Patent ID: 6889522

Claim:
A system for liquefaction of natural gas offshore comprising: a first stationary vessel that remains stationary during production of LNG; a front end gas treating process unit mounted on the first stationary vessel for treating a process stream to produces a treated inlet gas streams; a second stationary vessel that remains stationary during production of the LNG; a gas phase refrigerant liquefaction process unit comprising at least one refrigerant expander for expanding at least one gas phase refrigerant stream, at least one booster compressor attached to the expander for compressing the at least one gas phase refrigerant stream, at least one recycle compressor for further compressing the at least one gas phase refrigerant stream, and at least one heat exchanger for liquefying the treated inlet gas stream to produce the LNG, wherein the expander, the booster compressor, and the heat exchanger are mounted on the second stationary vessel and the recycle compressor is mounted on the first stationary vessel for producing the LNG; an expander for expanding the LNG: an LNG storage facility mounted on the second stationary vessel to store the LNG; and piping for transporting a treated inlet gas stream between the first stationary vessel and the second stationary vessel an offloading facility mounted on the second stationary vessel for unloading the LNG to transport vessels.