ABS to Class 45,000 cbm LNG Carrier
ABS, a provider of classification services to the maritime and offshore industries, has been chosen to class a new design of medium-sized LNG carrier to be built in China for Landmark Capital. The 45,000 cbm vessel, featuring self-supporting IMO Type-A tanks mounted within an insulated hold space, will be built in China, with an option for another vessel. Last year, ABS completed an Approval in Principle for the 'LNT A-BOX' gas containment system and will review the vessel design, survey the construction and class the ship for operation upon delivery, which is due in 2017. Landmark Capital affiliate LNG New Technologies (LNT), with operations in Norway and Singapore, has developed the LNT A-BOX system and is providing engineering services for the project.
CSC Launches Gas Storage Integrity Management Team
UK-based Chesterfield Special Cylinders (CSC) has launched a new integrity management team to work with owners and operators of high pressure gas storage vessels as installed in rigs and ships, and with gas majors and classification bodies to maximize vessels’ lifetime performance and safety. The integrity team is now managing periodic inspections and tests at its Sheffield, England factory as well as delivering them worldwide while the vessels remain installed. It is also delivering vessel life extension support services to high pressure gas users globally.
Seaborne Ethane and Demand for a New Ship Type
Lloyd's Register report looks at the commercial landscape, regulatory issues and technical realities of a new trade in ethane emerging as a result of increased U.S. U.S. ethane production capability, as a byproduct of total increased U.S. gas production, is underutilized. The potential exists for annual exports of 1 million metric tons of ethane to provide employment for 0.18 million cubic meters of shipping capacity if shipped to North Europe, a further 0.32 Mn Cu M if shipped to South Asia and a similar amount to China through the Panama Canal.
New Sloshing Guidelines for LNG Cargo
Lloyd's Register, the world leader in the classification of LNG carriers, has published a new guidance document for the design of membrane-technology liquid natural gas containment systems. The document is aimed at improving design procedures with respect to sloshing forces, and is the result of a long program of research and development, including extensive consultation with industry, and an investment of over $1,1m. The document has been used as part of the appraisal process for the approval of the largest LNG carrier built to date – the Q-Max type ships, of which Lloyd’s Register is the lead class. Sloshing is the motion of a fluid in a partially filled tank which may in sometimes be violent.
