17-03-04 Air Products announced that its new AP-X(TM) liquefaction process technology was selected by Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil for the QatarGas II Facility Expansion Project. The Air Products novel patented technology will make possible the world's largest process train for the production of LNG.
Air Products provides natural gas liquefaction process technology, main cryogenic heat exchange equipment, plus other key process equipment components in the AP-X process.

Each single LNG process train for the QatarGas II facility, which is located in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, will be rated for an annual LNG production capacity of approximately 7.8 mm tpy. This production capacity is 50 % larger than any other LNG plant currently in operation or under construction. The QatarGas II expansion facility is scheduled to be on-stream in late 2007.
"This is a major milestone for the LNG industry. The new AP-X liquefaction process is an elegant combination of proven Air Products process technologies and key liquefaction components, and provides a new standard for the industry. It comes at a time when natural gas usage is increasing in importance on a global basis as a source of energy," said Mark Modjeska, general manager, Worldwide Equipment at Air Products.

A vast majority of the total worldwide baseload LNG production capacity is produced with Air Products' technology. Air Products has designed, manufactured and exported nearly 70 LNG heat exchangers from its Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania facility over the last 30 years.
After manufacturing, the heat exchanger and associated process equipment for the project travel from Wilkes-Barre by rail to the Port of Bucks County. There, the heat exchanger and associated equipment undergo additional work and final inspection before being loaded on to a ship for its sojourn to eventual facility installation. The QatarGas II project will supply the United Kingdom market with LNG.