Methods for loading a
compressed fluid, such as
natural gas, into and discharging the
compressed fluid out of containment are provided. The
compressed fluid is injected into a bottom portion of a container
system for storage and / or transport until a target pressure is reached after which gas is withdrawn from an upper portion of the container
system at a rate to maintain the target pressure while the compressed fluid is injected in the bottom portion. The compressed fluid is cooled through an expansion valve and by refrigerated chillers or by injecting a cold liquid of the same
chemical composition as the compressed fluid, such as liquid
natural gas, into the compressed fluid prior to injection into the container
system. Withdrawal or
discharge from the container system to a
receiving facility begins with blow down from the bottom portion of the container system without a displacement fluid and continues until pressure falls below an acceptable
differential pressure. The
discharge stream is passed through a separator and a light gas from the separator is pressurized and injected into an upper portion of the container system to drive the compressed fluid out the bottom. The light gas is pressurized using either a compressor or a heated tank system, where two vessels operate in parallel,
trapping and heating the light gas and then discharging to the container system from one while filling the other and alternating the operation between the two.