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A Power Boost By Patricia Bennett  In October 2001, MORAN assisted in the docking of the liquefied natural gas carrier Matthew, which delivered approximately 125,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to Southern LNG’s Elba Island terminal. The terminal is located 10 miles down the Savannah River from the city of Savannah, Georgia. The docking was noteworthy because Matthew is the first liquefied natural gas cargo ship to arrive at the Elba Island facility since 1982. Southern LNG, a part of El Paso Corporation, built the liquefied natural gas processing terminal at Elba Island in 1978 to supply natural gas to the growing population and industrial base of the southeastern United States. The terminal, which occupies 140 acres of the 840-acre island, includes three doublewalled LNG storage tanks with a combined storage capacity of approximately 4 billion cubic feet. It also comprises regasification facilities, four electric generators and an unloading dock equipped with a berth, mooring dolphins and LNG unloading arms. Elba Island’s dock facilities are designed to accommodate vessels up to 950 feet in overall length and 141 feet in width. They can be used to unload a 125,000-cubic meter ship and prepare it for sailing within 24 hours, and are capable of receiving the newer 135,000-cubic meter ships. Natural gas is transported and stored in liquid form because as a liquid it is nonflammable, and requires only 1/600th of the space it occupies in its gaseous form. When ready for pipeline delivery, liquefied natural gas is returned to its gaseous state. Nearly onehalf- million horsepower of compression is generated to move natural gas from Elba Island’s terminal through two 30-inch pipes connecting it to Southern Natural Gas Company’s pipeline network. Connections from this network to the interstate pipeline grid enable natural gas from Elba Island to help service the energy needs of Southern LNG’s immediate market area, encompassing seven states from Florida to East Texas. Access to the Mid- Atlantic, Northeast and Mid-West is also available via the interstate grid. Southern LNG operated the Elba Island facility from 1978 to 1982, but closed it down when the demand for natural gas fell dramatically in the early 1980’s. Since that time, preventative maintenance has been performed at the facility to keep it at a limited state of readiness. As prospects for an increase in demand improved, Southern LNG decided to re-activate the facility. It received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reopen and upgrade the complex in 2001. Southern’s plans include building a new 1,500-foot-wide turning basin, which will provide a clearer and wider margin of safety for all shipping traffic, and creating another slip to accommodate additional LNG ships. The process of reopening the terminal included the preparation by the U.S. Coast Guard of a marine environmental safety report, which established recommendations for safe operating procedures and mandated that a minimum of two tractor tugs be utilized for the docking and sailing of LNG tankers. To ensure safe passage on the Savannah River, the Coast Guard also stipulated that two tugs must escort all ship traffic past the Elba Island facility when LNG tankers are docked there. Safe navigation of the Savannah River will be further assured by the fact that MORAN’s crews are comprised of many local, long-time employees who have extensive experience in navigating the Savannah River. Some of these crewmembers were involved in the docking and sailing of LNG ships at Elba Island more than twenty years ago, when the facility first began operations. As additional preparation for the reopening of the terminal, crewmembers participated in MORAN’s Tractor Tug Training Program, which provides the opportunity to experience the intricacies of the tractor tug through a series of controlled, hands-on The Diane Moran assisting the LNG carrier Matthew. maneuvers and test drills. Additional, simulator-based training was provided by Marine Safety International in Newport, Rhode Island, enabling crewmembers to explore the limits of the tractor tug under conditions specifically formulated for LNG carriers. After crewmembers have completed initial training, their performance on the Savannah River is continually monitored and evaluated by seasoned MORAN tractor tug personnel, until each new operator is qualified as proficient to handle all aspects of tractor tug operation. This extensive training process has placed a full complement of qualified tug operators onboard MORAN’s tractor tugs in Savannah. Southern LNG will also utilize the services of Crescent Towing in order to ensure seamless equipment coverage. MORAN has a history of focusing on safety and environmental concerns. As a transporter of significant quantities of petroleum, and as in fact the first company to build and operate an LNG barge in the U.S. — more than twenty years ago — MORAN’s performance has been thoroughly examined by the energy companies it serves. In addition to its ongoing safety and training programs, MORAN participates in voluntary Coast Guard inspections and is certified as a Responsible Carrier under the American Waterways Operators Program. As a result, MORAN is ideally suited to assist Southern LNG with the safe operation of its LNG facility at Elba Island. The careful docking of the Matthew at the Elba Island facility. |
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50 Locust Avenue | New Canaan, CT 06840-4737 USA | Tel: 203.442.2800 |
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