Transporting and managing liquefied natural gas

Abstract

The present application is directed to methods and systems for transporting or importing LNG via vessels. Under the present techniques, SRTs, which are equipped with regasification equipment, LNG offloading equipment (e.g. marinized mechanical loading arms), LNG storage tanks, and equipment to transfer natural gas to an import terminal are utilized as temporary interchangeable FSRUs (TIFs). Two or more TIFs in conjunction with transport vessels (e.g. LNGCs) are utilized to transfer LNG between an export terminal and an import terminal. A first of the TIFs is utilized at an import terminal to offload LNG from LNGCs, while the second of the TIFs is utilized as a LNGC, carrying LNG between the export terminal and import terminal. The first of the TIFs may be replaced by the second of the TIFs to maintain operations for the import terminal. The use of multiple TIFs in combination with LNGCs provides an alterative LNG delivery approach in comparison to having a permanently moored FSRU located at the import terminal or using a fleet of SRT vessels to transport LNG between an export terminal and an import terminal.