The oil and gas industry is rightfully considered one of the most high-tech industries in the world. Equipment used for oil and gas production numbers hundreds of thousands of items, and includes a variety of devices - from elements shut-off valves, weighing several kilograms, to gigantic structures - drilling platforms and tankers, of gigantic size, and costing many billions of dollars. In this article we will look at the offshore giants of the oil and gas industry.

Gas tankers of Q-max type

The largest gas tankers in the history of mankind can rightfully be called tankers of the Q-max type. "Q" here stands for Qatar, and "max"- maximum. A whole family of these floating giants was created specifically for delivery by sea liquefied gas from Qatar.

Ships of this type began to be built in 2005 at the company's shipyards Samsung Heavy Industries- shipbuilding division of Samsung. The first ship was launched in November 2007. He was named "Moza", in honor of the wife of Sheikh Moza bint Nasser al-Misned. In January 2009, having loaded 266,000 cubic meters of LNG in the port of Bilbao, a vessel of this type crossed the Suez Canal for the first time.

Q-max type gas carriers are operated by the company STASCo, but are owned by the Qatar Gas Transmission Company (Nakilat), and are chartered primarily by Qatari LNG producing companies. In total, contracts for the construction of 14 such vessels have been signed.

The dimensions of such a vessel are 345 meters (1,132 feet) long and 53.8 meters (177 feet) wide. The ship is 34.7 m (114 ft) tall and has a draft of about 12 meters (39 ft). At the same time, the vessel can accommodate a maximum volume of LNG equal to 266,000 cubic meters. m (9,400,000 cubic meters).

Here are photographs of the largest ships in this series:

Tanker "Moza"- the first ship in this series. Named after the wife of Sheikh Moza bint Nasser al-Misned. The naming ceremony took place on July 11, 2008 at the shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea.

tanker« BU Samra»

Tanker« Mekaines»

Pipe-laying vessel “Pioneering spirit”

In June 2010, a Swiss company Allseas Marine Contractors entered into a contract for the construction of a vessel designed to transport drilling platforms and lay pipelines along the bottom of the sea. The ship named "Pieter Schelte", but later renamed , was built at the company's shipyard DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) and in November 2014 departed from South Korea to Europe. The vessel was supposed to be used for laying pipes South Stream in the Black Sea.

The ship is 382 m long and 124 m wide. Let us remind you that the height of the Empire State Building in the USA is 381 m (up to the roof). The side height is 30 m. The vessel is also unique in that its equipment allows laying pipelines at record depths - up to 3500 m.

in the process of completion afloat, July 2013

at the Daewoo shipyard in Geoje, March 2014

in the final stage of completion, July 2014

Comparative sizes (upper deck area) of giant ships, from top to bottom:

• the largest supertanker in history, "Seawise Giant";
• catamaran "Pieter Schelte";
• the world's largest cruise ship "Allure of the Seas";
• the legendary Titanic.

Photo source - ocean-media.su

Floating liquefied natural gas plant "Prelude"

The following giant has comparable dimensions to the floating pipe layer - "Prelude FLNG"(from English - “floating plant for the production of liquefied natural gas “ Prelude"") - the world's first plant for the production liquefied natural gas (LNG) placed on a floating base and intended for the production, treatment, liquefaction of natural gas, storage and shipment of LNG at sea.

To date "Prelude" is the largest floating object on Earth. The closest ship in size until 2010 was an oil supertanker « Knock Nevis» 458 meters long and 69 meters wide. In 2010, it was cut into scrap metal, and the laurels of the largest floating object went to the pipelayer "Pieter Schelte", later renamed to

In contrast, the platform length "Prelude" 106 meters less. But it is larger in tonnage (403,342 tons), width (124 m) and displacement (900,000 tons).

Besides "Prelude" is not a ship in the exact sense of the word, because does not have engines, having on board only a few water pumps used for maneuvering

The decision to build a plant "Prelude" was taken « Royal Dutch Shell" May 20, 2011, and construction was completed in 2013. According to the project, the floating structure will produce 5.3 million tons of liquid hydrocarbons per year: 3.6 million tons of LNG, 1.3 million tons of condensate and 0.4 million tons of LPG. The weight of the structure is 260 thousand tons.

