Temperature management in LNG plant – Darwin

Liquefied natural gas, known as LNG, is natural gas that has been converted into a liquid for ease of transportation. Correct temperature management is critical in the production of liquefying natural gas. Pyrosales has recently supplied temperature sensors, as part of an instrumentation package, to HMA Measurement Resources, for the Ichthys Project in Darwin.

In 2000 Inpex Australia discovered the Ichthys gas and condensate field in the Browse Basin. Located approximately 220 kilometres off the Western Australia coast, Ichthys represents the largest discovery of hydrocarbon liquids in Australia in 40 years. The Project is a joint venture between Inpex (the Operator of the facility), TOTAL and the Australian subsidiaries of Osaka Gas, Tokyo Gas, Chubu Electric Power and Toho Gas. The first production of LNG is planned for 2016 and is expected to continue supply for 40 years.

The Project involves an offshore facility where the gas and condensate will be extracted and taken to a process facility nearby. Offshore processing will commence on the natural gas and condensate to remove impurities. Then the gas and some of the condensate can begin to move safely through the gas pipeline.

An 889 kilometre pipeline is under construction from the offshore facility to Bladin Point, near Darwin. Here the gas will be processed onshore, ready for export. The new processing plant near Darwin will cool gas from the pipeline and liquefy the gas, to reduce its volume for transporting. To find out more about temperature sensors from Pyrosales see our website or contact us on 1300737976.