LNG Safety Research Program

The LNG Safety Research Program (SafeLNG) is being organized to provide an improved understanding of the consequences of a significant release of LNG and a sound scientific basis for predicting the resulting hazards. The research will identify opportunities to prevent or mitigate an LNG release. The research results will be applicable to accidental as well as intentional (terrorist attack) releases. The SafeLNG studies will address damage that can be caused to LNG assets by a terrorist attack and develop a basis for predicting whether a release will occur, and if so, what the release size will be. LNG carriers (ships) and terminal storage tanks are the focus of the program.

Currently, technology gaps preclude accurate and defensible scientific basis for predicting LNG hazards in several key areas. The objective of SafeLNG is to fill these technology gaps through applied research, thereby providing improved understanding and a solid scientific basis to predict hazards. The program will develop technical data, prediction methodologies, and support documentation that Participants can use to address hazards for their particular situations.

The research will be conducted in two parallel programs. The programs and the key issues addressed in the research are:

Program 1: Pool Size and Fire Hazards for Spills on Water

• Prediction of the size of an LNG pool and plume on water, with and without prompt ignition, from attacks that cause loss of containment
• Fire hazards from an LNG spill on water to a ship, terminal and third parties, with and without prompt ignition

Program 2: Ship and Storage Tank Vulnerability

• Ship tank damage from postulated terrorist attacks, including perforation of double-hull LNG carriers
• LNG storage tank damage from postulated terrorist attacks and comparison of the vulnerability to LOC among tank designs
• Escalation of damage from fire, flammable vapor clouds in a double-hull or tank, or embrittlement of steel