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Methods for loading a compressed fluid into and discharging the compressed fluid out of containment are provided. 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bottom portion of a container system for storage and/or transport until a target pressure is reached after which gas is withdrawn from an upper portio

Methods for loading a compressed fluid into and discharging the compressed fluid out of containment are provided. 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bottom portion of a container system for storage and/or transport until a target pressure is reached after which gas is withdrawn from an upper portion of the container system at a rate to maintain the target pressure while the compressed fluid is injected in the bottom portion.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 into the compressed fluid prior to injection into the container system. 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.

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1. A method for loading a compressed fluid into a container, comprising: injecting a displacement fluid into a first tank, the first tank having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the displacement fluid is a gas;injecting the displacement fluid and/or a compressed fluid into the first tan

1. A method for loading a compressed fluid into a container, comprising: injecting a displacement fluid into a first tank, the first tank having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the displacement fluid is a gas;injecting the displacement fluid and/or a compressed fluid into the first tank until a desired pressure is reached in the first tankcooling and injecting the compressed fluid into the lower portion of the first tank;bleeding the displacement fluid out of the upper portion of the first tank after the desired pressure is attained while continuing to inject the compressed fluid into the lower portion of the first tank;adjusting the flow rate of the displacement fluid bled out of the upper portion of the first tank to maintain the pressure in the first tank within a desired range about the desired pressure; andcooling and injecting the compressed fluid into the lower portion of the first tank until a desired mass of the compressed fluid is contained in the first tank while bleeding the displacement fluid out of the upper portion of the first tank,wherein the pressure of the desired mass of the compressed fluid contained in the first tank is between 100 and 2,000 psig. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a desired temperature of the compressed fluid prior to injecting the compressed fluid into the first tank. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressed fluid flows through a Joule-Thompson let-down valve prior to injecting it into the first tank. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressed fluid is cooled by passing it through a refrigerated heat exchanger. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressed fluid is cooled by injecting a cold liquid fluid into the compressed fluid prior to injecting the compressed fluid into the first tank. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cold liquid fluid has substantially the same chemical composition as the compressed fluid. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displacement fluid bled from the upper portion of the first tank flows into a second tank. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising shutting in the first tank while at substantially the same time initiating injection of the compressed fluid stream into the second tank. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second tank has an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the compressed fluid is injected into the lower portion of the second tank, and wherein the displacement fluid bled from the upper portion of the first tank flows into the upper portion of the second tank, further comprising allowing the pressure in the second tank to rise to the desired pressure; and bleeding gas out of the upper portion of the second tank after the desired pressure has been attained and while continuing to inject the compressed fluid into the lower portion of the second tank. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising manipulating the flow rate of the gas bled out of the upper portion of the second tank to maintain the pressure in the second tank within the desired range of pressure about the desired pressure. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressed fluid is compressed natural gas, and wherein the first tank is located on or in a marine vessel. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressed fluid is a compressed natural gas in a pipeline, and wherein the first tank is located on or in the earth. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: compressing natural gas to form the compressed fluid; cooling the compressed fluid;maintaining the temperature of the compressed fluid at a point prior to injection into the first tank within about 50° C. of the bulk mass average temperature in the first tank;storing the compressed fluid under dense phase conditions in the first tank after the desired mass of the compressed fluid has been attained in the first tank; andtransporting the first tank to a desired location. 14. A method for loading natural gas into a tank, comprising: providing a flow path from a source of a compressed natural gas (CNG) to a tank, the tank having an upper portion and a lower portion;injecting the CNG into the tank under a first set of desired pressure and temperature conditions;forming a displacement gas inside the tank;continuing to inject the CNG until a desired pressure is attained in the tank;withdrawing the displacement gas from the upper portion of the tank after attaining the desired pressure in the tank;maintaining the pressure in the tank within a desired range about the desired pressure in the tank by adjusting the flow rate of the displacement gas withdrawn from the upper portion of the tank while injecting the CNG into the lower portion of the tank under a second set of desired pressure and temperature conditions, wherein the second set of desired pressure and temperature conditions is different from the first set of desired pressure and temperature conditions; andfilling the tank with a desired mass of CNG. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: cooling the compressed natural gas before injecting the compressed natural gas into the lower portion of the tank under the second set of desired pressure and temperature conditions, the cooling step including a Joule-Thompson let-down valve for cooling the compressed natural gas; andmaintaining the temperature of the compressed fluid at a point prior to injection into the tank within about 60° C. of the bulk mass average temperature in the tank. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein a heat exchanger and a refrigeration fluid that circulates through the heat exchanger is used for cooling the compressed natural gas in addition to the let-down valve. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein a cold, liquid natural gas is injected into the flow path between the let-down valve and the tank. 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining the chemical composition of the natural gas;determining a desired bulk average target temperature in the tank that corresponds to a desired mass of gas at the desired pressure in the tank;ceasing injecting compressed natural gas into the tank when the temperature in the tank drops to the desired bulk average target temperature; andceasing withdrawing the displacement gas from the tank when the temperature in the tank drops to the desired bulk average target temperature. 