What is LNG?
November Light - French Azilum, PA
Brian Keeler Studio, www.briankeeler.com
Natural gas is composed primarily of methane, the simplest of hydrocarbons with one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. LNG is formed by cooling methane to minus 260 F degrees. The gas reduces to 1/600th of its original volume. In this condensed form, it takes up less space as cargo in containers on ships, making it the form in which LNG is moved worldwide to destinations where it will be regassified and used for electric power generation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNG_train
LNG-LPG-NGL-CNG. Which is it?
http://blog.opisnet.com/ngl-or-lpg-or-lng
LNG math
If you are reading about LNG production facilities, you might wonder how this facility compares to others. You are seeing different units of measure of the LNG (metric tons); or you are seeing the gas equivalent of the LNG (cubic feet, BTUs).
Normally, LNG is not quantified in “gallons” as this project has done. Perhaps this project had to quantify gallons in order to describe transport by rail cars or ISO containers, and the size of its onsite storage tanks.
We will convert gallons to metric tons and btu: https://lclngmessenger.energytransfer.com/InfoPost/resources/documents/PropertiesofLNG.pdf
The 4,000,000 gal per day of LNG, at 3.7 kg per gallon (LNG weighs less than half of water – it floats on water), equals 14,800,000 kg of LNG per day. At 1000 kg (i.e., 2200 lb) per metric ton, that’s 14,800 metric tons per day. With daily production, that’s 5,402,000 metric tons per year or 5.4 million metric tons per year (Mmtpa or mtpa). That's 262.98 Bcf/yr (1 mtpa= 48.7 Bcf/yr) of gas. (Note: In the application to the Department of Energy for export permission, Bradford County LNG Marketing requested to export 128 Bcf/yr). https://www.energy.gov/fe/downloads/bradford-county-lng-marketing-llc-fe-dkt-no-20-131-lng
For comparison, Cove Point, Maryland has export capacity of 5.25 million metric tons/year. Cove Point Maryland is a project of Berkshire Hathaway, receiving feed gas from the Atlantic Sunrise (Williams’ Transco system) pipeline from Susquehanna County. https://www.naturalgasintel.com/berkshire-hathaway-taking-over-cove-point-lng-from-dominion/
Hazards
In the case of a leak, the super-cold vapor can cause extreme freeze burns and even death to those in close proximity. An unignited ground-hugging vapor cloud can move far distances downwind into communities. Being lighter than water, it could float on the Susquehanna River while vaporizing.
LNG vaporizes rapidly, mixing with air, where it could encounter an ignition source in the community. The fire that results is inextinguishable – it must burn out. If the LNG leak is confined, say, in a ditch or by a wall, it could lead to an incident known as a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE). No federal field research has shown how far the vapor cloud can move. The unpredictable movement and inextinguishable fire make evacuation the preferred defense. The 2016 U.S. Emergency Response Guidebook advised fire chiefs to initially evacuate one mile, but a high-hazard zone is estimated at two miles.
Worst-case LNG scenarios in British Columbia, Communities at Risk: Hazards of LNG, produced by Colton Hash at grassroots Rendering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBAgvXPw1aI.
International HAZMAT expert, Fred Millar, discusses LNG. The KC Ingram show discusses New Fortress Energy, Florida Rail, and the failure of regulation. https://www.facebook.com/theKCIngramShow/videos/2591893814438182
Lac Megantic disaster. LNG is many times more explosive than oil. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac-M%C3%A9gantic_rail_disaster
LNG ‘bomb trains’ ignite nightmare scenario for South Florida. September 18, 2019. https://www.floridabulldog.org/2019/09/lng-bomb-trains-ignite-nightmare-scenario-for-south-florida/
Guidance on Risk Analysis and Safety Implications of a Large Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Spill Over Water. SANDIA REPORT SAND2004-6258, 2004 https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0933/ML093350855.pdf
Rapid phase transitions of LNG captured in video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-EY82cVKuA
US DOT Emergency Response Guidebook. https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2021-01/ERG2020-WEB.pdf
Hazards and incidents are summarized by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. https://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/sites/default/files/DRN%20cmnt%20PHMSA%20%282019-08-07%29.pdf
Moving large amounts can result in accidents similar to those of oil trains. https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/10/25/trump-phmsa-rule-proposed-natural-gas-lng-rail
Fire risks of LNG are discussed in this 2005 video by the National Association of State Fire Marshalls. (Note that the video does not discuss overland haul routes for LNG – a risk that has not been studied. The video makes one small mention of the risks of mixing of strata in a truck, should there be a rollover accident. ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnoU_k8CIUQ