Gas Explosion and Other Hazards of LNG Facilities

What are the Goals?

 The aim of this training course is to provide the participants with the knowledge and skills to understand the various hazards of LNG Facilities and how to mitigate pro activate emergency response to incidents.

At the end of the training course, delegates should achieve the following key learning outcomes:

• Understand the basics and important parameters governing vapor cloud explosion (VCEs) and other known hazards
• Be aware of release and accidents statistics and have knowledge of some important offshore accidents that have occurred
• Understand the accident chain of events
• Understand various preventive measures to reduce the occurrence of accidents and various mitigation and control techniques to reduce gas explosion consequences
• Learn the various explosion modeling techniques that may be applied and understand the importance of using advanced 3D modeling for gas analysis
• Learn the different gas explosion analyses methods and when they may be applied
• Understand how gas explosion loads can be integrated with the responses of structures

Who is this Training Course for?

This training course is suitable for a wide range of professionals involved in managing Hazards and Risk on LNG Facilities including:

• Safety engineers
• Managers and other personnel involved in the design, operation or modification of an offshore oil and gas facility (platforms, FPSO`s etc.)
• Accident investigators
• Representatives of governmental or public bodies involved in development of offshore safety regulations
• Anyone who would like to develop an understanding of hazards associated with LNG Facilities

Daily Agenda

Day One: Determination of Course Goals & Introduction to LNG Gas Explosions

• Introduction to the Fundamentals of LNG
• LNG historical accidents – Cleveland explosion, Skikda LNG liquefaction facility explosion, other minor incidents.
• Gas explosion basics
• LNG accident consequences models
• Prevention and mitigation
• Cryogenic spill hazards and protection

Day Two: Hazards

• Gas explosion Hazards
• Explosion risk analyses
• Basic hazard identification methods – HAZID, release scenarios, potential for explosions
• Dispersion models – passive/lighter than air, momentum jet, heavy gas and CFD techniques
• Understanding FMEA and other tools for assessing Hazards
• LNG Hazard and Risk Assessment
• Risk Analysis and Safety Implications of a Large Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Spill Over Water
• Group Table Top exercise

Day Three: Assessment and Analysis

• LNG safety regulations – NFPA 59A, EN 1473
• Hazard assessment methodologies – deterministic v probabilistic methods
• Deterministic analyses – onshore liquefaction case studies (export and truck-loading facilities)
• Probabilistic analyses – onshore liquefaction case studies
• Probabilistic analyses – floating LNG case studies (safety gaps, grated decks, layout examples)
• Group Table Top exercise

Day Four: Mitigation 

• Explosion accidents: statistics and examples
• (Class Activity) Explosion investigation of rough 47/3B platform
• Release and dispersion in offshore facilities
• Ignition sources
• Preventative measures
• Mitigation and control
• Fires, including:
• How do fires occur?
• Characteristics of jet and pool fires
• How fires cause damage and how the potential for damage can be assessed
• Mitigation
• Dispersion, including:
• Characteristics of vapor dispersion following a liquid spill
• Potential effects of delayed ignition
• Gas accumulation within confined structures
• Dispersion of releases in onshore and offshore facilities and from Pipelines
• Explosion accidents: statistics and examples
• (Class Activity) Explosion investigation of rough 47/3B platform
• Release and dispersion in offshore facilities
• Ignition sources
• Preventative measures
• Mitigation and control
• Fires, including:
• How do fires occur?
• Characteristics of jet and pool fires
• How fires cause damage and how the potential for damage can be assessed
• Mitigation
• Dispersion, including:
• Characteristics of vapor dispersion following a liquid spill
• Potential effects of delayed ignition
• Gas accumulation within confined structures
• Dispersion of releases in onshore and offshore facilities and from Pipelines
• Explosions, including:
• Mechanism for pressure generation in congested process regions
• Effect of confinement and congestion on explosions
• Deflagration to detonation transition
• Methods for estimating explosion loading and mitigation

Day Five: Explosion Modelling 

• Explosion modelling – VCE, confined, semi-confined, vessel burst and dust explosions
• Fire modelling – pool, jet, fireballs and assumptions
• Application of results – inputs to risk analysis, QRA, LOPA etc. along with emergency response 
  plans, escape and evacuation 
• Explosion Risk Management:
• Objective and motivation
• Simple approach
• Advanced approach
• Selected analysis examples I
• Selected analysis examples II
• Explosion loading and structural response