Development of Technologies and

Standards for the Life Time

Management of LNG Storage Tanks
(2010 ,
Texas San Antonio 2010 3 21~25)

Seung Rim Lee

Jang Sik Park

Jeong Rock Kwon

Principal Researcher
Institute of Gas Safety R&D
Korea Gas Safety Corporation

Chief Researcher
Institute of Gas Safety R&D
Korea Gas Safety Corporation

Chief Researcher
Institute of Gas Safety R&D
Korea Gas Safety Corporation

ABSTRACT

inspection and monitoring system for LNG

storage tanks in Korea and the development

As the expiration date of design life (about

course of technologies and standards for the

25 years) approaches for domestic LNG

life time management in the near future,

storage tanks, the issue of tank life time

including periodic inspection, periodic safety

extension is paid more and more attention by

review and license renewal.

Korea LNG industry. Recently, Korea Gas

Safety Corporation is carrying out a project to

1. INTRODUCTION

develop technologies and standards for the life

Korea commissioned its LNG receiving

time management of LNG storage tanks by

terminal in 1986 and since than successfully

benchmarking those of domestic nuclear power

operating the terminals over 24 years.

plants. This paper summarizes the status of

However, among the LNG storage tanks in

52

2. LIFE TIME MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

operation, some are aging and their life time

BY INDUSTRIES IN KOREA

management technology is in need of being

developed to continuously operate them

In order to develop life cycle assessment

without compromising on their safety aspect.

technologies for LNG storage tanks, it is

In addition, for the extended operation of

necessary to investigate and analyze the life

super- sized LNG storage tanks it is required

cycle assessment examples in nuclear and

to develop and apply technologies to efficiently

petrochemical industries. Especially, in the

monitor and assess their service life time.

case of nuclear industry, periodic inspection,

Regarding this issue Korea is aiming to

periodic safety review (PSR) and continual

develop new technologies for life cycle

operation assessment systems have been

assessment and monitoring LNG storage

systematically established and efficient life

tanks so as to consolidate relevant laws and

time management is carried out by means of

regulations. Since systematic life time

publicly-available deterioration data and

management technologies have already been

specifications for life cycle assessment of

developed for nuclear and petrochemical

IAEA.

industries, similar technologies and systems

The systems, specifications and application

applicable to new as well as aging LNG

examples of life cycle assessment of nuclear

storage tanks can be developed based on these

power plants and petrochemical plants are

existing technologies and consultations.

summarized in [Table 1]. Especially, PSR and

[Table 1] Status of Systems and Codes for Life Cycle Assessment of Facilities by Industries
Item

Nuclear Power Plants

Petrochemical Plants

LNG Plants

System

Related Code

Periodic Safety Review(PSR)

IAEA NS-G-2.10

Operation License Renewal

10CFR54

System(continual operation

NUREG-1800, 1801

assessment)

IAEA TEDOSs

FFS(FFP)

API 579
BS 7910, etc.

Life cycle assessment

API579,ASMESec.Div.2,

standards of tank operators

Nuclear power standards

Application Example
All countries(except U.S.A. and Canada)

U.S.A, Canada, Spain, etc.

U.S.A., Japan, Korea, etc.

(pressure vessels, piping, storage tanks
in petrochemical industry)
France (GdF), Japan (TGC), etc.

- IAEA NS-G-2.10(Periodic Safety Review of Nuclear Power Plants)

- 10CFR54(license Renewal Application)
Remarks

- NUREG-1800(Standard Review Plan for Review of License Renewal Applications for

Nuclear Power Plants)
- U.S. NRC NUREG-1801(Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) Report)
- API 579(Fitness-for-Service)

2010 |

53

Development of Technologies and Standards for the Life Time Management of LNG Storage Tanks

continual operation assessment systems have

for an extended period of time is required.

been introduced and are being applied for life

This will result in large amounts of expenses

time management in nuclear power plants.

due to operational loss. To avoid the financial

And, in petrochemical plants, fitness-for-

loss Tokyo Gas Company has developed a

service conformity assessment systems have

technology to inspect and diagnose LNG

been established and are in use for

storage tanks without their shutdown and is

management of equipment service life by

practically applying it to successfully.

means of API 579 (Fitness-for-Service) for

Tokyo Gas Corporation stipulated the aging

pressure vessels, storage tanks, etc. in those

phenomena of aboveground and in-ground

plants. Meanwhile, there is no standardized

storage tanks based on the inspection,

national or international code available for

diagnosis and life cycle assessment of the

LNG storage tanks up to now, and their life

tanks which were put into operation in Negishi

cycle assessment and life time extension are

Terminal and Sodegaura Terminal in 1960s

conducted by means of the in-house standards

and 1970s (See [Table 2]).

of tank operating companies. However,

International Gas Union (IGU) recently

[Table 2] Example of Life Cycle Assessment for LNG

Storage Tanks in Japan (Tokyo Gas Corp.)

organized a subcommittee in charge of the

aging of LNG receiving terminals and

Classification

liquefaction plants, and this study is actively

in progress.

