Analysis of Threats Involving Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) – Review of Literature Sources

Abstract

Aim:The purpose of this article is to review the literature on the risks associated with the transport, storage and processing of liquefied natural gas, and to lay a foundation for developing an LNG risk assessment methodology and the related State Fire Service response procedures. The authors focused on analysing the risks associated with the physicochemical properties of LNG. The reviewed publications explored scenarios related to the operation of LNG terminals. Introduction: The construction of the LNG terminal in Świnoujście, the constantly growing global LNG industry, and the increasingly widespread use of LNG-fuelled vehicles increase the associated risks. Therefore, it is extremely important to recognise these risks. All preventive and corrective measures require a thorough knowledge of the issues they designed to address. This article is the first step towards the development of fire department procedures to manage LNG risks. It includes a summary of the main risks faced by emergency services and scenarios that could be useful for developing a methodology for LNG risk assessment. Methodology: The analysis presented in the article is based on a review of selected Polish and foreign literature. We provide a general discussion of the global LNG industry and its history, and of the physicochemical properties of liquefied gas. Furthermore, we identify the risks associated with the physicochemical properties of LNG, and discuss scenarios involving LNG risks in the supply chain, as provided in the reviewed literature. Conclusions: Based on a synthetic review of the literature, it can be concluded that the risks associated with the use of LNG have been thoroughly described in international literature. Polish publications on the subject are scarce. Awareness of LNG-related risks is crucial for the work of State Fire Service officers, as it is the basis for any preventive measures. Risk identification is the first step in the assessment. Existing literature offers few descriptions of "micro-scale" risks, involving, for instance, the use of LNG-powered vehicles. Macro-scale risks, on the other hand -those involving the transport and storage of large quantities of LNG -have been described in great detail.

A Comprehensive Review of Stratification and Rollover Behavior of Liquefied Natural Gas in Storage Tanks

“…In order to meet the safe and stable operation of the terminal, storage tanks of different specifications are usually set to store and distribute LNG [24,27,36,37]. Unstable behavior, such as delamination and tumbling behavior, can occur in every type of tank capacity [38,39]. Most research that analyzes and predicts the stratification and rollover behavior is usually performed with fixed-capacity tanks, which cannot account for the effect of tank capacity on the LNG stratification and rollover behavior.…”

The V4’s Gas Market transition towards the EU’s Energy Security

“…Although this is a great opportunity for the region, it also brings risks. The first is the high prices of LNG ports and its maintenance, which is difficult to carry for the cash-strapped V4's energy companies [Bralewski and Wolanin, 2019]. Swinoujscie, whose cost is around five hundred million EUR, has secured funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank and from the Polish transit company Gaz-System S.A. On October 2012, Gaz-System S.A. signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for a 73.38 million EUR investment loan to be used for the development of the LNG terminal in Swinoujscie [Gaz-System S.A.…”

Conventional Event Tree Analysis on Emergency Release of Liquefied Natural Gas

“…There are other objects like pipelines or storage tanks [ 20 ], in which various options of risk development have to be taken into consideration, including pool releases or different types of fires. Hence, broader research on potential LNG incident scenarios is postulated by many researchers and practitioners, such as Wellman et al [ 21 ], Bralewski and Wolanin [ 22 ], Gyenes et al [ 23 ] and others.…”