Patent ID: 7322387

Claim:
An energy hub system for the reception, processing, handling and marketplace distribution of hydrocarbons and other fluids, comprising: (a) facilities for receiving and offloading hydrocarbons or other fluids; (b) at least one surface holding tank, connectable to said facilities for receiving and offloading hydrocarbons or other fluids and capable of holding received and offloaded hydrocarbons or other fluids; (c) means for vaporizing said received and offloaded hydrocarbons or other fluids; (d) first pumping means, connectable to said at least one surface holding tank and capable of flowing said hydrocarbons or other fluids into said vaporization means; (e) distribution means, connectable to said vaporization means and capable of directing said hydrocarbons or other fluids to the marketplace; (f) an underground storage facility, connectable to said vaporization means and to said distribution means; and (g) second pumping means, connectable to said vaporization means and capable of flowing said hydrocarbons or other fluids from said vaporization means into said distribution means and underground storage facility, wherein said at least one surface holding tank is used to minimize offload time and wherein the volume capacity of said at least one surface holding tank, in BCFE, is less than the per-day offloading rate, in BCFED, at which said hydrocarbons or other fluids are offloaded and received by said facilities for receiving and offloading them.