Aboveground
LNG Storage

3. EXAMPLES OF OVERSEAS LIFE CYCLE

Tanks

Aging Phenomenon

Measure and
Treatment

Corrosion in each

Inspection & diagnosis:

part

Repairs

Corrosion in piles

Inspection & diagnosis:

Free of problem

Aging of breathing

Inspection & diagnosis:

ASSESSMENT OF LNG STORAGE

tank diaphragm

Replacement

TANKS

Fatigue in roof

3.1 Tokyo Gas Company, Japan

Presently, Tokyo Gas Company is operating
a total of 29 in-ground storage tanks, of which
the oldest was constructed about 30 years ago.

In-ground
LNG Storage
Tanks

Inspection & diagnosis:

Free of problem

Fatigue in

Inspection & diagnosis:

membrane

Free of problem

Corrosion in each

Inspection & diagnosis:

part

Repairs

The aging problem of the major structural

elements such as roofs and membranes has

It was difficult to assess the aging extent of

not known yet, but any damage due to fatigue

the fillet welds inside the steel roofs of the

or other reasons may have critical effect on

storage tanks, and Tokyo Gas Corporation

their operation and safety. In order to inspect

established the technical means of analysis

and diagnose these items by means of

and inspection to diagnose the aging of such

traditional technologies, an overhaul shutdown

parts and practically applied them to the

54

storage tanks.
The diagnosis of the roof aging was

3] shows the status of the life cycle

assessment object tanks of GdF Suez.

conducted in the following order: (1) Selection

of parts to be diagnosed on the basis of the

[Table 3] Object Tanks of Life Cycle Assessment in

France (GdF SUEZ)

analysis results of fatigue crack growth, (2)

Inspection of storage tanks, (3) Assessment

Aboveground
Terminal

measurement inspection for specific parts was

conducted by means of ultrasonic tests.

Tank Type/Builder Operation

No. Cap. ()

(diagnosis of remaining service life time).

Through the above analysis, crack

Tank

Start of

Fos sur Mer

Montoir de
Bretagne

80,000

120,000

120,000

(Year)
9%Ni / PC-CMP
Membrane / PCTechniGaz/CMP

1978
1980/81

9%Ni/PC-CMP

1983

Remaining service life time was assessed from

the measured values of the cracks detected in

At first, it was noticed in 2003 that there

the actual facilities and the measured values

were some problems in two membrane type

judged to be problematic on the basis of their

storage tanks in Montour Terminal as noises

analysis. The assessment finally concluded

were generated at their primary pumps, and it

that there would be no possibility of roof

was decided to open and inspect the tanks.

damage due to fatigue even if the storage

The investigation into the integrity of concrete

tanks would be operated in the present way

was started in 2006 and the inner steel tanks

for the next 50 years. In addition, submersible

were inspected by in-house technical staff,

observation units were developed, and the

while the life time of outer concrete tanks was

interiors of the tanks were inspected and it

diagnosed by a specialist consulting company

was confirmed that there was no problem

(Oxand SA). The integrity of inner membranes

inside the tanks.

was inspected by checking their configuration

and dimensions, and insulation materials by

3.2 GdF Suez, France

confirming that there was no leakage in the

GdF, which has become the fourth largest

inner insulation space (IBS) in their operation

energy enterprise in the world through its

history. GdF Suez repaired some minor parts

recent merger with Suez, conducted life cycle

of the inner tanks such as ladders, etc. and

assessment and life time extension through

put the four storage tanks back into operation.

the interior-opening inspection after shutdown

of a total of 4 storage tanks, including two

4. DEVELOPMENT COURSE OF LIFE

120,000 membrane tanks and one 9% Ni

CYCLE ASSESSMENT TECHNOLOGY

steel tank of the same capacity in Montoir

FOR LNG STORAGE TANKS IN KOREA

Terminal and one 80,000 9% Ni steel tank

The life cycle assessment elements for LNG

in Fos-sur-Mer terminal. The following [Table

storage tanks include low- temperature

2010 |

55

Development of Technologies and Standards for the Life Time Management of LNG Storage Tanks

[Table 4] Core Assessment Elements of Life Cycle Assessment for LNG Storage Tanks
Classification

Life cycle assessment Element

Low-temperature thermal fatigue in inner tank

Inner Steel Tank

Description
9% Ni steel / stainless steel membrane

Fatigue in roof welds

Dissimilar metal welds, roof fillet welds

Fatigue in pump columns

Pump column support structure / welds

Loss of pre-stress

Loss of pre-stress
Concrete strength
Covering depth
Chlorine ion concentration and salt damage

Outer Concrete Tank

Durability of concrete

diffusion factor (chloride content test, etc.)

