The role of consequence modeling in LNG facility siting

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Risk Management
• Safety Engineering

Background:

• Liquefied natural gas (LNG) project development requires rigorous modeling for safety and compliance.
• Facility siting and internal element spacing are critical considerations in LNG project design.
• Adherence to regulatory codes and engineering best practices is paramount.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the primary modeling considerations for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects.
• To detail the analyses involved in ensuring code compliance for facility siting and element spacing.
• To present various standards and approaches used in consequence modeling for hazard impact assessment.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of property-line spacing to comply with NFPA 59A for offsite hazard impacts.
• Verification of US regulatory compliance with 49 CFR 193.
• Consequence modeling to determine onsite hazard impacts and element spacing.
• Application of EN-1473 for in-plant spacing and API RP 752 for building-to-process area spacing.
• Inclusion of probabilistic analysis based on risk and mitigation costs.

Main Results:

• Established methodologies for ensuring code compliance in LNG facility siting.
• Defined approaches for determining safe element spacing within LNG facilities.
• Identified key international and US standards relevant to LNG safety modeling.
• Demonstrated the integration of various engineering analyses for comprehensive hazard assessment.

Conclusions:

• Effective LNG project modeling necessitates a dual focus on facility siting and internal element spacing.
• Compliance with specific codes (NFPA 59A, 49 CFR 193) and standards (EN-1473, API RP 752) is crucial for safety.
• Consequence modeling and probabilistic analysis are vital tools for mitigating onsite and offsite hazards in LNG projects.