Displacement when fully loaded is 600,000 tons, which is 6 times more than the displacement of the largest aircraft carrier.

The floating plant will be located off the coast of Australia. This unusual decision to locate an LNG plant at sea was caused by the position of the Australian government. It allowed gas production on the shelf, but categorically refused to locate a plant on the shores of the continent, fearing that such proximity would adversely affect the development of tourism.

Typical LNG tanker ( methane carrier) can transport 145-155 thousand m 3 of liquefied gas, from which about 89-95 million m 3 of natural gas can be obtained as a result of regasification. LNG carriers are similar in size to aircraft carriers, but significantly smaller than ultra-large oil tankers. Due to the fact that methane carriers are extremely capital intensive, their downtime is unacceptable. They are fast, the speed of a sea vessel carrying reaches 18-20 knots, compared to 14 knots for a standard oil tanker. In addition, LNG loading and unloading operations do not take much time (on average 12-18 hours).

In the event of an accident, LNG tankers have a double-hull structure specifically designed to prevent leaks and ruptures. The cargo (LNG) is transported at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of –162°C in special thermally insulated tanks (referred to as “ cargo storage system") inside the internal hull of a gas carrier vessel. A cargo storage system consists of a primary container or reservoir for storing liquid, a layer of insulation, a secondary containment designed to prevent leakage, and another layer of insulation. If the primary tank is damaged, the secondary shell will not allow it. All surfaces in contact with LNG are made of materials resistant to extremely low temperatures. Therefore, such materials are usually used stainless steel, aluminum or invar(iron based alloy with nickel content 36%).

Moss type LNG tanker (spherical tanks)

Distinctive feature Moss type gas carriers, which currently make up 41% of the world methane carrier fleet, are self-supporting spherical tanks, which, as a rule, are made of aluminum and are attached to the ship’s hull using a cuff along the equator line of the tank. 57% of gas tankers use triple membrane tank systems (GazTransport system, Technigaz system And CS1 system). Membrane designs use a much thinner membrane that is supported by the walls of the housing. System GazTransport includes primary and secondary membranes in the form of flat Invar panels, and the system Technigaz The primary diaphragm is made of corrugated stainless steel. In system CS1 invar panels from the system GazTransport, acting as a primary membrane, are combined with three-layer membranes Technigaz(sheet aluminum sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass) as secondary insulation.

GazTransport & Technigaz LNG tanker (membrane structures)

Unlike vessels for transporting LPG ( liquefied petroleum gas), gas carriers are not equipped with a deck liquefaction unit, and their engines run on fluidized bed gas. Taking into account the fact that part of the cargo ( liquefied natural gas) complements heavy fuel oil as a fuel, LNG tankers do not arrive at their destination port with the same amount of LNG that was loaded onto them at the liquefaction plant. The maximum permissible value of the evaporation rate in a fluidized bed is about 0.15% of the cargo volume per day. Steam turbines are mainly used as a propulsion system on methane carriers. Despite their low fuel efficiency, steam turbines can be easily adapted to run on fluidized bed gas. Another unique feature of LNG tankers is that they typically retain a small portion of their cargo to cool the tanks to the required temperature before loading.

The next generation of LNG tankers is characterized by new features. Despite the higher cargo capacity (200-250 thousand m 3), the ships have the same draft - today, for a ship with a cargo capacity of 140 thousand m 3, a typical draft of 12 meters is due to the restrictions applied in the Suez Canal and most LNG ships. terminals. However, their body will be wider and longer. The power of steam turbines will not allow these larger vessels to develop sufficient speed, so they will use a dual-fuel gas-oil diesel engine developed in the 1980s. In addition, many LNG carriers currently on order will be equipped with ship regasification plant. Gas evaporation on methane carriers of this type will be controlled in the same way as on ships carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which will avoid cargo losses during the voyage.

