Safety fears for fleet of new LNG tankers after leaks are found (Guardian)

[Up2Late]

(Don't panic, this is in the U.K. fleet, but it could easily be ours)

Safety fears for fleet of new LNG tankers after leaks are found

· Soaring demand for gas raises pressure on BG
· Scare adds to alarm over 'floating bombs' since 9/11

Terry Macalister
Wednesday December 21, 2005
The Guardian

A fleet of new ships built for BG and other companies to meet Britain's growing energy needs by bringing in liquefied natural gas (LNG) from abroad has been hit by leaks and safety scares. The Methane Kari Elin, which was delivered 18 months ago from a South Korean yard, has been withdrawn from service and is heading back to the far east to try to establish what has gone wrong.

A second ship - the Gaz de France Energy - is currently undergoing repairs at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in France after gas leaks were discovered in tests, even before the vessel was handed over by the shipbuilder. One BP vessel - built to similar designs in the same Samsung yard in Seoul - is being inspected but two others have been passed and are working normally.

The problem is worrying the industry because no one has yet discovered what the exact causes of the problems are and there are fears of a design problem that could affect up to 20 vessels. The ships are needed to service a massive increase in demand for LNG in Britain, the United States and elsewhere as the indigenous supplies of natural gas from the North Sea run out.

National Grid, operator of the newly- opened Isle of Grain LNG import terminal in Kent, said yesterday that it was considering a second expansion scheme to increase capacity by half.

<http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,16781,1671607,00.html?gusrc=rss>
(more at link above)

[anotherdrew]

1. FYI - this is not going to work in the long run

how can they even hope to pretend to be able to protect such ships if they were attacked by anyone? Is anything being done to get off the use of LNG? Are there any alternatives?

[Pastiche423]

5. "Is anything being done...?

We have been protesting like hell in my community for a year and a half.

TPTB want to site a LNG terminal in our bay. A number of activists have hosted forums, been interviewed by our local paper, sent flyers around and much more.

What do we get for our efforts?

Glazed eyes.

Apathy will be America's demise.

[anotherdrew]

6. well, yep, apathy and ignorance

from some recent statistics I just looked at most of "us" americans can barely read so is it really any wonder they roll over and let the fools like bush run (ruin) the show?

[Coastie for Truth]

2. I predicted this 37 years ago.

As I predicted when I was on the Coast Guard's HazMat Engineering Team---

(my opus magnus - the original, red leatherette, loose leaf version)-->
<>

and this book is by the Coastie who was my replacement several generations of Coasties later--->
<http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0060571284.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg>

And this is the insignia worn by HazMat qualified Coasties--->
<>

And us HazMat Coasties always had problems with LNG.

[anotherdrew]

7. question for you...

if one of these fragile LNG tankers were to rupture somehow, wouldn't the LNG flash freeze the area?

[Pastiche423]

8. If that were to happen

Everything in at least a mile radius would be incinerated. LNG is highly volatile.

[Coastie for Truth]

10. It would evaporate quickly.

A lot of what would happen would depend on if the breach was above or below the water line, and if the release was slow or rapid. (We call that a Joule-Thompson issue).

Absent an ignition source (and there are lots of them in a busy harbor - with diesel exhausts, electric outlets, welding in nearby ship yards, etc.), methane being lighter then air would rise.

If there were an ignition source there would be a flame front.

The Coast Guard, DOT, and NIST funded a bunch of experiments in the late 1960's. There are lots and lots and lots of computer models --- and some experimental work. (These are those "chemical release cloud" models that environmental engineers base their PowerPoints on).

What happens is really "rate" dependent (how fast the methane is being released).

[ShockediSay]

3. Homer Simpson: This can't be good....

Is it the temperature that's the engineering problem?

[maqbroom]

4. If I was Kari Elin

If I was Kari Elin, I'd be mortified to learn there was a ship called the "Methane Kari Elin" floating around, whether it was leaky or not.

[Up2Late]

9. This link has a Lot of LNG info, plus lots of links too

56K/Dial-up Warning: Their are several LARGE photos at this link: <http://cryptome.org/lng-eyeball.htm>

[Up2Late]

11. kick n/t

:kick:

[Pastiche423]

12. Following the 9/11 attacks,

authorities worried about an LNG terminal near Boston. Former U.S. terrorism czar Richard Clarke, in his 2004 book Against All Enemies, wrote, "Had one of the giant tankers blown up in the harbor, it would have wiped out downtown Boston."

Edited to add link:

http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=6769