LNG SAFETY
Does LNG burn?
No, LNG in its liquid form cannot burn because it does not contain oxygen or air and is at a temperature that does not support combustion. When LNG turns back into natural gas, it is flammable when mixed with air in a range of at least 5%, but not more than 15% natural gas-to-air mixture, and in the presence of an ignition source. If the fuel concentration is lower than 5%, it cannot burn because of insufficient fuel. If the fuel concentration is higher than 15%, it cannot burn because there is insufficient oxygen. Therefore, the fire hazard of LNG is dependent on three conditions: there being a release of LNG; the LNG vaporizing and mixing with air in a very narrow gas to air ratio of 5% - 15%; and encountering an ignition source.
Will LNG explode?
No, LNG as a liquid form of natural gas cannot explode because it contains no oxygen to react with the fuel. Even LNG vapors in open air cannot explode because there is not enough oxygen to react with the fuel. LNG spill studies have shown that high winds rapidly dissipate the LNG vapor and low winds (or no wind) keep the flammable vapor cloud very close to the source. Because LNG is not stored under pressure. Accordingly, even if there was a leak or failure of the storage tank (which has never happened in the past fifty years), the LNG would evaporate quite slowly, reducing any risk to the surrounding community.
Some members of the public mistakenly believe that LNG explodes. The word "explosion" must be clarified. Not everything that is ignited explodes. For example, when a match is lit, it burns but does not explode. Similarly, LNG vapor (natural gas vapor) also falls under the category of substances that will burn, but contrary to the concerns expressed by some, it will not "explode like bomb".
Why do some people worry about LNG's potential hazards?
The fact is that LNG does not explode when spilled onto water or the ground. Over the years, a lot of misinformation regarding LNG has been put forth. Apparently, this is because LNG tankers and storage facilities hold a lot of stored releasable energy and some people assume that this energy can be released in an instant. How much releasable energy a substance contains and how (instantaneously or slowly) the substance releases the releasable energy are distinctively different matters. For example, your basic 454 calorie unadorned hamburger has the same releasable energy content as a pound of TNT. (Perhaps this is why your mother told you to eat slowly, lest you explode.)
The bottom line is that LNG, based on its safety record and physical characteristics, ranks as one of the safest and least environmentally hazardous energy sources.
But, what if there's a spill or a release from an LNG tanker? What would happen?
Compared to gasoline or heating oil, LNG is far less flammable and will not pollute the environment if it were to spill. In the unlikely event that there is a release of LNG from a tanker, the LNG will vaporize. That means the liquid will warm up and change back into a gas. This gas would quickly dissipate because it is lighter than air, leaving no environmental contamination behind. There would be no messy cleanup or spoiled beaches. Because the LNG is not transported under pressure, any leak would evaporate more slowly and cover a much smaller area than a pressurized gas, such as propane.
What would happen if someone "bombed" a LNG facility?
Some people have expressed concern about the results of an LNG facility being bombed. The design of our LNG storage tank involves a very thick outer wall of reinforced concrete with additional layers of steel and insulation inside. This design makes it very hard to breach the storage with any conceivable bomb. In the unlikely event this could happen, the likely result would be a liquid spill and a large fire. However, because of built-in safety systems, the impact of the fire would be confined within the boundaries of the site.
How about an attack on a LNG tanker?
Some people express concerns about an attack on an LNG tanker. It is important to know that LNG tankers are less vulnerable than crude-oil vessels because of the ship's double-hull construction and separate storage-tank design. Unlike other petroleum vessels, LNG does not come in contact with either of the double hulls. There has never been an incident where LNG has escaped into the water from a ship's cargo tanks. Another key difference is the nature of LNG compared to other fuels -- LNG does not explode. For example, an attack on a gasoline tanker could produce an explosion, fire and environmental damage from the unburned spilled fuel. An attack on a LNG tanker probably would produce a shipboard fire, which would burn at lower temperatures and slower than a petroleum fire, with no explosion. That is because LNG, which is kept at extremely cold temperatures, absorbs heat from the surrounding environment and evaporates. The resulting vapor, when mixed with air and ignited, burns slowly - like the pilot flame in a stove.
Are there government safety procedures?
The U.S. government plays a significant role in siting most energy production and distribution facilities and regulates all aspects of LNG transportation, unloading, storage and distribution. The siting, design, construction and operation of our proposed facility has been and will be regulated by many federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), US Department of Transportation, and the United States Coast Guard. In addition, many state and local agencies have been and will be involved. The community has been and will be given the opportunity to participate in and comment on the proposed project during the approval process. The key agency during the approval process is FERC. FERC has ultimate approval responsibility over the project. You can learn more about who they are and what they do from their website, www.ferc.gov. FERC also makes all filed documents (except for "Critical Energy Infrastructure Information") available to the public on the website under the Docket Number CP04-36-000. You have the right to participate in the approvals process and make your opinions known, as well as get answers to your questions.
What about security?
Weaver's Cove Energy LNG Terminal will meet or exceed every existing government security requirement. The US Coast Guard and FERC are very sensitive to safety and security procedures for LNG facilities in light of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Most elements of the nation's energy delivery infrastructure are undergoing similar reviews. Weaver's Cove Energy will continue to work with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard, Homeland Security and the local police and fire chiefs to ensure that its facility is as safe as it can be. However, the security aspects of the LNG terminal design represent an area where serious security considerations of necessity preclude us from making all information available to the public in order to prevent this sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.
Who will bear the increased "security cost"?
Some have expressed concerns over public costs of LNG marine security. LNG marine security will be fully addressed in a "Security Plan", which was developed and approved by the United States Coast Guard through a series of security workshops involving Weaver's Cove Energy and all concerned federal, state and local authorities for security and safety. This process identified and continued to keep security measures and resource requirements necessary for marine deliveries to the Weaver's Cove Energy LNG terminal up to date. Most "LNG marine security costs" will be funded from the U.S. Coast Guard's general maritime security budget, as marine security is part of the Coast Guard's general mission to protect the nation's waters and coasts. Some costs, as is the case with the LNG terminal in Everett near Boston, will be born by the state police and local agencies. Weaver's Cove will be prepared to bear any additional LNG security costs that the city of Fall River and other local communities may incur.
How is LNG shipped?
LNG is transported in specially built, state-of-the-art tankers. Worldwide, there are about 175 of these ships in service. On the outside, many of these LNG tankers might seem to resemble oil tankers. However, on the inside, they are far different. All LNG tankers have double hulls and double-walled, insulated cargo storage tanks to guard against leaks and keep the LNG cold (think of them as giant reinforced thermos bottles). LNG tankers are among the strongest and most technologically advanced ships in the world, fitted with an array of sophisticated cargo monitoring and control systems. It is no wonder that the LNG-shipping business has an enviable safety record. Since commercial ocean transportation of LNG began in 1964, LNG ships have delivered more than 35,000 cargoes worldwide. There have been no instances of ship's cargo tanks being penetrated, cargo being spilled or any resulting fires.
A portion of the LNG coming into the terminal is trucked out to local gas distribution companies, such as New England Gas, who store the LNG in storage tanks. These LNG trucks are double-walled and insulated, and have an excellent safety record.