On 7-10 May, staff with the US Coast Guard’s Liquefied Gas Carrier National Center of Expertise (LGC NCOE) delivered training on all aspects of LNG to representatives from the Panama Canal Authority and Panama Maritime Authority, and first responders.
The training covered a wide array of topics pertinent to the transportation of LNG to include the chemical and physical properties of LNG, LNG gas carriers, LNG terminals, and the use of LNG as a marine fuel.
The LGC NCOE instructors walked the 50 attendees through a typical USCG examination of a liquefied gas carrier, key safety elements, and followed by a discussion of historically significant case studies as they relate to LNG.
This year, the Coast Guard’s LGC NCOE had the opportunity to conduct training onboard the Q-Flex vessel ‘Al Safliya’.
At 315 meters in length and with a breadth of 50 meters and a 210K cubic meter cargo capacity, the Al Safliya was the first Q-Flex type carrier and the largest LNG vessel to transit the Panama Canal.
This professional interaction is a vital component in the US and Panama’s strategic relationship and is instrumental in furthering the Panama Canal Authority and the Panama Government’s understanding of LNG. Additionally, it strengthens the United States’s strategic understanding of the Panama Canal and its role in supporting the transportation route to accommodate the growth of the international shipments of natural gas,
…said Lt. Cmdr. Dallas Smith, supervisor of the LGC NCOE.
The LGC NCOE is one of six US national centers of expertise focusing on providing industry specific consultation and services to the USCG and maritime industry.
The LGC NCOE provides technical advice on matters related to liquefied gas in the maritime community; liquefied gas training and outreach opportunities; liquefied gas workforce forecasting and performance development; and technical expertise for the establishment of local and national liquefied gas guidance, policy and regulations.