Media: The first liquefied natural gas tanker will arrive from the US in Europe on April 26. "Many in Europe are waiting for the US to enter the market; it is part of a broader effort to challenge Russia's dominance," The Wall Street Journal notes.

There's clearly something strange going on with these news reports on gas. One gets the impression of a purposeful war of intimidation. Horror - horror, look, the United States has finally started supplying its LNG to Europe. Now, one gas carrier has already arrived. And in a couple of days there will be another one. Everything is gone, boss! The American gas offensive against Russia has begun! We're all going to die, we're all going to die!

Please note that these reports are published on leading Russian news platforms. It is interesting to find out who needs this and why? At a minimum, because most of this news is either “very inaccurate” or outright false. In fact, it turns out that either instead of butane and propane they brought something else, much less applicable for heating and domestic needs, or the tanks actually contained raw materials for chemical industry, like ammonia, which is also a gas, but not the same gas at all.

But something else is more interesting. In one of my recent comments on this topic, I already cited this calculation. However, I will repeat it again.

The volume of Russian gas supplies to Europe reached 160 billion m3 per year.

The total volume of the world's gas carrier fleet is 8.3 billion m3.

Even if we forget that half of them are intended for transporting chemicals, such as ammonia, and consider that all of them can be mobilized for the transportation of propane-butane to Europe, it still turns out that in order to deliver such a volume of gas it will be necessary for each of them to make 19.3 flights per year or one flight in 19 days. Roughly speaking, 9 days there and 9 days back.

At the same time, loading one gas carrier takes 7 days and unloading - at least four. Those. There are 4.5 days or 108 hours left for the sea crossing. The minimum distance between Cape Roca (the westernmost point of Europe) and Cape St. Charles (the easternmost point of North America) is 3909 km. Therefore, in order to pass them within a given time, the gas carrier must develop an average speed of 36.1 km/h or 20 knots. While the maximum speed of gas carriers does not exceed 16 knots, they normally travel at 6-8 knots.

Something is not working out with the revolution. I don’t even ask where the United States will get 160 billion cubic meters of propane-butane, because all sorts of ammonia is not suitable for heating. Even if a miracle happens and they find the required volume of gas somewhere, how will they be able to deliver it to Europe?

Moreover, please note, the problem with delivery arises even with the current size of the share of Russian gas in the European market. Plans to close nuclear power plants and stop, for environmental reasons, coal generation, according to the most conservative estimates, over the next 3-5 years will create additional demand in Europe for at least another 100-120 billion cubic meters per year. It is clear how to pump them through the Russian pipeline system, which is currently only 60% loaded, but how to deliver them in the form of LNG from the USA is completely unclear to me personally.

Which is intended for the transportation of liquefied natural gas and is undoubtedly considered the best in technical equipment gas carrier, type Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier (LNGC) « British Emerald» . It became the flagship of a series consisting of four ships of the same type in the British tanker fleet: "British Ruby", "British Sapphire" and "British Diamond".

Gas carriers owned by a British company BP Shipping Limited", which plays a leading role in the global natural gas market, offering innovative methods in delivering such a valuable resource to customers.

All built in 2008 at the shipyard " Hyundai Heavy Industries"in South Korea. When developing the vessel design, engineers were guided by the principles of efficiency and safety.

The first principle was realized thanks to the new concept DFDE (dual-fuel diesel-electric), which means two fuels in one diesel-electric installation. DFDE technology allows engines to use transported gas vapor as fuel, and in addition diesel fuel as standard. This technology is not new, but it has not been used on such devices before. This innovation gives gas carrier uniqueness. The new electromechanical system is more expensive to install, but within a year it pays for itself due to its high efficiency gas carrier.

