What is LNG?

LNG is the liquid form of natural gas – the kind you may use to heat your home or for cooking. Natural gas is turned into a liquid by processing it in a plant which operates like a giant "refrigerator," cooling it to 260 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. In liquid form, the volume of natural gas shrinks by a factor of six hundred, making it easier to transport over long distances. Once the natural gas is turned to LNG, it can be transported and stored at atmospheric pressure in insulated tanks that act just like thermos bottles.

Where does LNG come from?

LNG is produced in Abu Dhabi, Alaska, Algeria, Australia, Brunei, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Yemen. New production plants are being developed today in Algeria, Angola, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Qatar, Russia and Venezuela among others.

Is LNG commonly used in the U.S.?

Currently, there are some 115 LNG facilities in the United States, including nine import terminals (ten if we include Puerto Rico). About one-third of the country's LNG storage tanks are right here in New England. During the coldest winter days, as much as 30 percent of New England's gas supply comes from LNG. That is because stored LNG can be quickly and easily turned back into natural gas and delivered to the existing pipeline grid.