Project Overview

The Ingleside Energy Center (IEC) is being designed to import Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) into a new, technically-advanced facility planned for a site adjacent to OxyChem's existing plant near Ingleside, Texas. The IEC project will be developed by Occidental Energy Ventures Corp., a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Oxy). 

The IEC is expected to be capable of delivering up to one billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to utilities, industrial users and other businesses. Twenty-five percent of the imported LNG may be upgraded or refined for higher value usage such as on-site electricity generation or petrochemical feedstock. Oxy is taking a strong, integrated approach to save time, conserve energy, help safeguard air quality and preserve local water resources.

Current demand for natural gas in the United States exceeds present domestic supply, with a 20 percent increase in demand expected over the next 25 years.  LNG has been produced and used safely in the United States for more than three decades, and currently accounts for up to six percent of the country’s daily natural gas needs.  As domestic production of natural gas reserves are limited, increased LNG imports will be required to meet the country’s needs. Increasing supply by importing LNG is one solution for meeting a portion of future demand.

LNG is natural gas cooled to approximately -260° F at normal air pressure.  It is odorless, non-toxic, non-corrosive and less dense than water.  Natural gas is converted into LNG by a process called liquefaction, which reduces it to 1/600 the space taken by natural gas, making it possible to transport large quantities by ship from other locations.  Once offloaded at the receiving terminal, such as the IEC, it is converted back to a gaseous state and transported to end-users via natural gas pipelines. Liquefaction enables natural gas that would otherwise be “stranded” in countries without significant demand to reach major markets.

Ingleside Energy Center artist rendition

The IEC's main component will be the LNG receiving terminal with a new docking facility. The San Patricio Pipeline will be built to transport natural gas from the terminal to the local pipeline grid.

Project details include:

• One billion cubic feet per day send-out capacity
• Docking facility and a new slip
• Two - 160,000 cubic meter storage tanks
• Ethane and LPG recovery facilities

Liquified Natural Gas: Understanding the Basic Facts (pdf - 2.72 MB)
Source: Department of Energy, United States of America