This principle makes it possible to significantly reduce the cost of diesel fuel, which is used on ships of this class, and also reduce emissions harmful substances in atmosphere. Safety gas carrier was primarily achieved through the double hull.

largest gas carrier in the world

gas carrier British Emerald

gas carrier "British Diamond"

LNG carrier "British Sapphire"

gas carrier "British Ruby"

gas carrier tank

LNG carrier "British Emerald" in the terminal

Secondly, on gas carrier a system is provided that cools the gas in containers to a temperature of - 160 degrees Celsius, thereby transforming it into a liquid state, therefore reducing the volume in a ratio of 600: 1 and volatility, which makes it possible to transport gas more profitably and safely. This system made it possible to free up space, which was used in the process to increase the usable volume. In addition, the hull showed high hydrodynamic characteristics, which significantly reduced water resistance.

Four gas supertankers can easily enter 44 ports and more than 50 terminals around the world. They replace eight previous "peers".

Technical data of the gas carrier "British Emerald":
Length - 288 m;
Width - 44 m;
Draft - 11 m;
Deadweight - 102064 tons;
Ship's power point - four diesel-electric engines " Wartsila»;
Speed ​​- 20 knots;
Cruising range - 26,000 miles;
Crew - 29 people;

The world's only icebreaking gas carrier August 23rd, 2017

There are two views on the Northern Sea Route. Supporters of the first argue that it will never become profitable and no one will use it en masse, while supporters of the second argue that this is just the beginning: the ice will melt even more and let this one be the most profitable in certain circumstances. It seems to me that the latter are winning so far. It’s not for nothing that such topics are thrown about

The gas tanker Christophe de Margerie (shipowner PJSC Sovcomflot) successfully completed its first commercial voyage on August 17, 2017, delivering a shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) from Norway to South Korea.

During the voyage, the ship set a new record for crossing the NSR - 6.5 days. At the same time, the Christophe de Margerie became the first merchant ship in the world that was able to navigate the NSR without icebreaker support along the entire length of this route.

While crossing the NSR, the ship covered 2,193 miles (3,530 km) from Cape Zhelaniya on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago to Cape Dezhnev on Chukotka, the easternmost mainland point of Russia. The exact transition time was 6 days 12 hours 15 minutes.

During the voyage, the ship again confirmed its exceptional suitability for working in high latitudes. The average speed during the passage exceeded 14 knots - despite the fact that in some sections the gas carrier was forced to go through ice fields up to 1.2 m thick. It is noted that the total duration of the voyage from Hammerfest (Norway) to Boren ( South Korea) using the Northern Sea Route was 22 days, which is almost 30% less than what would have been required when crossing the traditional southern route through the Suez Canal. The results of the flight made it possible to once again confirm economic efficiency use of the Northern Sea Route for the transit of large-capacity vessels.
Christophe de Margerie is the world's first and so far only icebreaking gas carrier. The unique vessel was built by order of the Sovcomflot group of companies for year-round transportation of LNG as part of the Yamal LNG project. The vessel was put into operation on March 27, 2017 after successful completion of ice trials, which took place in the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea.

The gas carrier is able to independently overcome ice up to 2.1 m thick. The vessel has an Arc7 ice class - the highest among existing ones transport ships. The propulsion power of the gas carrier is 45 MW, which is comparable to the power of a modern nuclear icebreaker. High ice-passing ability and maneuverability of the Christophe de Margerie are ensured by Azipod-type rudder propellers, while it became the first high-ice-class vessel in the world to have three Azipods installed at once.
The gas carrier is named after Christophe de Margerie, the former head of the Total concern. He played a key role in developing investment decisions and technological scheme of the Yamal LNG project and made a significant contribution to the development of Russian-French economic relations generally.

The Sovcomflot Group of Companies (SCF Group) is the largest shipping company in Russia, one of the world's leading companies in the maritime transportation of hydrocarbons, as well as servicing offshore exploration and production of oil and gas. Its own and chartered fleet includes 149 vessels with a total deadweight of more than 13.1 million tons. Half of the ships have an ice class.

Sovcomflot participates in servicing large oil and gas projects in Russia and the world: Sakhalin-1, Sakhalin-2, Varandey, Prirazlomnoye, Novy Port, Yamal LNG, Tangguh (Indonesia). The company's head office is located in St. Petersburg, with representative offices located in Moscow, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, London, Limassol and Dubai.

sources