Canaport LNG

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What is LNG?
What is natural gas? How does LNG become natural gas?
Where does natural gas come from?
Where are LNG facilities located?
How does LNG become the natural gas we use?
How is LNG transported by sea?
How is LNG stored?
Is LNG explosive?
Is LNG flammable?
Have there been any LNG accidents?
What about possible terrorism threats?
Will there be a no-fly zone?
What would happen if there were a spill or a release from a tanker?
Will the LNG tankers be docked close to the existing Irving monobuoy?
Does running the pipeline through Rockwood Park pose a risk to the Saint John community or to the park?

What is LNG?

Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is the liquid form of natural gas. It is a clear, colourless, non-toxic, clean burning fuel. It is taken out of the ground as natural gas, and becomes a liquid when it is chilled to -162 degrees Celsius.

The cooling process reduces the volume of natural gas by more than 600 times, making it easier and safer to store and transport.

What is natural gas? How does LNG become natural gas?

Natural gas is composed primarily of methane (90%) but may also contain ethane, propane and heavier hydrocarbons. Small quantities of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, sulfur compounds and water may also be found in natural gas.

At regassification terminals such as Canaport LNG, the LNG is warmed until it returns to its original gaseous state as natural gas. This natural gas can then be transported through underground pipes and distributed to customers who use it for cooking, home heating, generating electrical power and many other everyday things.

Where does natural gas come from?

Underground natural gas reserves are abundant throughout the world. Today, LNG is predominantly imported from Trinidad and Tobago, Algeria, Indonesia, Malaysia and Qatar.

The 12 countries that currently export LNG have approximately 28% of the world’s natural gas reserves. Russia, Iran and Qatar have natural gas reserves representing more than 50 percent of the world total.

Where are LNG facilities located?

Currently, 40 LNG liquefaction and regassification facilities operate worldwide, including the United States, Japan, Spain and France. North America has four regasification terminals, all located in the United States. The closest facility to Saint John is located near Boston and has been in operation since 1971.

How does LNG become the natural gas we use?

When LNG arrives at the Canaport LNG regasification facility, LNG will be pumped at atmospheric pressure to the specially designed storage tanks on land. When it is ready to be used, LNG is then pumped into equipment called a vaporizer.

By passing through the vaporizer and slowly warming up, LNG safely returns to its gaseous state. The vapourized gas is then regulated for pressure and then enters the pipeline as natural gas.

How is LNG transported by sea?

LNG is transported by sea in double-hulled ships that are specifically designed to handle the liquefied gas at -162 degrees Celsius. These ships are designed with many safety features to ensure safe marine transportation of the LNG.

How is LNG stored?

LNG is stored in specially designed tanks consisting of an internal layer of metal that includes 9 percent nickel for extra strength. Additional layers of carbon steel, insulation and concrete are also part of the tank design.

Modern gas-detection systems can identify any breach in containment and immediately shut off valves to prevent leaks and spills. These detection systems are so sensitive they can detect a leak the size of a pinhole.

Is LNG explosive?

LNG cannot explode because, according to the laws of physics and chemistry, the liquid state prevents its mixture with sufficient oxygen.

Is LNG flammable?

LNG is not flammable in its liquid state because it cannot mix with sufficient oxygen. LNG vapours, that is, its natural gas form, are only flammable within a very limited range of concentration in the air.

If the percentage of natural gas in the air is less than 5%, there is not enough natural gas to be flammable. If there is more than 15%, there is too much of a concentration of gas without enough oxygen for it to burn.

Have there been any LNG accidents?

The LNG industry has a history of being one of the safest energy production industries in the world. There have been very few major incidents of damage or life-threatening harm associated with LNG.

In the past 70 years, there have been three incidents in LNG terminals in North America: two in the 1970s and one in 1944.

Of the two in the 1970s, one was a construction accident, not an LNG accident, according to The New York Fire Department. The other was the result of a faulty seal that allowed gas to leak into an electrical substation that was not equipped with natural gas detectors. This led to three new major design codes, including mandatory gas detectors in all related buildings.

The 1944 incident occurred in Cleveland and was the result of safety standards compromised due to the fact that nickel – essential to building LNG tanks – was in low supply because of the war effort. The tanks in Cleveland were constructed with a low nickel content, which compromised their structure. Today’s safety standards for LNG storage require that 9 per cent nickel be used in all tanks.

The Canaport LNG project will fully follow all safety standards for natural gas as set out by the Canadian Standards Association, the same organization that sets safety standards for common products like bicycle helmets, electrical appliances and propane tanks. The project will also follow world-class safety design standards.

What about possible terrorism threats?

Safety and security are top priorities at Canaport LNG. We have a strong, highly trained security force on our property, and we are using modern technologies to maintain the safety of employees and our neighbours.

The International Ship and Port Security code does not allow port facilities to discuss any detailed security measures. However, a Port Security Plan for the Canaport LNG facility has been submitted to and accepted by Transport Canada.

The design and security systems of LNG tanks make them extremely difficult to breach. Safety modeling done as part of Canaport LNG’s environmental approval process showed that even during a worst-case scenario (such as a terrorist attack), there would be no danger to neighbours if, for example, a large fire were to occur near one of the tanks. Using the knowledge gained from the experiences of the few historical situations and countless studies, the Canaport LNG facility has been designed to be able to completely control and manage potential crisis situations.

Will there be a no-fly zone?

Irving Oil will be applying to Transport Canada for a no-fly zone around the LNG facility. This no-fly zone will not have an impact on commercial flights arriving and departing Saint John.

What would happen if there were a spill or a release from a tanker?

LNG tankers have several layers of protection to reduce the possibility that a spill could occur. Even a direct breach of the outer layer would not cause a spill. In the unlikely event of a release from a tanker, the liquid would warm up and change back into a gas, and, because it is lighter than air, the gas would quickly dissipate causing no environmental damage to the water or land.

Will the LNG tankers be docked close to the existing Irving monobuoy?

Irving Canaport, Irving Oils’ refinery at Saint John, is the most crucial step in Irving Oil’s supply chain, and safety and risks have been very carefully evaluated at the site. Because the LNG unloading pier is fixed, ships will be able to unload LNG and crude oil at the same time.

All ships brought into Canaport LNG for unloading, whether at the monobuoy (where crude oil is unloaded), or at a pier, are brought in or not based on weather conditions. We are very respectful of the weather, and use a number of weather survey tools to study the weather there, including wave riders, current meters, and wind monitors. We will follow operating procedures based on experience and best industry practices.

The pier will be built to withstand worst-case scenario weather, and ships will only be brought to the pier only when the weather allows.

Does running the pipeline through Rockwood Park pose a risk to the Saint John community or to the park?

Running the natural gas pipeline under ground through the industrial corridor already in place at Rockwood Park, already the site of high-tension electrical power lines, was chosen as an option because it presented the least amount of risk, including aesthetic risk, to the community or to the environment. Options such as running an underwater pipeline across the Saint John harbor presented a greater degree of long-term risk and environmental impact to the Saint John area.

By using a pre-existing industrial corridor, Canaport LNG reduces the need to disrupt the lives of the community and provides a useful way to maintain and monitor the unseen natural gas pipeline.