Can an LNG vessel withstand stranding on the channel or river bottom?
We believe so. LNG tankers have withstood the effects of grounding and vessel collisions without any cargo release. An example of this is the El Paso Paul Kayser, which ran aground off the Rock of Gibraltar in 1979. The ship lost its hydraulic system while traveling at full speed. While the ship sustained substantial damage, there was no breach of the LNG tanks and no loss of cargo. It is important to note that all LNG tankers are double-hulled vessels, and the inner and outer hulls are separated by several feet of open space and insulating materials. Additionally due to the material up the Chesapeake Bay and near the site, generally silt and silty clay, the potential for a ships hull to be breached by such a grounding is extremely unlikely.
