Liquefied natural gas (
LNG) is
natural gas (predominantly
methane, CH
4) that has been converted to liquid form for ease of storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volume of natural gas in the gaseous state. It is
odorless,
colorless,
non-toxic and
non-corrosive. Hazards include flammability after vaporization into a gaseous state, freezing and
asphyxia. The
liquefaction process involves removal of certain components, such as dust,
acid gases,
helium, water, and heavy
hydrocarbons, which could cause difficulty downstream. The natural gas is then
condensed into a liquid at close to atmospheric pressure by cooling it to approximately ; maximum transport pressure is set at around .