Pipeline natural gas means that natural gas is transmitted and traded through pipeline in gaseous status. Pipeline natural gas is applicable to the continental Europe, the Northern Americas and other countries where pipelines can be laid to directly import natural gas from neighboring countries (or regions).
For ease of transportation by LNG carrier, well-head natural gas produced in gas field must be transmitted by pipeline to a Liquefaction plant where gas is processed into a refrigerated liquid of -162°C approximately. Then liquefied natural gas(LNG) is transported by carriers to LNG Receiving terminals in importing destination and stored in specified storage tanks. LNG needs to undergo the process of regasification before being transmitted to users. Liquefied natural gas is applicable to the countries which are lack of indigenous or insufficient natural gas production and cannot directly import natural gas by pipelines due to geography reason, such as Taiwan, Japan and Korea.