The Liquefied Gas Carrier National Center of Expertise (LGC NCOE) coordinated the third annual Liquefied Gas Carrier Surveyor Workshop, held at the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) headquarters in Houston, March 19-20, 2019.

For the first time, the workshop was open to Flag States; representatives from Panama, Liberia, and Marshall Islands attended. There was also broad representation of Class Societies, including ABS, DNV-GL, Korean Registry, Lloyds Register, Bureau Veritas, and ClassNK.

The workshop focused on providing the 49 attendees with an in-depth understanding of International Maritime Organization Liquefied Gas Carrier requirements and how they are applied during Coast Guard foreign gas carrier exams. More importantly, the workshop afforded numerous opportunities for open dialogue and an information exchange between local Coast Guard marine examiners and Flag State and Class Surveyors in order to raise the awareness on key safety issues and common deficiencies. Participating members shared various experiences and the Coast Guard facilitated transparency from both a national and local level in the goal of furthering compliance.

In addition to an introduction to the LGC NCOE and an overview of LNG, some of the topics covered during the two-day event included:

• Instrumentation
• Health and safety
• Cargo systems
• Environmental control systems
• Lifesaving and firefighting
• Electrical systems
• Cargo area ventilation and air locks
• Gas fuel supply
• Applicable documents and publications

“I want to thank ABS for hosting this important event, said Lt. Cmdr. Dallas Smith, LGC NCOE detachment chief. “This workshop enables liquefied gas surveyors to exchange their hands on, individual experiences to help improve the safety and efficiency of the liquefied gas carrier fleet.”

The LGC NCOE is one of six nationwide national centers of expertise focusing on providing industry specific consultation and services to the Coast Guard and maritime industry. The LGC NCOE provides technical advice on matters related to liquefied gas in the maritime community; liquefied gas training and outreach opportunities; liquefied gas workforce forecasting and performance development; and technical expertise for the establishment of local and national liquefied gas guidance, policy and regulations.

For more information on the LGC NCOE and upcoming events, visit their 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.