Experience, Training, and Expertise
STI Group also recognizes that a fabrication process is only as good as the craftsmen and workers who are executing it. That is why we also emphasize excellence in training and employ expert craftsmen, welders, and laborers. Our workers are NCCER certified and our state-of-art fabrication facilities have ASME’s “U” and “S” stamps, further demonstrating our commitment to excellence in engineering and construction.
STI Group utilizes a single-point-of-contact approach to project delivery, whereby at the start of a project our representative guides all teams involved through each step until project completion. Our experience and expertise in the LNG sector also allow us to understand the full scope of the project and operate with LNG specific insight.
Turnkey, Modular Fabrication
The key to our success in the LNG sector is our state-of-the-art turkey, modular fabrication process. This extremely efficient approach to manufacturing and fabrication streamlines the process to the point of cutting out all the waste in time, materials, labor, and cost. This results in the highest quality of production delivered in the fastest possible timeframe. Our meticulous quality control and quality assurance processes also ensure that the manufacturing, fabrication and construction adhere to strict industry standards.
What Is Liquefied Natural Gas and How Is It Used?
Liquefied Natural Gas, or LNG as it is commonly called, refers to traditional natural gas that has been cooled to the point of changing from gas form into liquid form. This occurs when the gas reaches about -260° Fahrenheit. LNG is composed almost entirely of methane. As the liquefaction process is performed other components in the natural gas such as water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulfur compounds, and other hydrocarbons are removed, leaving almost pure methane.
The primary benefit of liquefaction is that it dramatically condenses the natural gas. In fact a given amount of LNG is about 1/600th the volume of an equivalent amount of natural gas. This huge reduction in size makes LNG much easier, more efficient, and less expensive to store and distribute than traditional natural gas. The conversion of natural gas into LNG is particularly important and beneficial if there are no nearby pipelines to transport the natural gas or if the natural gas needs to be moved over long distances, such as by sea in tankers.
After the LNG has been transported and is ready to be distributed it typically undergoes regasification at specially designed regasification terminals. Once it is returned to its gaseous state it is usually distributed using standard channels such as pipelines and can be used in the typical ways that natural gas is used. However, because it is so concentrated and because it burns cleaner than traditional natural gas, LNG is also directly used in its liquid state as a fuel source.
Construction of Liquefaction Facilities
STI Group offers EPC services for the creation of new liquefaction facilities. These facilities are the hubs where the actual liquefaction takes place and the integrity of their construction is critical. Our experience in this space allows us to work under challenging circumstances, stay within the project’s budget and scope, and keep the construction project finished on time.
Construction of Regasification Terminals
STI Group also offers EPC services for the creation of new regasification terminals. These terminals act as the other end of the spectrum from liquefaction facilities. It is here that the LNG is converted back into a gas so that it can be distributed to traditional natural gas markets. Once again our background in the LNG space allows us to build high quality, reliable terminals that are on time and on budget.
Maintenance and Turnarounds
STI Group also offers full maintenance and turnaround service solutions to the LNG industry, helping to keep the plant’s operations running at peak performance. This is in addition to our turnaround, project management, and planning and scheduling services. STI Group is a full service provider of fabrication, construction and industrial services for the LNG sector.