The French physicist Louis Paul Cailletet (1832-1913) first liquefied methane.
1878
First Liquefaction Plant
The first air liquefaction plant was built by the pioneer of refrigeration, Carl von Linde (1842- 1934) in 1895 utilizing counter current cooling.
1885
1915
First LNG Storage
Godfrey Cabot of the USA patented a method for storing liquid gases at very low temperatures. It consisted of a Thermos bottle type design which included a cold inner tank within an outer tank; the tanks being separated by insulation.
1941
First Commercial LNG
"First full scale commercial LNG plant built by East Ohio Gas Company in Cleveland, "
LNG Accident
Courtesy of Ohio History Central
One of the LNG storage tanks, constructed with low nickel steel (3.5%), failed and LNG spilled into a sewer, resulting in a fatal explosion killing 128 people. The tragedy would virtually halt most LNG construction activity for the next twenty years.
1944
Methane Pioneer
Courtesy of Energy Link
Methane Pioneer LNG ship, a converted cargo ship for WWII, performed several test deliveries of LNG from Louisiana to Canvey Island, UK
1959
NFPA 59A
"National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) adopts LNG safety standard, NFPA 59A Standard for the Production, Storage, and Handling of LNG "
1967
LNG Export Plant
The first export of LNG from the U.S. to Asia occurred in 1969 when Alaskan LNG was sent to Japan from the Kenai Peninsula LNG plant.
1969
Peakshaving Plants
Courtesy of US DOT PHMSA
Starting in the late 1960s and through the gas shortage of the 1970s, many gas utilities in the United States increased their ability to store natural gas by liquefying the gas during the summer and vaporizing it back to inject back into the pipeline system by constructing “peak shaving” LNG plants
1969-79
US Regulation of LNG
The first federal LNG safety regulations were adopted in 1972, incorporating NFPA 59A standards
1972
Construction of LNG Import Terminals
They are in Lake Charles, Louisiana; Everett, Massachusetts; Elba Island, Georgia, and Cove Point, Maryland.
1971-79
US LNG Accident
Courtesy of LNG World News
Explosion occurred at an electrical substation at Cove Point, MD receiving terminal. LNG leaked through an inadequately tightened LNG pump electrical penetration seal, vaporized, passed through 200 feet of underground electrical conduit, and entered the substation. The gas-air mixture ignited and exploded resulting in one fatality, two injuries and $3 million in property damages. The building did not have gas detectors. As a result of this incident, three design code changes were made.
1979
Natural Gas Outlook 1970's
Bulk of natural gas came from domestic production. Older natural gas fields were aging resulting in declining production. Demand for natural gas continued to increase due to environmental advantages of natural gas over other fossil fuels and its superior thermal efficiency when used in power generation. Canada, the largest foreign supplier of natural gas to the U.S., faced a similar situation. Expectations at the time was for continued growth in the demand for LNG and the need to import LNG. LNG imports to US peaked in 1979.
1972-80
Natural Gas Outlook 1980s
Due to increased domestic production, new interstate transmission pipelines, and imports from Canada, the growth rate of the American LNG industry slowed dramatically. By 1986, there were no imports of LNG to the US.
1980
Elba Island and Cove Point Mothballed/Some Peakshaving Plants Reduction
The Elba Island and Cove Point receiving terminals were mothballed in 1980 and the Lake Charles and the Everett terminals had a very low utilization. Lake Charles, LA terminal opens in 1981, closes in 1982, and reopens in 1988. Some existing peakshaving facilities were no longer needed. While some facilities discontinued or minimized liquefaction, all but two of the tanks remain.
1981-82
Thermal Radiation and Vapor Dispersion Experiments
Large-scale experiments on the dispersion and combustion of LNG spills began and LNG safety regulations adopt exclusion zone requirements.
1980-89
Natural Gas Outlook 1990s
LNG demand expected to exceed imports.
1990-2000
LNG Import Terminals Reactivated
1999 - Everett, MA, 2001 - Elba Island, 2003 - Cove Point Terminal reactived
2001-03
US LNG Production Surges
In the late 2000s, domestic natural gas supplies began to exceed consumption due to an enormous surge in the production of domestic natural gas through hydraulic fracturing of shale plays. Companies began working to convert the LNG import terminals into terminals suitable to export gas and build new LNG export terminals.
2005-15
Brief LNG History
Gas utility companies constructed the first commercial LNG plants in the 1940s, before federal LNG safety regulations had been adopted. In 1944, an LNG storage tank with low nickel steel content failed and LNG spilled into a sewer, resulting in a fatal explosion. The tragedy would virtually halt most LNG activity for the next twenty years.
Starting in the late 1960s and through the gas shortage of the 1970s, many gas utilities in the United States increased their ability to store natural gas by constructing peak shaving LNG plants.
The first federal LNG safety regulations were adopted in 1972, incorporating NFPA 59A standards.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, four marine LNG terminals were constructed in the United States for the purpose of importing LNG. Due to increased domestic production and imports from Canada, however, the growth rate of the American LNG industry slowed dramatically..
Starting in 1980, large-scale experiments on the dispersion and combustion of LNG spills began and LNG safety regulations adopt exclusion zone requirements.
In 1986, there were no imports of LNG to the US.
In the late 1990s through the early 2000s, LNG usage exceeded domestic supply, resulting in reactivation of mothballed terminals and the construction of five additional marine import terminals. There was also LNG growth for non-traditional uses such as using LNG for fuel in fleets of public buses or service vehicles at airports.
In the late 2000s, domestic natural gas supplies began to exceed consumption due to an enormous surge in the production of domestic natural gas through hydraulic fracturing of shale plays. Companies began working to convert the LNG import terminals into terminals suitable to export gas and build new LNG export terminals.
Tremendous amount of gas has recently been discovered near LNG markets and the price of LNG has fallen. LNG is a dynamic, ever changing business driven by technological innovation and market forces.
See examples of LNG facilities in the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR Part 193).
