COLLEGE STATION, Texas, April 21, 2009 – M. Sam Mannan, director of Texas A&M University’s Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, will speak about mitigating the risks caused by potential spills of liquefied natural gas as part of a keynote presentation at the annual spring meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
Mannan, who is holder of the T. Michael O’Connor Chair I in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, is scheduled to deliver his presentation Wednesday, April 29 in Tampa at the event’s Gas Utilization Luncheon at the Tampa Convention Center.
The increasing demand for natural gas has significantly increased the possibilities of LNG imports in the United States and the construction of new LNG terminals, Mannan said. Because of its highly flammable nature, LNG poses the hazard of flammable vapor cloud formation from a release, which may result in a massive fire, he noted.
“This potential risk posed by LNG has created controversy over facility siting involving the LNG industries, local and federal government regulatory bodies, and the public adjacent to the proposed facilities,” Mannan said.
“Understanding of LNG vapor dispersion phenomena and LNG fire characteristics for the development of effective safety measures to prevent and mitigate an accidental release of LNG are critical,” he added.
Mannan, a professional engineer and certified safety professional, is an internationally recognized expert on process safety and risk assessment. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Society of Safety Engineers, International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration and National Fire Protection Association.
In addition to his many professional honors and achievements, Mannan has served as a consultant to numerous entities in both the academic and private sectors, including the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.
He also has testified before the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions, lending his expertise on matters of national security as it relates to chemical safety and infrastructure. Mannan is a co-author of “Guidelines for Safe Process Operations and Maintenance.”
More information on Mannan’s research into LNG-related fires can be accessed at http://psc.tamu.edu/links/lng-white-paper-on-pool-fire-modeling.
