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Co-Mingling of LPG
August 2005
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
SYNOPSIS
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
GLOSSARY
°C Degrees Celsius
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
CONTENTS
SYNOPSIS 2
GLOSSARY 3
1.1 BACKGROUND 5
1.2 THE REASONS FOR CO-MINGLING 5
1.3 CURRENT PRACTICE 7
1.4 THERMODYNAMICS 8
1.5 HAZARDS 9
1.6 ROLLOVER 11
1.7 COMPARATIVE RISKS OF ADDING
ONE PRODUCT TO THE OTHER 12
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
1.1 BACKGROUND
Very little guidance has been published about this operation; there is only
a short warning note in the ICS Tanker Safety Guide (Liquefied Gas)
which mentions the hazard of “flash gas” and the potential for “roll over”.
It is apparent that LPG traders require mixed LPG’s for commercial
reasons and are instructing ships to carry out the mixing, either during
loading, on passage or during discharge, often without any appreciation
of the hazards involved.
At the 49th SIGTTO GPC meeting in San Francisco in April 2004 it was
agreed that a working group be set up to look into this issue and produce
guidelines for the industry.
The working group met in August 2004 and this document was produced
as a result of the meeting.
Propane (C3) and Butane (C4) are the two cargoes most commonly carried
by LPG tankers. Their physical properties are shown in table 1.
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
When Petroleum Gases are produced, the Butane and Propane streams are
usually separated. The degree of the separation depends on the process
and the intended use of the products.
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
The mixtures specified for these reasons may be 70/30 volume % C4/C3
or 60/40 volume % C4/C3, depending on the local conditions.
interests, have been known to express surprise at the necessity for these
slow loading rates indicates a lack of background knowledge regarding
safety concerns inherent in the practice.
1.4 THERMODYNAMICS
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
1.5 HAZARDS
A real concern would be to ensure that the final volume of any tank did
not exceed more than 98% full. Co-mingling does involve the risk of over
filling a tank, a risk especially acute during loading when there are many
other events which may distract the deck officer’s attention.
In order for the vessel to co-mingle, at least one tank would have been
only part-filled at the loading port. This has potential stability and stress
issues for the vessel upon departure due to one tank being “slack”. At
least two tanks will be slack once the operation commences which means
the vessel’s effective centre of gravity is raised through “free surface
effect” and the vessel’s stability correspondingly reduced. In addition the
part-filled tank may affect the vessel’s shear forces and bending moments
as may the change in distribution as the co-mingling operation takes place.
This could “over stress” the vessel during the course of the operation and
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
1.5.4 General
1.6 ROLLOVER
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
Rollover occurs when liquids of different densities are stored in the same
tank, there is a possibility that layers are created with a less dense liquid
overlaying a heavier one. This is called stratification. Unstable
stratification may occur when the liquid in the lower layer becomes less
dense due to heat input, while the liquid in the upper layer becomes
heavier due to the evaporation at the surface. This unstable situation can
relieve itself with a sudden mixing at the time when the densities of the
layers become equal or are reversed.
If the co-mingling operation had taken place at sea then there would be
the added concern that the mechanical and technical limitations of the
cargo pumps may prevent effective recirculation, heightening the risk of
Rollover occurring.
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
If Propane is added to Butane there will be more flash gas generated than
the reverse. However, any pressure problems will immediately manifest
themselves and so those conducting the operation should be able to
adjust the rate of mixing to control this. The addition of ‘lighter’
propane to the bottom of ‘heavier’ butane will facilitate the mixing of the
blend due to the natural tendency of the propane to rise. The risk of
thermal shock to the tank surfaces should be borne in mind as a rapid cool
down may be experienced as the Propane is added.
Both of the above options have been widely used, however, as above,
each option has its own specific drawbacks.
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
For this reason the concerns raised in respect of fully refrigerated vessels
should be considered to apply to semi-pressurised vessels too.
The risks associated with the operation are greatest if carried out at sea,
but are still a concern during loading and to a lesser extent on discharge.
Of real concern is that in many cases there have been failures to take
essential precautions such as:
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
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August 2005
The Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd
Guidelines for the Co-Mingling of LPG
SECTION 3 – REFERENCES
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August 2005