The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration notified Sempra Energy subsidiary Cameron LNG LLC that it could pay a civil penalty of $41,600 for two unreported leaks at its export terminal in Hackberry, La., according to an Aug. 19 report from KALB-TV, a Louisiana-based news station.
PHMSA said the two LNG leaks happened in the first half of the year, with the first occurring Jan. 9 "during commissioning activities of [boil off gas] compressors," and the second on May 15 at the southeast corner of the facility's first natural gas liquefaction train, according to the report.
The second leak was also the same date that the Houston-based NGL company started flowing feed gas to prepare for the startup of the first train, KALB-TV reported.
In response to the PHMSA notice, Cameron LNG on Aug. 16 requested a hearing on the matter, saying it will work with the federal pipe safety agency on a resolution, the report said, citing a statement from a Cameron LNG spokesperson.
Cameron LNG recently received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to start commercial service at the first train. With the addition of two more trains, the first phase of the facility would have an estimated total capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum of LNG.
