Guidance notes for calculating explosion loads to help improve safety in the oil and gas industry

Lloyd’s Register’s 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 Lloyd’s 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 Lloyd’s 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. While the emphasis should always be on explosion prevention (eg, 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 Lloyd’s 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 into the atmosphere, such as LNG 788 and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Download the new Guidance Notes for the Calculation of Probabilistic Explosion Loads at www.lr.org/guidance-notes.