Loading and fueling in the oil & gas industry

A recent development is ‘Small Scale LNG’, which involves the supply of smaller quantities of LNG delivered via a road tanker or a small ship, for distribution to special LNG fuel stations or loading facilities. The LNG is then sold as a fuel for trucks and for ships, which can reduce emissions in line with modern environmental policies. Also LNG bunkering ships are under development, which would refuel larger ships while they are in port loading or unloading their cargo.

During the loading of the tanker lorry or ship, the delivery of LNG is monitored by a custody transfer flow measurement installation, which also takes account of any LNG boil off gas returned to the storage tank after being re-liquefied in a condenser. At the LNG fuel station similar instrumentation and custody transfer flow measurement systems monitor the bulk delivered LNG, and also the smaller quantities dispensed to vehicles and other users of the LNG as a regular fuel.

KROHNE ultrasonic and Coriolis flowmeters, with the associated SUMMIT flow computer, have been successfully installed on several small scale LNG projects such as truck loading and LNG fuel dispensers. In Northern Europe, KROHNE has also recently supplied a road tanker mounted custody transfer approved delivery system, which includes a Coriolis flowmeter and flow computer, with a ticket printer to show the total delivery, all approved by the relevant local and fiscal authorities for sales of the LNG fuel.