Natural gas is nothing new, but in recent years new sources combined with new methods and technologies for extraction and processing have created new opportunities and enhanced the long-term viability of natural gas as a clean burning, economic and safe energy source on a global scale.
Significant quantities of natural gas can be distributed economically in two ways; either via pipelines or in its liquid form as liquefied natural gas (LNG). More recently the term ‘virtual pipeline’ has been introduced to describe the method of transporting LNG from its source to areas not served by an actual pipeline, where it is stored and regasified for use in place of other more expensive and environmentally damaging fossil fuels such as coal.
LNG transportation within the virtual pipeline is typically by road tanker, but can also include rail and ship. Both the terminology and physical examples generally exist alongside another new innovation, which is small-scale LNG, a term that can be applied across all aspects of the LNG value chain – liquefaction, distribution, storage and end-use. Both virtual pipeline and small-scale LNG solutions are playing an increasingly prominent role in the natural gas growth story.
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