Dominion Resumes LNG Operations

The Coast Guard will escort a liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment into Dominion’s natural gas facility in Lusby, Md., Friday about 2 p.m.; the first vessel to unload product at the facility in 23 years. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port of Baltimore in consultation with other federal, state, and local agencies verified the Cove Point facility is ready to resume operations and is capable of safely receiving and handling shipments of LNG. Homeland Security is a top priority of the Coast Guard, and the agency’s marine safety offices in Hampton Roads, Va., and Baltimore worked with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police, Virginia Marine Patrol and other local maritime enforcement partners on security related plans. A 500-yard security zone will be established around the Cove Point facility and the LNG ship, the Norman Lady. The Coast Guard worked closely with Cove Point during the last three years to prepare the facility for the initial delivery and will continue this relationship to ensure the safe and secure shipping and offloading of LNG as long as the facility is operational. The Norman Lady is an 800-ft. LNG vessel and will be carrying approximately 87,000 cubic meters of LNG.