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Paris, 14 April 2008 – Gaz de France's Research Division, working in partnership with Technip, has just successfully completed the final phase of qualification under industrial conditions for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) ⁽¹⁾ deep-sea unloading system by flexible hose.  The qualification of the new flexible technology is a first worldwide, paving the way for the creation of the first floating LNG unit at sea.

The certification of the flexible hose is the result of trials carried out by Gaz de France and Technip on the Montoir-de-Bretagne LNG site.  Building on recognised expertise in LNG and on a site offering high LNG capacity, Gaz de France has made it possible to qualify this technology under actual operating conditions.  The operational tests, including simulated sea swell during connection operations and full-load LNG circulation, as well as emergency disconnections, were successfully completed.

Thanks to this successful cooperation, Gaz de France and Technip have confirmed their position as pioneers in research and innovation in LNG. 

This new LNG transfer system is based on a major innovation: a flexible large-diameter cryogenic hose⁽²⁾ produced in the Seine Maritime region.  Known as the Amplitude-LNG Loading System (ALLS), it is the first system consisting of a flexible hose, suited to difficult sea conditions.  With this new flexible hose, it will be possible to transfer LNG from the departure and arrival points in the LNG chain toward a deep-sea or coastal terminal, all the while ensuring optimal availability for all facilities.  Thus, this innovation responds to the growing demand for sea operations in the LNG industry and is an alternative to traditional onshore transfer systems.

Developed to comply with the industry's operational and safety standards, the ALLS system is certified by Bureau Veritas (on the components side) and Det Norske Veritas (system operability).  It is now ready for industrialisation.

The studies and trials carried out by Gaz de France's Research Division, Technip, KSB and Eurodim were partly funded by a group of major oil and gas companies and owners of LNG transport tankers: Gaz de France, Conoco-Philips, Chevron-Texaco, Total, Hoegh-LNG, Petrobras and BP.

⁽¹⁾ LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas): natural gas liquefied by lowering the temperature to  -162°C, and thereby reducing its volume 600 times in order to enable its transport by dedicated ship.

⁽²⁾ Flexible cryogenic hose: a flexible thermally-isolated hose used to transfer LNG at -162°C and for gas return, between the terminal or treatment unit (liquefaction or regasification) on land or on sea, and LNG tankers.

Group profile:

The Gaz de France Group is a major energy player in Europe.  As the leading natural gas distributor in Europe, Gaz de France employs nearly 50,000 employees and earned €27 billion in sales in 2007.  The Group holds a portfolio of some 14 million clients, approximately 11 million of which are in France. Gaz de France is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and forms part of the CAC 40 and Dow Jones Stoxx 600 indices.

Press Contact:
Armelle Dillar
Phone: +33 1 47 54 30 17
E-mail: armelle.dillar@gazdefrance.com