Calculator
| Million tonnes of LNG per year (MTPA) | 2,45 |
| Million m³ of gas per day (MMm³/d) the gas that this LNG "contains" | 9,1 |
| Billion m³ of gas per year (bcm) | 3,33 |
| Billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) the U.S. unit | 0,32 |
| Million MMBtu per year the unit it is sold in | 127 |
| 174,000 m³ vessels per year about 78,000 tonnes each | 31 |
| Gas that must be delivered to the plant (feed gas) adding 15% that is consumed or separated in the process | 10.7 MMm³/d |
Examples to try: 2.45 MTPA (Hilli Episeyo) · 6 MTPA (full Southern Energy) · 12 MTPA (Argentina LNG, first stage) · 21 MMm³/d (Gasoducto Perito Moreno).
One cargo
- 78,300 tonnes of LNG
- 174,000 m³ of LNG (liquid)
- 106.5 million m³ of gas
- 4,071,600 MMBtu
- 0.76 days of Argentina's entire winter gas consumption (at 140 MMm³/d)
The rule of thumb
But note: to produce 1 MTPA of LNG you have to deliver considerably more than 3.7 MMm³/d to the plant. Part of the gas is used as fuel for cooling (the liquefaction turbines and compressors), and first the CO₂, water and heavy hydrocarbons (ethane, propane, butane), which do not go into the LNG, must be removed. Depending on the gas and the plant, that adds between 10% and 25% more. Example: according to published project information, the 2.45 MTPA Hilli Episeyo will take about 11.5 MMm³/d of gas, while the LNG it produces "contains" about 9.1 MMm³/d: about 26% more.
Why there are so many units
- Cubic meters (m³): this is how gas is measured at the fields, in pipelines and in consumption in Argentina, always "per day" (MMm³/d). A "standard" m³ is gas at 15 °C and atmospheric pressure; in Argentina it is taken with a heating value of 9,300 kcal/m³, so 1 MMBtu equals about 27.1 m³.
- Tonnes (MTPA): liquefaction plants and vessels are measured by the mass of LNG they can produce in a year. It is the unit of the global LNG trade: the world trades about 400 million tonnes per year.
- MMBtu (million BTU): gas is bought and sold by the energy it delivers, not by volume. Benchmark prices (Henry Hub in the U.S., TTF in Europe, JKM in Asia) are in dollars per MMBtu.
- Cubic feet (Bcf/d): the U.S. unit, the world's largest LNG exporter. 1 Bcf/d ≈ 28.3 MMm³/d.
- m³ of LNG: the volume of the liquid in tanks and vessels. A large LNG carrier loads about 174,000 m³ of LNG, about 78,000 tonnes, which regasified is about 106 million m³ of gas.
Argentine projects in these units
| Project | LNG MTPA | Equivalent gas MMm³/d | Status (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Energy · Hilli Episeyo YPF, Pan American Energy, Pampa Energía, Harbour Energy and Golar LNG · Golfo San Matías | 2,45 | ~11.5 of feed gas | Vessel being prepared in Singapore; arrival in mid-2027 and commercial operation in late 2027. |
| Southern Energy · Hilli + MKII | ~6 | ~22 equivalent | Second vessel (MKII) in a second stage. |
| Argentina LNG · first stage YPF and Eni (with XRG), two 6 MTPA vessels in Río Negro | 12 | ~45 equivalent | Final investment decision expected for November 26, 2026; first exports to 2030. |
| Argentina LNG · with a third vessel | up to 18 | ~67 equivalent | Under negotiation. |
For perspective: the Gasoducto Perito Moreno carries 21 MMm³/d today and Argentina consumes about 140-150 MMm³/d at winter peaks. The 12 MTPA of the first stage of Argentina LNG are equivalent to more than two Perito Morenos. See also Oil and gas pipelines and Indicators: Henry Hub and TTF.
The factors are approximate: they depend on the gas composition (how much methane, ethane and nitrogen it contains) and on each country's reference conditions. For a contract, use the ones the contract sets.