Page 71: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1998)

Mobil Debuts New ii^iki Natural Gas Technology

Two Mobil Corp. subsidiaries introduced technology for the regasification of liquefied natural gas onboard ships, opening the way for the purchase of small quantities of LNG.

The Mobil Shipboard Regasification

Terminal is low-capital-cost technology that accelerates deliveries of LNG to customers within 24 months, versus four years or longer for a conventional, land-based LNG receiving terminal. "Mobil considers this technology as a breakthrough solution that will greatly facil- itate the development of new LNG markets," said Michael P. Ramage, Mobil Technology

Co.'s president.

With the new offshore technology, LNG carriers will be retrofitted to have the entire regasification facilities located onboard the carrier. Upon arrival at the discharge loca- tion with full LNG tanks, the ship will be moored to a single-point mooring system. "This allows the LNG carrier to weathervane around the mooring point, minimizing forces on the installation and maximizing availabil- ity," Mr. Ramage said.

The LNG on the carrier will be pumped to delivery pressure, regasified on the ship and discharged as ambient temperature gas via a high-pressure flexible hose. The gas then flows through a high-pressure swivel on the

SPM and into a pipeline that delivers the gas to shore. Once the ship has completed regasi- fying its cargo, it disconnects from the moor- ing system and returns to the supply port for its next cargo.

The shipboard technology allows cus- tomers to purchase small quantities of LNG,

Mobil said. Should demand grow to levels that make a full-scale terminal more econom- ically attractive, the technology can supply

LNG to a buyer while its conventional termi- nal is being constructed, providing more flex- ibility in the development of downstream infrastructure.

According to Mobil, earlier sales of smaller quantities of LNG can have a positive impact on financing as well, by providing new buyers with a means to demonstrate LNG offtake capability and sound cash flows while con- structing downstream facilities. By retro- fitting two LNG carriers, a system can be developed that allows one to complete a round-trip voyage to the supply port and back while the other is unloading.

In contrast to other offshore terminal con- cepts, the Mobil technology involves no off- shore transfer of cryogenic fluids, and employs only proven technology that has been integrated in a unique manner that is the subject of a U.S. patent application.

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