US liquefied natural gas company Freeport LNG has restarted the third of its three LNG storage tanks at its export terminal in Quintana Island, Texas, returning the facility to full operational capacity.
The storage tank had been offline for nearly three years after a fire in 2022 damaged piping used to transfer LNG to dock facilities. The fire was caused by the release and ignition of a natural gas vapour cloud at the site.
Returning the third LNG storage tank to service marks the final phase of the company’s recovery and restoration efforts after the incident.
In February 2023, Freeport LNG received regulatory approval to resume commercial operations but has been working since then to fully restore the site.
Michael Smith, founder, Chairman, and CEO, described the news as a significant milestone.
“While the physical restoration is complete, our efforts in continuous improvement in process safety and operational excellence will continue each day,” he added.
Since the incident, Freeport LNG has made major changes, doubling its operations and maintenance staff and adding key leaders across the company for safer operations.
