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Nov 15 (Reuters) – Freeport LNG pointed to deficiencies in security valve testing and working procedures as the foundation causes of a pipeline explosion that shut its export plant in Texas on June 8, in accordance with a report launched on Tuesday.
The fiery explosion on the Texas Gulf Coast plant, the second-largest within the U.S., triggered world liquefied pure gasoline (LNG) costs to spike amid falling Russian provides to Europe and different outages. The report didn’t point out when the plant, which provides 20% of U.S. LNG exports, would restart.
Freeport stated the explosion was instantly attributable to the isolation of super-chilled LNG in a pipe phase with out correct overpressure safety, which then warmed within the exterior air. That triggered the LNG to boil contained in the pipe and the ensuing vapor expanded quickly which led to the explosion and rupturing of the pipeline.
The basis causes of the incident have been deficiencies in stress security valve testing procedures, failure to repurpose temperature alarms used to fee LNG piping that would warn operators of rising temperatures throughout operations and working procedures that allowed “operator discretion” to shut valves which may trigger LNG to be remoted in pipes, the report stated.
Freeport stated it has adopted procedural modifications to keep away from working situations that would enable blocked-in LNG in piping segments
It has additionally enhanced its stress security valve testing processes and revised its management programs to alert operators about valve positions or temperature readings that point out potential isolation of LNG in any piping segments.
In August, Freeport LNG introduced plans to restart partial gas-processing on the plant by early to mid-November and aimed to succeed in full capability by March 2023.
The corporate wants full approvals from U.S. regulators earlier than a deliberate restart can start. Nonetheless, regulators have solely accepted elements of Freeport’s proposed modifications.
Freeport LNG processes about 2 billion cubic ft per day of pure gasoline and exports as much as 15 million tonnes of LNG per yr.
Reporting by Swati Verma and Ruhi Soni in Bengaluru; Modifying by Mark Potter and Christian Schmollinger
Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.
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