Story Photos
 Photo courtesy of Robert Johnson Natural gas tanker Catalunya Spirit sails into Boston Harbor. |
LNG ships wouldn't 'shut river down,' bar pilot says
Saturday, March 17, 2007 1:20 PM PDT
By The Daily Astorian
Printable version
E-mail this articleASTORIA -- Clicking through pictures on his computer screen, Columbia River Bar Pilot Capt. Robert Johnson detailed his ride on a liquefied natural gas tanker as it entered Boston Harbor, where the Distrigas LNG terminal has been operating since 1971. The trip through the bustling harbor, he said, was routine -- and safe.
"This is the Catalunya Spirit," he said. "She's 933 feet long with a 140-foot beam and 130,000 cubic meters of storage -- very similar to what we'd be getting here. We passed some small boats. They were not allowed to get too close but they did go by. We went by this tug and barge -- and that's downtown Boston."
Johnson was one of three pilots who traveled from Oregon to Boston in October to gain some firsthand knowledge of navigating a liquefied natural gas tanker through a busy waterway. He was joined by Columbia River Pilot Capt. Paul Amos and Foss Maritime tugboat Capt. Mike Walker.
Together, the three men represent the piloting expertise that would be needed to take a liquefied natural gas ship across the Columbia River Bar and 38 miles upriver to the proposed Bradwood Landing LNG receiving terminal if the project is approved.
The pilots have been doing their homework on liquefied natural gas, also called LNG, collecting data on the various models of LNG gas tankers, researching tools that would make for the safest possible passage up the river, participating in computerized training sessions that simulate the piloting experience, and visiting facilities on the East Coast.
During the trip to Boston, Johnson said it became clear to him that liquefied natural gas wouldn't "shut the river down," as some in the region had feared. He offered dozens of pictures as proof of just how "routine" LNG transits are in bustling Boston Harbor.
"There were all these boats there, and we just steamed on through," he said. "There were some that were sailing. There was a regatta going on at one point. There were passenger ships; we went right by them."
There are navigational differences between Boston Harbor and the Columbia River, said Johnson. The width of the channel and the degree of difficulty in crossing the Columbia River bar pose unique challenges here, he said.
The pilots are among the first people LNG development companies consult on river traffic and navigation issues, said Johnson, and they have shared concerns about safety and the effects on existing river commerce. While liquefied natural gas offers an opportunity for increased income to the Columbia River Pilots Association, it also poses new hazards and significant changes to the pilots' operations.
The recently released U.S. Coast Guard Waterway Suitability Report for Northern Star Natural Gas Co.'s Bradwood Landing project has drawn attention to the changes that would be needed for the Columbia River to accommodate liquefied natural gas tankers. The potential safety hazards involved in transporting liquefied natural gas trigger an extensive review of navigation security before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission considers approving a new terminal.
Bar and river pilots are among the key players that will draw up the Coast Guard's required Transit Management Plan, a detailed system of organizing all traffic on the river to make way for 125 liquefied natural gas tankers expected each year at Bradwood Landing, 20 miles east of Astoria. The pilots agree the liquefied natural gas tankers aren't that different in size from the container ships they maneuver through the river on a regular basis, but the security measures required add some complications.
Amos, who would be among the river pilots taking liquefied natural gas tankers from the bar to the Bradwood Landing facility, said he suggested a priority system for deciding which ships were allowed to enter the river first.
Some ships have deeper drafts than others and must cross the bar at high tide.
"My idea is ships that have a narrow window for high tide -- grain ships, container ships -- they get the first shot at it," he said. "The second priority should be ships on a schedule, regardless of draft. Third would be the LNG tankers."
Nailing down all the details before the ships set sail is an essential step to preparing the river for liquefied natural gas, he said.
Walker said he has piloted Foss Maritime tugboats as they were escorting oil tankers about the size of liquefied natural gas tankers, and has the experience to pilot the LNG escort tugs required by the Coast Guard.
However, a formal request for proposal will determine which company provides the escort piloting service. He is learning what he can about liquefied natural gas in case Foss Maritime is hired.
The basic risks of navigating LNG tankers are the same as they are in other ships, Johnson said. Collisions and grounding are the two biggest concerns. When liquefied natural gas vaporizes, it can catch fire and produce a lot of heat, which heightens the risk associated with any loss of control.
If the bar pilots are called on to navigate gas tankers they will use a sophisticated modeling tool that tells them exactly how much space lies between the hull of the ship and the bottom of the river.
Northern Star will be responsible for sharing the cost of developing the modeling navigation system, which Johnson said will be a benefit to the entire river.
"It could have a huge amount of impact. The economic benefit is that we should be able to allow all ships to load deeper," he said. That would make the Columbia River more attractive to the shipping industry. "We have been onto this for years now, and this is a way we'd be able to get it for the benefit of everybody."
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On the Net:
Bradwood Landing: http://www.bradwoodlanding.com/
Foss Maritime: http://www.foss.com/
Columbia Bar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia--Bar
Distrigas LNG: http://www.distrigas.com/
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