An explosion occurred on an offshore natural gas pipeline in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, resulting in the death of one man, local police reported. Firefighters are still battling flames at the site.
The explosion was reported to Plaquemines Parish police on Saturday evening, and initial reports indicated that one person was missing. The police confirmed in a Facebook post that the explosion and fire happened while the individual, identified as Nichols, was working on the pipeline. Nichols’ body was recovered with the help of the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. Fortunately, no other injuries were reported.
Authorities stated that the pipelines have been shut off, but one continues to burn as it releases the remaining natural gas. Air quality tests have shown no threat to the public. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Plaquemines Parish hosts the Plaquemines LNG project, operated by Venture Global. This project is developing a new LNG facility, Calcasieu Pass LNG, which will have a capacity of 10 million tons per year. Plaquemines LNG is expected to handle up to 20 million tons annually.
The Plaquemines LNG project received final investment approval in 2022. In July, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorized Venture Global to begin feeding gas into the system. The first phase of Plaquemines LNG will have a capacity of 13.3 million tons per year.
The facility has secured buyers including Poland’s Orlen, China’s Sinopec and CNOOC, Shell, and French EDF. Buyers for the second phase include Exxon, Chevron, Germany’s EnBW, Malaysia’s Petronas, and China Gas.
Gas shipments from Plaquemines LNG are expected to commence in mid-2024.