Western Canada natural gas export facility features Black & Veatch’s PRICO® process

abarrelfull wrote on 03 Sep 2011 07:45
Tags: black-veatch canada lng

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Black & Veatch has begun front-end engineering design (FEED) for a new, liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility that will be constructed on a barge and transported to the Douglas Channel near Kitimat Village, British Columbia, Canada. The unique facility will feature the company’s patented PRICO® process to liquefy natural gas for transport to Asian markets.

“We are looking to build the majority of the LNG export facility on a standard Panamax barge to minimize the physical and environmental impact in this scenic area,” said Tom Tatham, Managing Director, Douglas Channel Gas Services Ltd. “Black & Veatch’s PRICO process is ideal for this type of application because of its smaller footprint and flexible operations.”

The project is owned by HN DC LNG Limited Partnership (Haisla Nation), LNG Partners, LLC and Douglas Channel Gas Services Ltd. It will be the first barge-mounted export facility serving the Pacific Basin, as well as the first for exporting Canadian natural gas. The facility’s location takes advantage of North America’s northernmost, ice-free port and provides more direct delivery routes to Asian markets. The project also benefits from existing infrastructure such as a nearby natural gas pipeline and local hydroelectric power.

Black & Veatch’s FEED work for the facility, that will produce more than 800,000 tons per year of LNG, will be completed in January 2012. The FEED will provide a definitive estimate to be used in finalizing a lump sum, turnkey contract between the parties for the engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of the facility.

“The global LNG export market is extremely cost-competitive,” said Dean Oskvig, President and CEO of Black & Veatch's global energy business. “Our proprietary PRICO technology is scalable to our clients needs and provides the capital investment and operational efficiencies needed to bring natural gas resources to market.”

Editor’s Notes:

• ■While locating the LNG export facility in the Douglas Channel provides transportation efficiencies, the weather and other factors do not make it ideal for construction activities. To overcome this challenge, the LNG facilities will be built on a barge in a more favorable environment. When completed, the facility will be transported to its location in the Douglas Channel.
• ■Natural gas will be supplied to the facility via an existing natural gas pipeline for liquefaction.
• ■During liquefaction, natural gas is cooled to approximately -162°C (-260°F).
• ■LNG from the new export facility will be transferred directly to LNG carriers for transport to Asian markets.
• ■It will take approximately 30 days for the facility to directly fill an LNG carrier and up to 25 days for the roundtrip to and from most Asian markets.
• LNG comprises 1/600th of the volume of its vaporized gas equivalent, making LNG ideal for shipping and storage. LNG can be transported by specially designed cryogenic sea vessels (LNG carriers).
• ■PRICO is an innovative process developed by Black & Veatch to liquefy natural gas, making it available for transport via truck or ocean tanker. The process uses a Black & Veatch-patented, single-mixed refrigerant loop for natural gas liquefaction. The process boasts several key advantages , including: •The lowest capital costs of all competing technologies.
• •A simplified refrigeration system that requires minimal equipment
• •Simplified control and maintenance
• ■The PRICO process is used in LNG production facilities worldwide because of its flexibility for LNG capacity and in feed gas composition. This flexibility is invaluable for clients because they receive natural gas from multiple sources with varying composition and conditions.
• ■Black & Veatch is an industry pioneer in LNG, involved in LNG facilities since the early 1960s. The company has been involved with a number of LNG facilities worldwide, including 21 operating liquefaction facilities in five different countries with an additional 10 projects in development at this time

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• Western Canada natural gas export facility features Black & Veatch’s PRICO® process

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