Liquefied natural gas is a natural gas that is purified and cooled to -161 degrees Celsius to become a liquid. This process reduces its volume 600 times, which is like a beach ball being compressed into a ping pong ball.
The liquid is then loaded onto an LNG ship and transported internationally to a re-gasification terminal. At the terminal, the liquid is heated and turned back into gas.
LNG is stored at atmospheric pressure in especially engineered and constructed double-walled storage tanks. Australia Pacific LNG has two LNG tanks, each with the capacity of 160,000m, a diameter of 87m and height of 32m. The tank outer walls are made from concrete over one metre thick and the inner tank is made from a steel/nickel alloy,specifically designed to keep LNG cold.
The tanks are not pressurised and are designed to safely trap any leaks between the inner and outer walls. Because LNG is not stored under pressure, it is not explosive when stored in tanks or on ships. It is also not explosive if released into the atmosphere. As LNG is lighter than air, it will float away if released, quickly vaporising. Sophisticated monitoring systems provide constant surveillance for internal leaks.
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