New gas for New Jersey

ExxonMobil has announced plans to seek regulatory approval for BlueOcean Energy, a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal supplying natural gas to New Jersey and New York residents.

According to ExxonMobil, the $1bn terminal will have the capacity to supply 340,000,000m³ of natural gas per day, enough to meet the needs of more than five million residential consumers.

The new terminal will be anchored 32km off the coast of New Jersey and moored in about 46m of water, outside shipping lanes and away from port traffic. The project will also involve the construction of a subsea pipeline to connect the ocean terminal to natural gas distribution pipelines onshore.

The BlueOcean Energy floating terminal is designed to receive LNG supplies from double-hulled LNG ships about twice a week, and store the LNG in insulated tanks inside the terminal’s double hull. The stored LNG will then be warmed to turn it back into natural gas for delivery.

Other terminal projects ExxonMobil is involved in include receiving terminals under construction in Wales, Texas and offshore Italy. The BlueOcean Energy terminal is expected to begin service in five years’ time.