Employees return to work after ethylene leak at QCLNG site

Employees across the QCLNG site returned to normal work activities after a minor leak in a temporary transport container of ethylene gas on the Curtis Island site overnight.

This followed the safe venting of a temporary transport container of ethylene gas via the flare, Bechtel’s Gladstone unit said in a statement.

“As a precautionary measure earlier today, all employees remained in-doors as safety procedures were implemented across the site,” Bechtel said.

The remaining ethylene from the container was released to the flare for controlled burning. This temporarily caused a dark plume, the company added.

According to Bechtel, Ethylene is neither produced nor consumed in the LNG plant. The ethylene is used as a refrigerant, which means it is cycled through compression, cooling, and expansion, which makes it very cold.

It then absorbs heat energy from the natural gas stream, cooling the plant feed gas in stages.

The US$20.4 billion Queensland Curtis LNG project is operated by BG’s unit QGC. The LNG project consists of a two-train 8.5 mtpa LNG plant supplied by coal seam gas.

First LNG is expected in the fourth quarter of 2014