Efficient LNG Value Chains

Increasing the competitiveness of Australia’s LNG export industry through decarbonisation and improved efficiency.

The Australian LNG export industry is dominated by large-scale processing plants and continuous production from a variety of natural gas reservoirs located both on- and off-shore. Their business model is based on the amount and reliability of LNG production over decadal timeframes.

Today, Australia’s LNG plants are facing constraints on emissions, throughput, efficiency, and reliability. These constraints are often plant-specific and can be challenging to address, particularly in cases where new gas feedstocks are used to keep older plants producing at capacity.

The technical challenges affecting this export industry’s competitiveness may be classed as follows:

  • Amount of LNG that can be made per day (throughput limitations).
  • Energy required to make, store and transport the LNG (efficiency limitations).
  • Unplanned shutdowns interfering with contractual supply requirements (reliability limitations).
  • Compositional changes in the natural gas source feeding the plant (gas quality limitations).
  • Inability to extract and monetise high-value components in the gas (value-add limitations).

The Efficient LNG Value Chains program focusses on delivering deliver tangible benefits to the Australian LNG export industry through lessening these constraints on Australia’s LNG plants. This program has a particular focus on implementing industrial-scale trials through the Kwinana Energy Transformation Hub (KETH) project — a foundation FEnEx CRC project working on establishing a research and training facility in the Kwinana Strategic Industrial Area. Further information can be found on the KETH website.

CRC Commonwealth Milestones for Program 1

Research Projects

Phase Boundary and Liquid Volume Fraction Measurements of sCO2 Related Mixtures (24.RP1.0210)

Phase Boundary and Liquid Volume Fraction Measurements of sCO2 Related Mixtures (24.RP1.0210)

BH is exploring non-conventional sCO2 Allam power cycles and need to validate the appropriate fluid property model. Specifically, BH require the phase behaviour (dew point…

Heavy Hydrocarbon and Contaminant Solidification from Natural Gas (24.RP1.0206)

Heavy Hydrocarbon and Contaminant Solidification from Natural Gas (24.RP1.0206)

Natural gas often contains heavy hydrocarbons and/or other contaminants which need to be removed before the gas is liquefied. If these impurities are not removed,…

Hydrate Detection System for LNG and Gas Plants (24.RP1.0203)

Hydrate Detection System for LNG and Gas Plants (24.RP1.0203)

This project will explore potential for deployment of an online hydrate detection system (HDS) at key locations.

Test Bed for Fugitive Methane Emissions Sensors (23.RP1.0186)

Test Bed for Fugitive Methane Emissions Sensors (23.RP1.0186)

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an ongoing challenge for all industries, and a particular focus for Australia’s future energy exports. Decarbonisation of the energy industry…

Low Pressure, Low Temperature Liquefied CO2 Transportation Technology for CCUS Demonstrations: Phase 1 (23.RP1.0177)

Low Pressure, Low Temperature Liquefied CO2 Transportation Technology for CCUS Demonstrations: Phase 1 (23.RP1.0177)

Exploring the technical feasibility and operability of low pressure and low temperature liquefied CO2 transportation technology.

Avoiding sulphur compound freeze-out in liquefied natural gas production (22.RP1.0115)

Avoiding sulphur compound freeze-out in liquefied natural gas production (22.RP1.0115)

Generating new freeze-out and solid-phase-stability data for LNG-relevant sulphur compounds at industrially pertinent concentrations.

Kwinana Energy Transformation Hub (KETH)

Kwinana Energy Transformation Hub (KETH)

A unique research and demonstration facility for de-risking innovative clean energy and decarbonisation technologies at pilot scale.

Evaluating fugitive emissions sensing technologies (22.RP1.0146) – Completed

Evaluating fugitive emissions sensing technologies (22.RP1.0146) – Completed

A review and analysis of current methods for determining fugitive emissions in LNG plants.

Pilot demonstration and field development design of non-cryogenic low-cost helium production (22.RP1.0135) – Completed

Pilot demonstration and field development design of non-cryogenic low-cost helium production (22.RP1.0135) – Completed

Global demand for helium has been growing for over a decade due to its importance in many applications central to modern economies such as medical…

Avoiding and remediating heavy hydrocarbon freeze-out in liquefied natural gas production (22.RP1.0124) – Completed

Avoiding and remediating heavy hydrocarbon freeze-out in liquefied natural gas production (22.RP1.0124) – Completed

Enhancing the understanding of heavy hydrocarbons’ freeze-out behaviour.

Design of pressure-relief systems for CCS plants (22.RP1.0116) – Completed

Design of pressure-relief systems for CCS plants (22.RP1.0116) – Completed

Investigating the process design of CCS pressure-relief systems to improve CSS safety.

Feasibility Study of a Fugitive Methane Emissions Sensor (23.RP1.0171) – Completed

Feasibility Study of a Fugitive Methane Emissions Sensor (23.RP1.0171) – Completed

Investigating the feasibility of using a commercial methane emissions sensor for on-site applications, focussing on real-world conditions by employing dynamic flow measurements and comparative analysis.

Vapour Liquid Equilibrium Measurements & Solid Formation Tests in Industrial Mix (23.RP1.0167) – Completed

Vapour Liquid Equilibrium Measurements & Solid Formation Tests in Industrial Mix (23.RP1.0167) – Completed

Understanding of phase behaviour of a mixed refrigerant and determining the optimum reliable predictive model of its thermodynamic properties.

PhD Projects

Project Title
Researcher
Utilisation of cold energy and recovery of higher hydrocarbons during LNG regasification: process synthesis, analysis and optimisation
Application of Trapdoor Zeolites for Separation of Helium from Natural Gas
Solid formation kinetics in energy production and cryogenic liquefaction processes
Advanced Modelling for Solid Phase Equilibria in Complex Hydrocarbon Systems (Complete)
High-resolution Optical Detection of Cryosolids (Complete)
Development of zeolite-based adsorbents & processes for natural gas purification (Complete)
Understanding and Predicting Boil-Off from Cryogenic Liquids (Complete)
Measuring Thermophysical Properties of Industrially Important Fluids Using Microwave Resonators (Complete)
Recovery of Dilute Helium from Natural Gas Sources (Complete)
Solid-Fluid Equilibrium and Solid Formation Kinetics in Cryogenic Processes

Program Leaders

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Professor Vishnu Pareek

Program 1 Lead (Curtin University)
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Dr Luke McElroy

Engineering Study Manager
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Dr Saif Al Ghafri

FEnEx CRC Foundation Fellow
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Bruce Norris

FEnEx CRC Strategic Research Fellow
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