Natural gas for transport

Claim 1

A METHOD OF STORING FOR TRANSPORT A NATURAL GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING AT LEAST 60 MOL PERCENT METHANE AND AT LEAST 80 MOL PERCENT METHANE-PLUS-ETHANE, THE REMAINDER BEING HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS AND UP TO 100 MOL PERCENT INERT CONSTITUENTS, AND HAVING A GROSS CALORIFIC VALUE OF FROM 800 B.T.U./S.C.F. TO 100 B.T.U./S.C.F., WHICH COMPRISES: (A) ESTABLISHING THE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE OF THE GAS MIXTURE WITHIN AN OPERATING STATE WHEREIN (I) THE MAXIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE IS IMMEDIATELY BELOW ABOUT THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE OF METHANE, (II) THE MAXIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE IS ABOUT -200*F., (III) THE MAXIMUM OPERATING PRESSURE IS 300 P.S.I. ABOVE THE BUBBLE POINT-DEW POINT PRESSURE OF THE GAS MIXTURE AT THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE, AND (IV) THE MINIMUM OPERATING PRESSURE IS 15 P.S.I. BELOW THE BUBBLE POINT-DEW POINT PRESSURE OF THE GAS MIXTURE AT THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE, (B) CONATAINING SAID GAS IN THE OPERATING STATE TO PREVENT EXPANSION OF SAID GAS MIXTURE; AND (C) THERMALLY INSULATING THE CONTAINED GAS MIXTURE AGAINST SUBSTANTIAL HEAT LEAKAGE INTO SAID GAS MIXTURE SO THAT IT REMAINS IN SAID OPERATING STATE THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF ITS CONTAINMENT; (D) WHEREBY THE GAS MIXTURE IS MAINTAINED IN A DENSE STATE SUITABLE FOR STORAGE AND TRANSPORT AT MINIMAL COMPRESSION, REFRIGERATION AND CONTAINMENT COSTS PER UNIT WEIGHT OF GAS MIXTURE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF STORING FOR TRANSPORT A NATURAL GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING AT LEAST 60 MOL PERCENT METHANE AND AT LEAST 80 MOL PERCENT METHANE-PLUS-ETHANE, THE REMAINDER BEING HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS AND UP TO 100 MOL PERCENT INERT CONSTITUENTS, AND HAVING A GROSS CALORIFIC VALUE OF FROM 800 B.T.U./S.C.F. TO 100 B.T.U./S.C.F., WHICH COMPRISES: (A) ESTABLISHING THE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE OF THE GAS MIXTURE WITHIN AN OPERATING STATE WHEREIN (I) THE MAXIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE IS IMMEDIATELY BELOW ABOUT THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE OF METHANE, (II) THE MAXIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE IS ABOUT -200*F., (III) THE MAXIMUM OPERATING PRESSURE IS 300 P.S.I. ABOVE THE BUBBLE POINT-DEW POINT PRESSURE OF THE GAS MIXTURE AT THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE, AND (IV) THE MINIMUM OPERATING PRESSURE IS 15 P.S.I. BELOW THE BUBBLE POINT-DEW POINT PRESSURE OF THE GAS MIXTURE AT THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE, (B) CONATAINING SAID GAS IN THE OPERATING STATE TO PREVENT EXPANSION OF SAID GAS MIXTURE; AND (C) THERMALLY INSULATING THE CONTAINED GAS MIXTURE AGAINST SUBSTANTIAL HEAT LEAKAGE INTO SAID GAS MIXTURE SO THAT IT REMAINS IN SAID OPERATING STATE THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF ITS CONTAINMENT; (D) WHEREBY THE GAS MIXTURE IS MAINTAINED IN A DENSE STATE SUITABLE FOR STORAGE AND TRANSPORT AT MINIMAL COMPRESSION, REFRIGERATION AND CONTAINMENT COSTS PER UNIT WEIGHT OF GAS MIXTURE.