ExxonMobil Technology Makes Breakthrough with World's Largest LNG Carrier

Rig Zone ^ | December 17, 2008 | Exxon Mobil Corp

[thackney]

Exxon Mobil Corporation’s technology leadership in liquefied natural gas or LNG has resulted in an industry breakthrough in carrier design and size, enabling the more efficient transport of natural gas to markets throughout the world.

The recent completion of the world’s first Q-Max LNG carrier, named ‘Mozah,’ marks a step change in LNG shipping by reducing transportation cost, while improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions. The innovative Q-Max ships carry up to 80 percent more cargo, yet require approximately 40 percent less energy per unit of cargo than conventional LNG carriers due to economies of scale and efficiency of the engines.

“The Q-Max carriers break the LNG shipping mold in nearly every way,” said Neil Duffin, President, ExxonMobil Development Company. “The same technology capability that drove us to develop a new class of LNG carrier is driving innovation in all aspects of the LNG value chain.”

The large LNG ship technologies, developed in conjunction with joint venture partner Qatar Petroleum, include a number of industry breakthroughs and significant enhancements, including increased ship size, onboard reliquefaction units, slow-speed diesel engines, twin propellers and rudders, largest ship-board LNG tanks ever built, the latest in hull antifouling protection and improved fire-protection systems. The end result of these new generation ships is a 20-30 percent reduction in transportation cost.

“Qatar Petroleum, with ExxonMobil, led a major technical effort to enable this groundbreaking enhancement in the LNG shipping industry,” said Mr. Faisal Al Suwaidi, Qatargas Chief Executive Officer. “Shipping is a critical link in the LNG value chain that extends from Qatar’s North Field, the largest non-associated gas field in the world with recoverable resources of more than 900 trillion cubic feet, to homes in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. With our innovative technology, we have effectively transformed the LNG business and opened up more of the world for Qatar LNG,” said Al Suwaidi. Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil are shareholders in a Qatar joint venture, Qatargas, that will charter the Mozah and five other Q-Max carriers to supply LNG from new liquefaction trains in Qatar.

For more than 30 years the size of LNG ships remained virtually unchanged with capacity of about 140,000 cubic meters. Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil’s ship operators, hydrodynamicists, naval architects and structural engineers worked closely to develop and rigorously test the larger Q-Max cargo tank designs.

Comprehensive evaluation of cargo sloshing was performed to prove that the larger systems were feasible and reliable. The resulting Q-Max carriers are longer than three football fields, tower twenty stories tall from keel to masthead and are equipped with the largest membrane containment tanks ever built. With a total capacity of up to 266,000 cubic meters, each ship carries enough natural gas to meet the energy needs of 70,000 U.S. homes for one year.

In addition to increasing the size of the ship, a major initiative was undertaken to design, test and implement the on-board reliquefaction plant that re-liquefies natural gas that is vaporized during transit, re-injecting it as liquid into the cargo tanks rather than using it as vaporized gas to power the tanker itself – allowing for delivery of nearly 100 percent of the cargo. This is particularly beneficial for the long-haul voyages from Qatar to Europe and the Americas.

The on-board reliquefaction facilities created an opportunity to shift from steam boilers and turbines used for propulsion by conventional LNG ships to highly efficient slow-speed diesel engines. The Q-Max ships are equipped with two diesel engines driving twin propellers and rudders. This leads to more energy efficient, reliable and maneuverable ships, reducing fuel consumption by up to one-third.

Recognized by industry veterans as a pioneer in LNG production and technology innovation, ExxonMobil’s joint ventures in Qatar will see the advent of more industry firsts over the next 18 months. In addition to pioneering the industry's largest vessels to carry LNG to market, ExxonMobil in partnership with Qatar Petroleum is employing new technology in Qatar to build four of the largest LNG production facilities in the world and is participating in the development of LNG regasification terminal projects in Italy, UK and the US.

[Red Badger]

A pirate or a Terrorist would just love one of these............

