Assignees: Conversion Gas Imports, L.P.
- Inventors: William M. Bishop; Michael M. McCall
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6813893B2

## CPC

- F17C 3/005: {Underground or underwater containers or vessels (storing in natural or artificial cavities in the earth in general B65G5/00)}
- F17C 5/06: for filling with compressed gases
- F17C 7/00: Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass
- F17C 9/02: with change of state, e.g. vaporisation
- F17C 2205/0364: flexible or articulated, e.g. a hose
- F17C 2221/033: Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
- F17C 2223/0115: dense or supercritical, i.e. at high pressure and high density
- F17C 2223/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2223/0161: cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
- F17C 2223/033: Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
- F17C 2225/0115: dense or supercritical, i.e. at high pressure and high density
- F17C 2225/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2225/035: High pressure, i.e. between 10 and 80 bars
- F17C 2225/036: Very high pressure, i.e. above 80 bars
- F17C 2227/0135: Pumps
- F17C 2227/0157: Compressors
- F17C 2227/0185: comprising several pumps or compressors
- F17C 2227/0309: using another fluid
- F17C 2227/0316: Water heating
- F17C 2227/0318: using seawater
- F17C 2227/0323: in a closed loop
- F17C 2227/033: using solar energy
- F17C 2227/0337: by cooling
- F17C 2227/0388: separate
- F17C 2227/0393: using a vaporiser
- F17C 2227/0395: using a submerged heat exchanger
- F17C 2250/0456: Calorific or heating value
- F17C 2265/05: Regasification
- F17C 2265/068: Distribution pipeline networks
- F17C 2270/0105: Ships
- F17C 2270/0152: Salt caverns
- F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25)

## Abstract

The Flexible Natural Gas Storage Facility stores natural gas in one or more man-made salt caverns typically located in a single salt dome or in bedded salt. The Flexible Natural Gas Storage Facility can access different sources of natural gas. A first gas source is from a natural gas pipeline(s) and a second gas source is from LNG. Depending on economic conditions, supply conditions and other factors, the Flexible Natural Gas Storage Facility can receive gas from the natural gas pipeline(s) and/or from LNG to fill the salt caverns. Of course, the LNG must be warmed before being stored in a salt cavern.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A flexible natural gas storage facility comprising:
at least one man-made salt cavern;
a pipeline source of a first fluid;
at least one high pressure compressor to compress the first fluid;
at lease one heat exchanger to cool the first fluid from the compressor to a temperature that is compatible with the salt cavern, before the first fluid is placed in the salt cavern for storage;
a source of a second fluid;
at least one high pressure cryogenic pump to raise the pressure of the second fluid to dense phase;
at least one Bishop Process heat exchanger to heat the second fluid to a temperature that is compatible with the salt cavern, before the second fluid is placed in the salt cavern for storage; and
at least one high pressure vaporizer to heat the second fluid from the high pressure LNG pump to a temperature that is compatible with the salt cavern, before the second fluid is placed in the salt cavern for storage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further including at least one booster compressor to compress the second fluid from the vaporizer, before the second fluid is placed in the salt cavern for storage.

### Claim 3

A flexible natural gas storage facility comprising:
at least one manmade salt cavern;
a pipeline source of a first fluid;
at least one high pressure compressor to compress the first fluid;
at least one heat exchanger to cool the first fluid from the compressor to a temperature that is compatible with the salt cavern, before the first fluid is placed in the salt cavern for storage;
a source of a second fluid;
at least one high pressure cryogenic pump to raise the pressure of the second fluid to dense phase;
at least one high pressure vaporizer to heat the second fluid to a temperature that is compatible with the salt cavern, before the second fluid is placed in the salt cavern for storage; and
at least one Bishop Process heat exchanger to heat the second fluid from the LNG pump to a temperature that is compatible with the salt cavern, before the second fluid is placed in the salt cavern for storage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3 further including at least one booster compressor to compress the second fluid from the Bishop Process heat exchanger, before the second fluid is placed in the salt cavern for storage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4 further including at least one booster compressor to compress the second fluid from the vaporizer, before the second fluid is placed in the salt cavern for storage.

### Claim 6

A method of storing natural gas comprising:
compressing a first fluid from a pipeline source of natural gas;
cooling the compressed first fluid to a temperature that is compatible with a salt cavern;
injecting the cooled, compressed first fluid into a first salt cavern;
pressurizing a second fluid from a LNG source to the dense phase;
heating the second fluid in a Bishop Process heat exchanger to a temperature that is compatible with a second salt cavern;
injecting the second fluid into the second salt cavern;
blending portions of the first fluid from the first salt cavern with portions of the second fluid from the second salt cavern in a third salt cavern to adjust the Btu content of the blended fluids in the third salt cavern; and
releasing the blended fluid from the third salt cavern into a pipeline for transport to market.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further including vaporizing the pressurized LNG to raise the temperature to a temperature that is compatible with the salt cavern.

### Claim 8

A method of storing natural gas comprising:
compressing a first fluid from a pipeline and raising the pressure to dense phase;
cooling the first fluid to a temperature that is compatible with a salt cavern;
injecting the first fluid into a first salt cavern;
pressurizing a second fluid to the dense phase;
heating the second fluid in a Bishop Process heat exchanger to a temperature that is compatible with a second salt cavern;
injecting the second fluid into the second salt cavern;
blending a portion of the first fluid from the first salt cavern with a portion of the second fluid from the second salt cavern in a third salt cavern to adjust the Btu content of the blended fluids in the third salt cavern; and
releasing the blended fluid from the third salt cavern into a pipeline for transport to market.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further including vaporizing the second fluid to raise the temperature to a temperature that is compatible with the salt cavern.

### Claim 10

A method of storing natural gas comprising:
compressing a first fluid from a pipeline source of natural gas;
cooling the compressed first fluid to a temperature that is compatible with a first salt cavern;
injecting the cooled, compressed first fluid into the first salt cavern;
pressurizing a second fluid to the dense phase;
vaporizing the second fluid to raise the temperature to a temperature that is compatible with a second salt cavern;
injecting the second fluid into the salt cavern;
blending the cooled, compressed first fluid from the first salt cavern with the second fluid from the second salt cavern in a third salt cavern to adjust the Btu content of the blended fluids in the third salt cavern; and
releasing the blended fluid from the third salt cavern into a pipeline for transport to market.

### Claim 11

A method of storing natural gas comprising:
compressing a first fluid from a pipeline and raising the pressure to dense phase;
cooling the first fluid to a temperature that is compatible with a first salt cavern;
injecting the cooled, first fluid into the first salt cavern;
pressurizing a second fluid to the dense phase;
vaporizing the second fluid to raise the temperature that is compatible with a second salt cavern;
injecting the second fluid into a second salt cavern;
blending a portion of the first fluid from the first salt cavern with a portion of the second fluid from the second salt cavern to adjust the Btu content of the blended fluids in a third salt cavern; and
releasing the blended fluid from the third salt cavern into a pipeline for transport to market.