(7e) Maximized Values of LNG Spec in the LNG Industry: Producer and Buyer Perspectives

In the past the major LNG buyers in Far East Asian countries prefer to import high heating values of LNG, this leads the LNG industry to produce high heating value of LNG to meet this demand. However, recent potential buyers of LNG have some flexibility in the ranges of natural gas properties they were able to choose from. As the growing demand increases for lean LNG (low calorific value), especially in the US and the UK, LNG producers are forced to address new gas quality issues.

The challenge is to understand the requirements of the potential new markets and to plan a flexible way to meet the requirements of both the LNG exporters and importers. This paper discusses the flexibility and allowable ranges of LNG specifications to meet both parties requirement by maximize the LNG producers' flexibility and to satisfy the importers issues of interchangeability. These specifications are compared to those of LNG being produced along with the options and problems for conditioning the natural gas on either end of the LNG trade are explored in detail.