The Liquefied Gas Carrier (LGC) National Center of Expertise (NCOE) released LGC NCOE Field Notice 01-2017 – Recommended Process for Analyzing Risk of Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS) During Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Bunkering.

Field Notice 01-2017 contains recommendations for the marine industry and Captains of the Port to consider when assessing the risks of LNG Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS). It includes guidance on an optional, formal operational risk assessment, if the vessel operator chooses to conduct one.

SIMOPS is a term used to describe multiple operations occurring onboard vessels and in and around the marine transfer loading area of facilities. This term is increasingly brought up in connection with the use of LNG as a marine fuel and, more specifically, the associated bunkering operation with LNG fueled vessels. Performing SIMOPS while bunkering LNG may entail some increased risk and complexity; however, it has been conducted without notable incidents in many ports worldwide including some in the U.S.

Examples of SIMOPS are described as passenger and crew embarkation/debarkation; loading ship’s stores; discharging wastes; loading or discharging consumables; ship maintenance and repairs, hull cleaning; and/or the unloading and loading of tour equipment while simultaneously transferring LNG fuel.

This field notice follows CG-OES Policy Letter 01-17, released in June, which provides Captains of the Port additional guidance when considering safety issues associated with SIMOPS in conjunction with LNG fuel transfer operations.

To download your own copy of these policies and to stay up-to-date on Coast Guard regulations and guidance for bunkering LNG as a marine fuel, please visit the LGC NCOE’s website.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.