Gas is the most environmentally friendly energy source. The volume of gas consumption is growing every year. The demand for this type of energy source is increasing. The gas pipe is an expensive infrastructure project. Russia is the most striking example of a country where import by pipe is clearly a profitable import strategy. Russia has a unique geographic location with the main world consumers around (Asia and Europe). Thus, depending on the geopolitical relationship between the producer and the consumer, the pipe may not be profitable. How to deliver gas to places where a pipe cannot be laid? Liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology overcomes these difficulties. Gas liquefaction occurs under pressure with decreasing temperature. Here the classical laws of thermodynamics operate, where pressure, volume and temperature have a strict relationship. Thus, gas in liquid form (which has a much smaller volume) is transported by gas carriers to the consumer. With this import strategy, it is necessary to design liquefaction facility for a specific field.
LNG technology is a complex process. Four companies currently have unique liquefaction technologies: Air Products (USA), Shell (Netherlands and Britain), Linde AG (Germany), ConocoFilips (USA). The main LNG consumers are Japan (30% of global consumption), China, South Korea, Taiwan, India. The main producers of LNG are Qatar, Australia, Malaysia, Algeria, USA, Nigeria, Russia.
Forecast
The LNG market will increase for the next 30 years. First, the demand for green energy will grow due to the environmental policies of the countries. At the same time, non-traditional sources will simply not be able to cope with this demand in the short term. Secondly, there are a lot of gas reserves on the planet. The explored gas fields will last for the next 150-200 years. Many gas fields have not yet been explored and developed. The presence of demand and the potential of the deposits will ensure the development of this industry for the next decades.