Patent ID: 9182080
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: B63B,F17C

Abstract:
1. A process of mixing natural gas with a hydrocarbon solvent to yield a liquid medium suited for storage and transport at greater storage densities than compressed natural gas at the same storage conditions, comprising: monitoring a gas composition of a natural gas to be stored and a liquid hydrocarbon solvent to be combined with the natural gas, wherein the natural gas comprises a varying composition of more than one gas, combining the natural gas with the liquid hydrocarbon solvent into a single phase liquid medium comprising the natural gas absorbed in the liquid hydrocarbon solvent, wherein combining the natural gas with the liquid hydrocarbon solvent into a single phase liquid medium includes adjusting the mol percentage of the liquid hydrocarbon solvent to be combined with the natural gas as a function of the gas composition of the natural gas, the gas composition of the liquid hydrocarbon solvent, and the storage pressure and temperature conditions to optimize the storage densities of the natural gas of the single phase liquid medium for pressures and temperatures at which the single phase liquid medium is set to be stored, and storing the single phase liquid medium in a storage vessel at a storage temperature in a range between −80 F to about −120 F and a storage pressure in a range between 500 psig and 900 psig, wherein the natural gas of the single phase liquid medium is stored at storage densities that exceed storage densities of compressed natural gas for the same pressure and temperatures.