New project may see tankers carrying gas.

(From Lloyds List)

A UNIQUE solution for carrying liquefied gas has been developed by independent start-up SeaOne Maritime, which will convert three 150,000 dwt suezmax oil tankers into 'compressed gas liquid carriers', writes Hugh O'Mahony.

The technology, whose processing and containment systems are proprietary to the Houston company, was termed a 'real alternative to liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas for those smaller and remote world-wide natural gas reserves' by SeaOne president Bruce Hall.

'The production or conditioned gas is transported in ocean-going gas carriers in a liquefied form, termed compressed gas liquid,' he said. 'The liquefied gas is transported at a modest pressure and refrigerated temperature in a pipeline system mounted within the cargo area of the tanker.

'The carrier design is scalable and can deliver either pipeline quality gas as loaded and'or fractionated products.'

He said all types of liquefied gas, ranging from C1, defined as LNG, to the C2-C5 types that were the preserve of LPG carriers could be transported using the CGLC.

Tanker conversions would be completed by late 2008, with the work expected to take place in Dubai. Each ship would have capacity for 1.5bn cu ft of sales gas. Vessels had been identified as eligible for conversion