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“Gas Tanker accidents, although less probable than the accidents with oil tankers, can
cause so-called flameless explosions. It happens due to the rapid evaporation of pieces
of ice and as clouds followed by combustion and explosions. In 1980, three out of seven
accidents of the vessels transporting liquefied gas caused such kinds of explosions. Such
explosions can destroy everything alive in areas of up to 400 km2 [over 150 sq.
miles]{Voloshin, 1989, in Russian}.”
In addition to Cleveland, there have two other U.S. incidents sometimes attributed to
LNG. A construction accident on Staten Island in 1973 has been cited by some parties as
an "LNG accident" because the construction crew was working inside an (empty, warm)
LNG tank. In another case, the failure of an electrical seal on an LNG pump in 1979
permitted gas (not LNG) to enter an enclosed building. A spark of indeterminate origin
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caused the building to explode. As a result of this incident, the electrical code has been
revised for the design of electrical seals used with all flammable fluids under pressure.
The accident happened at about 9:30 p.m. when the Transgas Inc. rig,
which was headed south for Connecticut, collided with a car and
overturned onto the meridian on its side. About one mile of the highway
was closed between Routes 93 and 38 because the gas carried a high
methane content and authorities feared an explosion. According to Woburn
Police Chief Philip Mahoney, some 300 people were evacuated from their
homes and from businesses, restaurants and two hotels. All public schools
in Woburn were closed for the day.
Although the fire did impinge on the tanker, quick action by the Woburn
Fire Department, prevented the natural gas from expanding. Water was
hosed onto the tanker to keep the liquefied natural gas cool. Liquefied
natural gas expands in a ratio of 600 to 1. "In a worst case scenario," said
Woburn Fire Chief Paul Tortolano "if the tank had heated in the fire, it
would have expelled liquid instead of gas. We would have had a BLEVE,
and a very severe fire involving a liquefied flammable gas."
Thomas Kiley, president of the New England Gas Association credited the
design of the tanker with averting a disaster. "These vehicles are very
stringently constructed and they are designed to withstand an accident."
The tank vehicle is built like a large thermos bottle, with a reinforced
aluminum inner tank and a carbon-steel exterior. Pressure relief valves
allow any gas that leaks from the inner tank to blow off without rupturing
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the outer tank.
Fortunately the outer tank did not rupture and no natural gas escaped from
the truck. "Had the LNG gone up, it would have been like a bomb," State
Police Lt. Paul Maloney said. "They estimate that it would have thrown
shrapnel about 2,000 ft. It probably would have created a crater out on the
highway that would have kept the highway closed for days if not weeks."
(Fall, 1998 Volume VIII, No. 1)
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- if gauges stick or sensors malfunction, the absence of on-site
checking, particularly during topping-off operations on tankers,
inevitably leads to problems such as over-filling or
over-pressurising of cargo spaces.
P McGrath
Chief Executive
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
PO Box 1108 BELCONNEN ACT 2616
June 1994
File: M94/608
Copyright: AMSA
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COMPOSITION
Natural gas is composed primarily of methane (typically, at least 90%), but may also
contain ethane, propane and heavier hydrocarbons. Small quantities of nitrogen, oxygen,
carbon dioxide, sulfur compounds, and water may also be found in "pipeline" natural gas.
The liquefaction process removes the oxygen, carbon dioxide, sulfur compounds, and
water. The process can also be designed to purify the LNG to almost 100% methane.
HOW IS IT STORED?
LNG tanks are always of double-wall construction with extremely efficient insulation
between the walls. Large tanks are low aspect ratio (height to width) and cylindrical in
design with a domed roof. Storage pressures in these tanks are very low, less than 5 psig.
Smaller quantities, 70,000 gallons and less, are stored in horizontal or vertical, vacuum-
jacketed, pressure vessels. These tanks may be at pressures any where from less than 5
psig to over 250 psig. LNG must be maintained cold (at least below -117°F) to remain a
liquid, independent of pressure.
If the vapor is not drawn off, then the pressure and temperature inside the vessel will rise.
However, even at 100 psig, the LNG temperature will still be only about -200°F.
