19 JANUARY 2004

• Algeria is the world’s second largest LNG exporter after

Indonesia.
• Skikda LNG accident was the worst petrochemical plant fire in
Algeria.
• Cause :
o27 employees died
o56 injured
oCost $900 million
• Skikda is one of the three liquefaction center in Algeria.
• The plant had six LNG-producing units called trains.
• Explosion occurs at LNG plant (6 trains)
• Damage almost the whole plant facilities
• The explosion destroyed three of the six
liquefaction trains that comprise the GL-1K
complex.
• The plant uses steam boilers to make high-
pressure steam for its steam turbines.
• Turbines supply power to the plant’s refrigerant
compressors that are used to liquefy the natural
gas.
Occurred because of :
oPoor maintenance and general condition of unit 40
oThe side distribution of different units
oInvolved with steam boiler in a plant associated with the LNG
complex
• Occurred between two sections of one production train :
oWhere natural gas liquids (propane and ethane) are separated
from methane
oWhere methane is liquefied
.Fire destroyed three LNG trains , but did not damage any LNG
storage tanks or the remaining three trains.
• The boilers appears to be very close to the steam turbine and
compressor.
• The steam boiler that exploded was located in GL-1K unit 40.
• A maintenance building adjacent to the Unit 40 process area
apparently collapsed during the mishap.
• A nearby berth for loading LNG tankers was heavily damaged.
• The explosion was most likely accidental, not sabotage
• STEAM BOILER
• the steam boiler that exploded was located in “GL-1K unit 40”
and was “part of the GL-1k phase 2 expansion(unit 40,5p &6p)
built by prichard rhodes in the late 1970’s using an old design of
the PRICO process.
• The boiler appears to be very closed to the steam turbine and
compressor
• The maintenance building adjacent to the unit 40 process area
apparent collapsed during the mishap
• A control-room operator noticed rapidly rising pressure within a
steam boiler and attempted to correct the situation by reducing
the amount of fuel flowing into the boiler
• A gas vapor cloud was forming near the boiler.
• GAS VAPOR
• A gas vapor cloud was forming near the boiler
• A pressure vessel measuring only three feet by eight feet,
containing 230 gallons of liquid propane. The vessel was being
moved via forklift when it rolled off the forks, and a nozzle
broke off causing the gas to escape. Liquid pressure gas being
heavier than air stayed near the ground. A spark caused the gas
to explode.
• A defective, high pressure, steam boiler ruptured
• High vibration were heard just before the boiler ruptured.
• Possible causes;
o Poor purging before ignition
o Two phases slug flow( high vibration were heard before explosion
• The resultant explosion on rupture damaged nearby vessels containing
flammables
• The flammable loss of containment resulted in further fires and explosion.
• 23 workers were killed
• 9 are missing
• 74 were injured
• $800 million estimated property damage
• Massive business interruption loss
• Lung cancer
• Heart attack
• Cardiovascular mortality
• damaged pf power station
• refinery on fire and need to be close
• Finding in the report indicates that there were local ignition
sources a lack of typical automatic equipment shutdown devices
and a lack of hazard detection devices