CONCRETE LNG VESSEL HALVES COSTS OF ONSHORE FACILITY

Constructing a $270-million precast, prestressed concrete barge to process and store liquefied natural gas (LNG) would be about half as costly as building a comparable facility onshore, according to the vessel's designer. A liquefying plant mounted on deck of the 860-ft-long ship-like vessel could produce almost 450 million cu ft of LNG per day from offshore wells or from unwanted natural gas flared from oil production operations. Lined cryogenic holds below deck could store up to 5.6 million cu ft of the liquid gas. Part of the cost saving would result from being able to moor the plant adjacent to offshore wells, thus eliminating pipelines to shore. Construction of berthing terminals and extensive dredging also would be unnecessary because the 140,000-ton vessel would double as a dock for LNG tankers. When fully loaded, the barge would draw about 48 ft. The top and bottom slabs of the 192-ft-wide barge would be of a patented honeycomb sandwich panel design, similar to aircraft construction but using concrete instead of metal alloys. Concrete was chosen because of its "superior resistance to thermal shock and low temperature exposure and durability in an ocean environment." The hull will probably never have to be drydocked for maintenance and any hull repairs could be made while afloat. The 96-ft-high hull has three cryogenic sections in cross- section, which are separated by bulkheads of sandwich design. The deck is 10 ft thick and the bottom slab is 15 ft. The hull's sides are 10 ft thick. Transverse bulkheads, 10 ft thick, divide the storage areas generally every 154 ft and help support the deck. Construction would require about 86,000 cu yd of concrete.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Development Agency Centre

  800 rene-Leveque Boulevard West, Suite 600
  Montreal, Quebec H3B 1X9,   Canada 
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 29
• Serial:
  • Transport Development News
  • Publisher: Transportation Development Agency Centre

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barges; Ferrocement; Fuel storage; Liquefied natural gas; LNG terminals
• Old TRIS Terms: Concrete barges; Ferro concrete; Lng barges; Lng storage
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142648
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Development Agency Centre
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 15 1976 12:00AM