LNG Hazardous Operations (HAZOP) Study

Client:

Dominion Transmission

Location:

Lusby, Maryland

Augusta Project Number:

193034

Contract Amount:

$38 K

Description:

Dominion Transmission’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility at Cove Point, Maryland was preparing to undergo a major refurbishment and renovation project to restore the ability to receive and offload LNG ships to storage tanks.

The purpose of the HAZOP was to perform a systematic study to identify potentially hazardous conditions and document methodologies to effect the elimination or control of those conditions, during all cycles of operation of the system. The site was reviewed, as it would operate once the construction was completed.

The study was performed using primarily a “What-If?” methodology. This is considered to be an “augmented experience” approach in which each step or part of a process is examined; the effects of equipment failures and operating errors are determined; following which the team members ask questions surrounding the step or part of the process being discussed. This style of hazard review relies heavily upon the experience of the team members in the operation of the process, the hazards associated with the process itself, and the hazards associated with the materials being handled.

In this case, the HAZOP team had full cooperation and participation from Cove Point personnel across all disciplines. The facility was reviewed in sections, dealing with subjects such as the activity of receiving LNG from a ship, circulating LNG from the pier, through a connecting tunnel up to and including the tank storage farm. The handling of the excess natural gas generated from the storage tanks was considered a separate section, as was the activity of pumping LNG from storage to the vaporizers and compressing it to meet pipeline requirements.