[Yo-Yo]

But T. Boone said we had lots of domestic Natural Gas. Why do we need to import it?

</sarc>

[thackney]

LNG doesn’t burn or explode. It has to vaporize first and dilute to 5~15% concentration with air. At that concentration it will have warmed and risen given the low specific gravity of methane.

[r9etb]

The end result of these new generation ships is a 20-30 percent reduction in transportation cost.

That's pretty impressive. I wonder what that means in terms of time to pay back the R&D/construction costs.

[thackney]

Did T. Boone also say oil wouldn’t drop below $100 this year?

< /continue sarcasm>

[FBD]

[FBD]

this is an excellent site for ship info: (gcaptain.com)

http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/mv-mozah-worlds-largest-lng-carrier/

[umgud]

When I go to AK, I’m always amazed at the number of LNG tankers moored in the Cook Inlet, due to waiting for high tides.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Good for a century of Somali tailgate parties!

[agere_contra]

XOM just rendered current LNG carriers obsolete.

An amazing coup. No surprises, it was achieved by one of the tiny minority of non-national Oil/Gas companies.

[dblshot]

Not quite obsolete as long as you have rega plants like in Lake Charles up the Sabane river and in Boston Harbor. But certainly a plus for building offshore receiving facilities. Too bad no US crews will be used though.

[stockpirate]

So if they pulled it in to a harbor, opened all the valves and waited an hour before detonating it could be very interesting.

[FBD]

Richard Clark made a big deal about LNG ships aa a potential target after 9/11.

There is a risk of a BLEVE incident, (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion)
LNG expands 600 times when it vaporizes, and if a tank were ruptured out over water, it could create a pretty large fireball.

There has only been one terrorist attack on an LNG ship, (The Gas Fountain) and it was in the Persian Gulf, back in the 1980’s.

http://hormuz.robertstrausscenter.org/lng_tankers

An LNG ship was hit by an Exocet missile, and one of the tanks was ruptured. The crew safely abandoned ship, and
the fire was eventually extinguished. It didn't BLEVE. I believe that ship was repaired and put back in service.

[Maine Mariner]

The officers maybe-some recruitment of Maritime Academy graduates for foreign flag LNG ships is occurring

[FBD]

LNG ships all have Coast Guard escorts, and 1000 ft exclusion zones, when they come into ports.

Pirates and terrorists aren’t going to take over an LNG ship.

[thackney]

In laboratory and open ocean combustion tests, there have been no documented cases of LNG BLEVEs. It is a theory that has never been capable of being produced and has been tested several times.

LNG SAFETY MYTHS and LEGENDS
http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/proceedings/02/ngt/Quillen.pdf

[thackney]

They would freeze a lot of water and nearly all of the Natural Gas that dissipated to a combustible mixture with air would have risen far above the harbor and quickly dissipate.

[FBD]

thanks for the link.

Here's a youtube video putting out an LNG fire:
“LNG put to the test”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C75-J09Ld8A&feature=channel_page

I've been an LNG proponent for some time. We are in the process of getting an LNG terminal here in Oregon.
(Northern Star, Bradwood Landing site)

It's still not a done deal, but FERC has passed it. The local loonies are fighting it tooth and nail, however.
The latest hurdle is that the terminal is in a salmon estuary.

[GonzoGOP]

LNG doesn’t burn or explode. It has to vaporize first and dilute to 5~15% concentration with air. At that concentration it will have warmed and risen given the low specific gravity of methane.

Yes it will explode. It called a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) and they are particularly nasty. You have to get the conditions right, but once that happens the BOOM is impressive to say the lest.

It starts with a fire that heats up the tank until the LNG begins to boil off faster than the safety valves can vent it. The tank then ruptures and explodes is like a steam boiler going off. Note that at this point the LNG is not burning, just an rapidly changing from liquid to Gas. However as it moves out it mixes with the surrounding air and then the second much more powerful blast goes off.

Although LPG is the usual culprit in a BLEVE LNG can do the trick