Rebar corrosion
Creep and contraction of concrete
Carbonation

Corrosion in piles

Corrosion in piles

Corrosion in tendons

Corrosion in tendons

Deterioration of insulation performance and

Insulation Materials

strength of bearing insulation materials

Deterioration of insulation performance of
non- bearing insulation materials

thermal fatigue in their inner tanks, fatigue in

PUF, cellular glass, etc.

Perlite, glass wool, etc.

technologies.

their roof welds, loss of pre-stress and

In the second stage (April, 2010 - April,

durability of concrete in outer concrete tanks,

2012), which is technology development stage,

corrosion of piles and corrosion of tendons.

operation characteristics and deterioration

The performance deterioration of insulation

mechanism will be closely examined for each

materials is also estimated to be one of major

tank member, and life cycle assessment and

factors. The life cycle assessment elements

monitoring technologies will be developed for

expected by the components of LNG storage

storage tanks. In the last third stage (April,

tanks are summarized in the following

2012 - June, 2016), which is the practical

[Table 4].

utilization stage of life cycle assessment

Development of life cycle assessment for

technology for LNG storage tanks, the

LNG storage tanks will be conducted for a

program of and standard for life cycle

total of 5 years. In the first stage (April, 2009

assessment will be developed and they will be

- April, 2010), the development course of life

reflected in their final system by conducting

cycle assessment technology for domestic LNG

supplementation and verification through their

storage tanks will be established through the

field application (See Figure 1).

survey and analysis of life cycle assessment

56

[Figure 1] Development Outline of LCA for LNG Storage Tanks

5. CONCLUSION

and that for inner steel tanks based on API

LNG storage tanks are parts of expensive

579(Fitness for Service) and ASME codes

core facilities in liquefaction plants and LNG

which have been already developed and

receiving terminals. And, they are following

being applied in petrochemical and refinery

the trend for being super-sized in step with

industries, development of life cycle

recent enlargement of LNG carriers. While

assessment and monitoring technologies for

reliability standard of such important facilities

LNG storage tanks are to be promoted. In

is being maintained, the target to lower the

addition, in order to minimize economic loss

operating cost through extension of their

due to the shutdown, the life cycle assessment

service life time should be set up, and

and monitoring technologies should be

development and standardization of life cycle

developed based on in-service diagnosis.

assessment and monitoring technologies

should be started.

On the basis of such technology development,

the competitive power of super-sized LNG

The life cycle assessment technologies for

storage tanks to advance into overseas

LNG storage tanks can be largely divided into

markets may be upgraded, and their operation

concrete structure technology and steel

efficiency can be enhanced through the life

structure technology. Through the combination

time extension based on the safety of LNG

of the life cycle assessment technology for

storage tanks in domestic operation.

concrete structures in nuclear power plants

2010 |

57

Development of Technologies and Standards for the Life Time Management of LNG Storage Tanks

[REFERENCES]
1.Cases of Diagnoses and Life Extension Measures of LNG Facilities at Tokyo Gas Negishi and Sodegaura Receiving
Terminals
, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd, LNG 14, 2004
2.Fitness for Service and Residual Life Assessment of LNG Storage Tanks
, AEA Technology, 2004
3.Aging of installations at LNG Terminals
, Takehiko Hasegawa, 22nd WGC, 2003
4.API RP 579(Fitness for service)
, API, 2000
5.Fatigue crack growth characteristics of 9% Ni Steel for LNG tank at low temperature
, Shim Kyue Taek, Kim Jae
Hoon, Kim Young Kyun, Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers, Spring Papers, 2009
6.Korean Regulatory Approach to Aging Management of NPPs
, KINS, 2003
7.Development of Deterioration Management System for Concrete Structures in Nuclear Power Plants
, Jo Myeong
Seok, Bang Gi Seong, Song Yeong Cheol, Korean Concrete Institute, Vol.8 No.2, pp. 546~550, 1996

[AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY]
Seung Rim Lee(Ph.D., P.E.)
Principal Researcher
Institute of Gas Safety R&D, Korea Gas Safety Corporation
srlee@kgs.or.kr
Seung-Rim Lee is a Principal Researcher in the Institute of Gas Safety R&D at Korea Gas Safety
Corporation. He is a registered professional engineer and has been in LNG industry for fifteen
years. He has been involved in research and development projects related to domestic
standardization and risk assessment in LNG industry. Especially, he has been participating in
development of Korean Standards and international standards (ISO/TC67/WG10) related with
LNG storage tanks and LNG terminals from 1999. He graduated from Seoul National University
of Technology with a Ph.D. degree in gas engineering in 2009.

58