|
|
|
Safety / Security
Natural gas is safe. In fact, among all energy sources, natural gas in a liquid form has an enviable safety record, with very few incidents over the past decades. Liquified natural gas is not a new technology, it has been used in the United States since the 1940s.
Because the stored gas is cooled to a liquid state, it is not explosive and will not burn. Natural gas will only ignite if the vaporized gas is mixed with air in 5 to 15% concentrations in an enclosed space. Neither liquified natural gas nor its vapors can explode in an unconfined environment. Therefore, even in the unlikely event a discharge occurs, the natural gas has little chance to ignite and burn.
The storage tank is designed with an inner shell of Nickel-Steel, a layer of insulation, another steel shell which is surrounded by a concrete shell. The design makes the tank very, very difficult to breach. Should a breach somehow occur, a dike surrounding the tank will contain any liquid natural gas releases. And, since methane is lighter than air, any spill would evaporate, rise and dissipate.
Stringent design specifications and industry standards define detailed safety and security systems that are employed at the storage facilities, including methane leak detectors, fire suppression equipment, emergency shut down systems and specialized personnel training.
There has not been a liquefied natural gas accident affecting the public in this country in more than 60 years. In 1944, the East Ohio Natural Gas Company constructed a tank in central Cleveland which experienced a tank failure. Their old-technology tank was constructed with an extremely low amount of nickel and the steel structure became brittle. Although workers saw a crack in the tank, they took no preventative action. The tank also had no dike retaining wall to contain a discharge. Today's facilities are designed to better and higher standards with tanks that are exponentially stronger and have more effective safety systems. Two other accidents in this country in 1973 and 1979 were the type of workplace accidents that could happen in any industrial environment. While tragic, these accidents posed no safety threat to the public.
One recent high-profile accident involving natural gas did occur in Algeria in 2004, at a gas export facility built in the 1970's. However, the Floridian Natural Gas storage facility has almost nothing in common with the giant Sonatrach liquefaction facility in Skikda, Algeria. The accident occurred during processing of the raw gas stream -- which is the process of separating out the heavier hydrocarbons like propane and butane from the methane. The accident was triggered by a problem with the plant's steam boiler which was used to generate energy for the gas processing phase of the process. The Floridian Natural Gas storage facility will not have this type of raw gas processing unit and will not have a steam boiler of any kind. In addition, it's important to note that the accident caused no damage to storage tanks at the Algerian export facility. Liquified natural gas is used, stored and transported worldwide with an exceptional safety record. Japan, which has 25 large liquified natural gas terminals, has not had a major safety incident of any kind in its 35-year history.
In this country, permitting, construction, training and operating standards are rigorous for all natural gas facilities. These standards are overseen by federal regulators such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the US Department of Transportation. In this area, the South Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Martin County and others will also oversee aspects of FGS permitting, construction and operations.
|
| Home | Top | Contact Us |
| © 2008 Floridian Natural Gas Storage, LLC. All rights reserved. |
|
