Lloyd’s Register issued newGuidance Notes for the Calculation of Probabilistic Explosion Loads provide recommended practices to help engineers, operators and designers to define blast and explosion loads to control and mitigate risk measures in offshore operations.
The new Guidance Notes for the Calculation of Probabilistic Explosion Loads provide information on how to establish explosion loads based on probability considerations of different operating oil and gas scenarios.
To maximise safety in offshore operations, structures and equipment that could be subjected to blast pressures need to be designed for accidental blast loading. This approach by Lloyds Register allows for a detailed examination and assessment through a range of probabilistic risk assessment techniques, which help companies to predict possible explosion scenarios.
Joar Dalheim, VP Technology at Lloyds Register Energy said: By using these Guidance Notes with our Rules for Offshore Units, companies can simplify and streamline their design appraisal process to give them a fast and highly cost-effective solution.
A wide variety of measures can be used by companies operating offshore to prevent, control and mitigate the effects of explosions. Whilst the emphasis should always be on explosion prevention (e.g. through prevention of leaks or elimination of ignition sources), the possible accumulation and ignition of a flammable hydrocarbon-air mix cannot always be eliminated.
The Lloyds Register methodology can be applied to any offshore unit where gas explosion hazards are possible. It also includes special guidance on how to handle leak scenarios from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants, which can be caused by flashing of cryogenic liquids in to the atmosphere such as LNG and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
The new Guidance Notes for the Calculation of Probabilistic Explosion Loads work alongside the Lloyds Registers Rules for Offshore Units. These Rules provide the oil and gas industry with confidence that their assets are designed and constructed to internationally recognised standards.
Source: Lloyd’s Register
