About LNG
Did You Know
- LNG is an odorless, non-toxic and non-corrosive liquid, and if spilled, LNG would not result in a slick. Absent an ignition source, LNG evaporates quickly and disperses, leaving no residue. There is no environmental cleanup needed for LNG spills on water or land.
- The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for assuring the safety of marine operations in U.S. coastal waters.
- The change to a liquid reduces the volume of natural gas by about 600 to 1, which means one LNG tanker can transport enough LNG to equal 600 tanker ships carrying natural gas.
- In LNG’s more than 50-year shipping history, LNG ships have traveled more than 150 million miles without a major incident.
- An LNG import terminal consists of the dock(s) for the ship to bring the LNG onshore, the LNG storage tank(s), vaporizers and other equipment to turn the LNG from a cold liquid back into natural gas.
- The gas detection equipment is so sensitive it can detect leakage through a hole the size of a pinhead.
A clean and affordable method for natural gas transportation
Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is natural gas that has been supercooled to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 162 degrees Celsius). At that temperature, natural gas condenses into a liquid. When in liquid form, natural gas takes up to 600 times less space than in its gaseous state, which makes it feasible to transport over long distances.
- In the form of LNG, natural gas can be shipped from the parts of the world where it is abundant to where it is in demand.
- LNG is an energy source that has much lower air emissions than other fossil fuels, such as oil or coal.
- LNG is odorless, colorless, non-corrosive and non-toxic. Its weight is less than one-half that of water.
- The use of LNG is a proven, reliable and safe process, and it has been used in the United States since 1944.
- Natural gas is the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel and it has emerged as the environmentally preferred fuel of choice.