9 Japanese Firms Aim for Solid Natural Gas

Tokyo, Dec. 5 (Jiji Press)–Nine Japanese companies including Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. said Wednesday they will attempt to make the transportation and storage of natural gas easier by solidifying the gas.

The nine firms will start a feasibility study and identify technological and other problems that have to be cleared before commercialization. The project was launched by Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp., an independent agency.

The remaining participants will be Mitsui & Co. , NGH Japan Co., Inpex Corp., Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. , Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. , Nippon Yusen K.K. , Tokyo Gas Co. , and Chugoku Electric Power Co. .

Under the project, natural gas will be converted into a sorbet- like form, called natural gas hydrate. Through the conversion, the cubic volume of the gas is reduced to one-170th of the original.

The hydrate can be stored at a temperature of minus 20 degrees centigrade, far higher than the minus 162 degrees required for the storage of liquefied natural gas.

Due to the reduced volume and higher temperature, transportation and storage infrastructure for the hydrate can be established at lower costs than for LNG. Such infrastructure would be particularly suitable for small and midsize gas fields, the nine firms said.

The nine firms aim to start building plants to test the conversion, storage and transportation processes as early as 2010. They hope for commercialization in 2013.

NGH Japan, a joint venture between Mitsui Engineering and Mitsui & Co., will serve as the project leader. END

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