LNG is not a "new" industry. Earliest patents involving cryogenic liquids date back into
the mid-1800's. The first patent directly for LNG was awarded in 1914. In 1939 the first
commercial LNG peak-shaving plant was built in West Virginia. A second facility was
built in Cleveland in 1941 by the East Ohio Gas Company.
The East Ohio Gas Company peak-shaving plant was run without incident until 1944,
when it was decided to add a much larger new tank. Stainless steel alloys were scarce as
this was during World War II. The new tank was built with a low-nickel content (3.5%).
The tank was placed in service and shortly after failed, spilling its unconfined contents
into the street and storm sewer system. A disastrous fire resulted killing 128 people. This
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accident set back the embryonic LNG industry substantially. The conclusion of the
investigating body, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, was that the concept of liquefying and
storing LNG was valid if "proper precautions were observed," so says "Report on the
Investigation of the Fire at the Liquefaction, Storage, and Regasification Plant of the East
Ohio Gas Co., Cleveland, Ohio, October 20, 1944," U.S. Bureau of Mines, February,
1946.
Those "proper precautions" are common place in all of the LNG facilities built and
placed in service after the Cleveland accident. It wasn't until the late 1960's that gas
companies started experiencing supply shortages during periods of severe cold in the
winter. Between the mid-1960's and mid-1970's more than 60 LNG facilities were built in
the United States. (Today there are nearly 100.) These peak-shaving plants have proved
to be economically successful with an excellent safety record. There was, however, one
construction accident that has at times been inappropriately attributed to LNG -- the
Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation (TETCO) tank roof collapse.
An LNG tank at the Staten Island TETCO facility that had been in service for over three
years was taken out of service in order to make an internal tank repair. The tank was
warmed up, purged of the remaining combustible gases with inert nitrogen and then
placed under fresh recirculating air. A construction crew entered the tank in April of
1972. Ten months later, in February of 1973, the polyurethane insulation foam inside the
tank was accidentally ignited. The rapid rise in temperature caused a corresponding raise
in pressure. The pressure increase was so fast that the concrete dome on the tank lifted
and collapsed down inside the tank killing the 37 construction workers inside the tank.
The accident was clearly a construction accident and not an "LNG accident," according to
"Report of Texas Eastern LNG Tank Fatal Fire and Roof Collapse, February 10, 1973,"
Fire Department of the City of New York, July, 1973.
The Cove Point Terminal was under construction at the time of the Staten Island
accident. No specific changes were made to the design of the facility as the TETCO tanks
were of a significantly different insulation and tank design. Cove Point was placed into
service with LNG in the Spring of 1978. By the Fall of 1979, Cove Point had unloaded
over 80 LNG ships. On October 6, 1979, anisolated incident occurred at the Cove Point
that lead to three major design code changes.
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$3 million in damages. This was an isolated accident caused by a very specific set of
circumstances. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the Cove Point
Terminal was designed and constructed in conformance with all appropriate regulations
and codes. It further concluded that it is unlikely that any pump seal, regardless of the
liquid being pumped, could be designed, fabricated, or installed to completely preclude
the possibility of leakage. With that conclusion in mind, code changes were made
pertaining to the equipment and systems downstream of the pump seal. Before the Cove
Point Terminal was restarted after the accident, all pump seal systems were modified to
meet the new codes and gas detection added to all buildings. This is reported in
"Columbia LNG Corporation Explosion and Fire; Cove Point, MD; October 6, 1979"
National Transportation Safety Board report NTSB-PAR-80-2, April 16, 1980
The world-wide LNG industry has compiled an enviable safety record based on any
industrial safety standard. There has not been a death or serious accident involving LNG
in the United States since the Cove Point accident.
When Radio Island North Carolina was targeted for a potential LNG
Loading Facility they responded with the following safety concerns.
An LNG tank spill can also produce a flammable vapor plume. The danger zone can
extend to a radius of up to approximately 4,000 ft. in diameter, creating the potential for
serious personal injury and property damage or destruction.
