Freeport LNG provides summary of root cause failure analysis report on 8 June incident

The safety and security of our workforce and surrounding community, and environmental stewardship are Freeport LNG's top priorities. Freeport LNG believes that transparency around the causes of this incident, and the remedial actions it is taking to ensure an incident of this nature never occurs again, is critical to maintaining public trust.

With that in mind, the results of the root cause failure analysis prepared by IFO Group are as follows:

Direct Cause

• Isolation of a piping segment containing cryogenic LNG without proper over-pressure protection, which LNG then warmed and expanded due to exposure to ambient conditions, resulting in a boiling liquid, expanding vapour explosion, or BLEVE, and the rupturing of the piping segment.

Root causes

• Pressure safety valve (PSV) testing procedure and car seal program deficiencies.
• Failure to repurpose temperature indicator alarms used for cool down operations during commissioning on LNG piping that could warn operators of increasing temperatures in LNG piping during operations.
• Operating procedures that allowed operator discretion to close valves that could allow LNG to be isolated in a piping segment.

Contributing causes

• Failure of 2016 Hazard and Operability study to evaluate the potential for a blocked-in LNG piping segment with inadequate overpressure protection.
• Failure to utilise management of change process for revisions to tank management operating procedures.
• Failure to accurately and timely diagnose sudden pipe movement as being due to piping stresses from the over-pressuring of an adjacent piping segment.
• Operator fatigue as a result of significant overtime needs.

IFO Group proposed recommendations to resolve each of the above root and contributing causes, and Freeport LNG is implementing each of those recommendations. Specifically, Freeport LNG has made significant enhancements to its PSV testing processes and car seal program, implemented procedural changes to avoid operating scenarios that could allow blocked-in LNG in piping segments, and revised its control system logic to alert control room operators to valve positions or temperature readings that indicate possible isolation of LNG in any piping segments. Freeport LNG is also updating its training program to address causes of the incident, as well as identification and diagnosis of abnormal operating conditions in the facility.

To supplement IFO's report, Freeport LNG also engaged another independent consultant to perform a full review of its LNG storage and transfer operating procedures, its control systems maintenance and inspection procedures, and its personnel qualifications and training programmes. As a result of this independent, multi-month review, Freeport LNG is implementing various recommended improvements in these areas. Additionally, Freeport LNG has undertaken a significant hiring effort to increase LNG plant employee staffing by over 30%, in order to reduce the amount of overtime, as well as create new functional departments within the organisation that are focused on improved training, operational excellence, quality assurance, and improved business performance. Freeport LNG is also executing an extensive company-wide process safety management initiative to apply and reinforce process safety concepts into daily work processes across the organisation.

Freeport LNG is committed to emerging from the June 8^th incident with an un-matched focus on safety, operational integrity and operational excellence.

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquefaction/17112022/freeport-lng-provides-summary-of-root-cause-failure-analysis-report-on-8-june-incident/