Overview
Natural gas is a vital part of maintaining America's economy. As the cleanest burning fossil fuel, natural gas is a leading energy choice for fueling American homes and industries. To diversify our energy supply, the United States needs the flexibility to move natural gas from where it is produced to where it is consumed dependent on market conditions. The most efficient way to transport natural gas, where pipelines cannot be built, is in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). For more than 50 years, LNG has been safely and securely shipped to our shores, where it is used as a reliable fuel for a variety of purposes including electricity generation, heating and cooling homes, cooking food, and much more.
LNG BASICS
LNG is simply natural gas in its liquid form. It is the same natural gas more than 65 million American homeowners use every day.
Natural gas is converted to LNG by cooling it to -260° Fahrenheit, at which point it becomes a liquid. This process reduces its volume by a factor of more than 600 - similar to reducing the volume of a beach ball to the volume of a ping-pong ball. This allows natural gas to be transported efficiently by sea or truck. Once it reaches its destination, LNG is unloaded from ships at import terminals or from trucks at peakshaving factilities where it is stored as a liquid until it is warmed back to natural gas. The natural gas is then sent through pipelines for distribution to businesses and homeowners or used as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles.
The ability to convert natural gas to LNG provides U.S. consumers with access to vast natural gas resources worldwide.
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.