DOE - Fossil Energy Techline - Issued on:  December 21, 2004

DOE Releases Liquefied Natural Gas Safety Study

The Department of Energy today released the results of a comprehensive, year-long study of liquefied natural gas safety and security that was conducted by scientists at the Sandia National Laboratories.

MORE INFO Read the full report [1.6MB PDF]

While accepted standards exist for the systematic safety analysis of potential spills or releases from LNG storage terminals on land, no equivalent set of standards or guidance exists for the evaluation of the safety or consequences from LNG tanker spills over water.  Heightened security awareness and energy surety issues have increased the industry’s and the public’s attention to these activities.  The report reviews several existing studies of LNG spills with respect to their assumptions, inputs, models and experimental data. 

Based on this review and further analysis, the report provides guidance on the appropriateness of models, assumptions and risk management to ensure the safety of human health and property relative to a potential LNG cargo spill over water.

For more information, contact: Drew Malcomb, DOE Office of Public Affairs, 202-586-5806