19. The method of claim 14, further comprising: cooling the compressed natural gas (CNG) before injecting the CNG into the lower portion of the tank under the second set of desired pressure and temperature conditions, wherein the cooling step is selected from the group consisting of: passing the CNG through a Joule-Thompson let-down valve;adjusting the pressure drop across the let-down valve;passing the CNG through a refrigerated chiller;adjusting the refrigeration load of the refrigerated chiller;injecting a cryogenic liquid into the CNG; andadjusting the flow rate at which cryogenic liquid is injected into the CNG. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing one or more additional containers that each have an upper portion, the one or more additional containers being arranged in a parallel flow configuration with the tank, wherein the displacement gas withdrawn from the upper portion of the tank is directed into the upper portion of at least one of the one or more additional containers. 21. The method of claim 19, further comprising: providing an insulated enclosure, wherein the tank is received in the insulated enclosure; andproviding a cool fluid in the inside of the insulated enclosure around the tank for removing heat from the tank. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising circulating the cool fluid for increasing heat removal from the tank. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the tank has an external surface adapted to enhance heat transfer from the tank. 24. The method of claim 14, wherein the tank is received in a cargo hold in a marine vessel, and wherein the desired pressure in the tank is a final targeted storage pressure for transport of the tank, further comprising: providing one or more additional containers in the cargo hold that each have an upper portion, the one or more additional containers being arranged in a parallel flow configuration with the tank, wherein displacement gas withdrawn from the upper portion of the tank is directed into the upper portion of at least one of the one or more additional containers, andloading the compressed natural gas into the one of the one or more additional containers using the same method as used to fill the tank until a desired mass of compressed natural gas is loaded into the one or more additional containers. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising insulating the cargo hold; and providing a chilled fluid inside the insulated cargo hold and outside the tank and the one or more additional containers for extracting heat from the tank and the one or more additional containers. 26. The method of claim 14, further comprising: cooling the compressed natural gas (CNG) before injecting the CNG into the lower portion of the tank under the second set of desired pressure and temperature conditions, wherein a cold, liquid natural gas is injected into the flow path of the CNG,providing a container that has an upper portion and a lower portion, the container being arranged in a parallel flow configuration with the tank, wherein displacement gas withdrawn from the upper portion of the tank is directed into the upper portion of the container;ceasing injecting the CNG into the tank;ceasing withdrawing displacement gas from the upper portion of the tank;injecting the CNG into the lower portion of the container after ceasing injecting the CNG into the tank;withdrawing a liquefied natural gas stream from the lower portion of the tank after ceasing injecting the CNG into the tank; andinjecting the liquefied natural gas stream into the CNG prior to injecting the CNG into the lower portion of the container. 27. A method for loading a compressed fluid into a container, comprising: injecting initially a compressed fluid stream into a tank under conditions where the pressure of the compressed fluid is substantially higher than the pressure in the tank, the tank having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the compressed fluid stream is injected into the lower portion, and wherein the compressed fluid stream initially expands inside the tank to become a displacement gas, the temperature of the compressed fluid stream entering the tank being substantially lower than the temperature of the displacement gas;continuing to inject the compressed fluid stream into the tank until a desired pressure is reached in the tank;discharging the displacement gas out of the upper portion of the tank after the desired pressure is reached in the tank;injecting the compressed fluid stream into the tank under conditions where the pressure of the compressed fluid is not substantially higher than the pressure in the tank after the desired pressure in the tank is reached;continuing to bleed the displacement gas out of the upper portion of the tank while continuing to inject the compressed fluid stream into the lower portion of the tank;adjusting the flow rate of the displacement gas bled out of the upper portion of the tank to maintain the pressure in the tank within a desired range about the desired pressure; andcontinuing to inject the compressed fluid stream into the tank until a desired mass of compressed fluid is loaded into the tank. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the desired pressure is between 100 and 2,000 psig, further comprising managing the temperature of the compressed fluid stream within a desired range about a desired temperature at a point before injection into the tank. 29. The method of claim 27, wherein the tank has a substantially rectangular cross-section with four side walls joined together with rounded corner panels, and wherein the side walls are designed to allow expansion outwardly more than the thickness of the side wall when the tank is pressurized to the desired pressure. 30. The method of claim 14, wherein the tank has a substantially rectangular cross-section with four side walls joined together with rounded corner panels, and wherein the side walls can expand outwardly more than the thickness of the side wall when the tank is pressurized to the desired pressure. 31. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tank has a substantially rectangular cross-section with four side walls joined together with rounded corner panels, and wherein the side walls can expand outwardly more than the thickness of the side wall when the first tank is pressurized to the desired pressure. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first tank is received in a cargo hold in a marine vessel, and wherein the desired pressure in the first tank is a final targeted storage pressure for transport of the first tank, further comprising: providing one or more additional tanks in the cargo hold that each have an upper portion, the one or more additional tanks being arranged in a parallel flow configuration with the first tank, wherein displacement fluid bled from the upper portion of the first tank is directed into the upper portion of at least one of the one or more additional tanks, andloading the compressed fluid into the one of the one or more additional tanks using the same method as used to fill the first tank until a desired mass of compressed fluid is loaded into the one or more additional tanks,wherein the one or more additional tanks have a substantially rectangular cross-section with four side walls joined together with rounded corner panels, and wherein the side walls are designed to allow expansion outwardly more than the thickness of the side wall when the one or more additional tanks are pressurized to the desired pressure. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the cargo hold is defined by cargo support structure, wherein the cargo hold contains more than two tanks, and wherein the wall section of each tank is supported externally by either or both of an adjacent tank or the cargo support structure.