Quick LNG offloading
AssigneeSBM-IMODCO, Inc.
InventorsJack Pollack, Hein Wille
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system of the type wherein LNG from a tanker (30) is offloaded to a moored vessel (16), which has a regas unit (36) which heats the LNG to transform it into gaseous hydrocarbons, and which has a pump unit (38) that pumps the gaseous hydrocarbons to a consumer (46) such as an onshore gas distribution facility. The system is constructed to enable more rapid tanker unloading so the tanker is released earlier to sail back to a pickup location. The moored vessel has a thermally insulated LNG storage facility such as LNG tanks (100), with a capacity to store all LNG not regassed during offloading of the tanker. The regas unit has sufficient capacity to regas all LNG received in one tanker load, before the tanker returns with another load of LNG.
Claims9
An offshore system which includes a floating structure that is moored in a sea so the floating structure can weathervane, wherein the system offloads LNG (liquid natural gas) through an LNG transfer unit from a tanker that has an LNG capacity of at least 1000 tons, to said floating structure, and supplies natural gas from said floating structure to a consumer, wherein:
- said floating structure carries a regas unit that heats the LNG to produce gaseous natural gas;
- and
- said floating structure has a thermally insulated LNG storage facility that includes at least one tank, said storage facility having a storage capacity of a plurality of 100's of tons of LNG, to hold LNG received from the tanker, so the tanker can sail away while LNG in said LNG storage facility is gradually passed through said regas unit.
A method for offloading LNG (liquid natural gas) stored in a tanker to a floating structure to which the tanker is moored, and for heating the offloaded LNG to produce gas for a consumer, comprising:
- while offloading LNG from the tanker, directing at least half of the flow of offloaded LNG to at least one thermally insulated LNG tank on said vessel, and directing a majority of the rest of the flow of offloaded LNG to a regas unit that heats the LNG to produce gas;
- after offloading said LNG stored in said tanker, sailing the tanker away from said vessel, and gradually flowing LNG stored in said at least one LNG tank to said regas unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.