Liquefied natural gas (LNG). Natural gas can be cooled until it becomes liquid and stored in tanks. This reduces the volume about 600 times. For transportation between locations where other means of transportation (such as pipelines) is uneconomic, natural gas can be transported by ship as LNG.
The infrastructure needed for LNG transportation consists of a liquefaction terminal, where the gas is cooled, LNG-ships for transportation and a regasification terminal at the destination, where it will be reheated and turned into gas. The regasification terminals are usually connected with a distribution network of pipelines.
The costs of LNG treatment and transportation have fallen in recent years, making LNG a more competitive means of distribution. Receiving terminals exist in several countries, notably in Europe, Japan, Korea and North America, allowing gas import from other areas, in particular Africa, Australia, the Middle East and South East Asia.
The risks of freighting gas as LNG are not clear, some claim that since the gas is cooled rather than compressed, spilled LNG would vaporize from its liquid form, then disperse or burn slowly if ignited, and not explode. There has been no serious accident involving LNG since long distance transportation started in the 1960s.
The East Ohio Natural Gas Company experienced a failure of an LNG tank in 1944. 128 people perished in the explosion and fire. Note: when the LNG vaporizes, it turns into natural gas. Natural gas, when combined with air in the right amount, is explosive. Generally, however, there is little risk to importing natural gas through LNG terminals and in recent years companies like Cheniere Energy were leading the way in constructing terminals in Texas and Louisiana to bring in LNG.