Another major safety concern is an LNG tanker spill on the water. The hazard from such
an accident is the creation of a flammable vapor plume that can travel up to two miles
creating fire risk for everything in its path.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, LNG can also explode in confined
spaces. The Department warns that spills on water are particularly dangerous because
the vapors can travel into sewers or other confined spaces where they might be ignited
and explode putting public safety and property at extreme risk.
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The Department of Transportation was much more thorough in their
examination of risks related to the LNG industry.
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department
of Transportation in the interest of information exchange.
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Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is produced by cooling natural gas and
purifying it to a desired methane content. The typical methane
content is approximately 95% for the conventional LNG produced at a
peak shaving plant. Peak shaving involves the liquefaction of
natural gas by utility companies during periods of low gas demand
(summer) with subsequent regasification during peak demand (winter).
It is relatively easy to remove the non-methane constituents of
natural gas during liquefaction. Therefore, it has been possible
for LNG suppliers to provide a highly purified form of LNG known as
Refrigerated Liquid Methane (RLM) which is approximately 99%
methane.
Even though the end product of the use of CNG and LNG for vehicular
applications is essentially the same, the general properties
affecting safety are quite different. On one hand, LNG is a more
refined and consistent product with none of the problems associated
with corrosive effects on tank storage associated with water vapor
and other contaminants. On the other, the cryogenic temperature
makes it extremely difficult or impossible to add an odorant.
Therefore, with no natural odor of its own, there is no way for
personnel to detect leaks unless the leak is sufficiently large to
create a visible condensation cloud or localized frost formation.
It is essential that methane gas detectors be placed in any area
where LNG is being transferred or stored.
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considerable care has to be taken to cool down the transfer lines in
order to avoid excessive amounts of vapor from being formed.
Note: This is only true if you ignore the incidents in Australia and
Russia!
In the event that the LNG vessel is ruptured in a transport accident
and the LNG is spilled, there will be a high probability of a fire
because a flammable natural gas vapor/air mixture will be formed
immediately in the vicinity of the LNG pool. In an accident
situation, there is a high likelihood of ignition sources due to
either electrical sparking, hot surface, or possibly a fuel fire
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created from the tanker truck engine fuel or other vehicles involved
in the accident. The vapor cloud from an LNG pool will be denser
than the ambient air; therefore, it will tend to flow along the
ground surface, dispersed by any prevailing winds.
When spilled along the ground or any other warm surface, LNG boils
quickly and vaporizes. A high volume spill will cause a pool of LNG
to accumulate and the boiling rate will decrease from an initial
high value to a low value as the ground under the pool cools. The
heat release rate from an LNG pool fire will be approximately 60%
greater than that of a gasoline pool fire of equivalent size.
LNG has a unique safety hazard among the alternative motor fuels (AMFs)
because of the potential exposure of personnel to cryogenic temperatures.
Workers can receive cryogenic burns from direct body contact
with cryogenic liquids, metals, and cold gas. Exposure to LNG or
direct contact with metal at cryogenic temperatures can
damage skin tissue more rapidly than when exposed to vapor. It is
also possible for personnel to move away from the cold gas before
injury.
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reduced by the use of appropriate protective clothing. Depending
upon the risk of exposure, this protection can range from loose
fitting fire resistant gloves and full face shields to special extra
protection multi-layer clothing.
Another unusual hazard associated with aged LNG will arise in the
unlikely event that there is a large spill of LNG onto a body of
water. This could occur in an accident situation involving an LNG
transport vehicle container rupture and spill into an adjacent water
body. The hazard is known as a rapid-phase transition (RPT) - in
this case a rapid transformation from the liquid phase to vapor. If
significant vaporization occurs in a short time period, the process
can, and usually does, resemble an explosion.'
The RPT "explosion" phenomenon for LNG on water has been observed in
a number of situations and has been studied extensively in both
laboratory and large scale tests. The temperature of the water and
the actual composition of the LNG are important factors in
determining whether an RPT will take place.
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TABLE 3-1. RELATIVE POTENTIAL FOR SPILLS DURING TRANSPORT
REASON
REASON
REASON
REASON
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RELATIVE LEAK POTENTIAL
(COMPARED TO GASOLINE/ DIESEL TRUCK)
REASON
David Lincoln
GFWA 2001
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