Freeport LNG Development LP is developing new testing protocols and expanding its staff at the export facility after a third-party review highlighted process failures and human error as possible factors in a summer explosion.

The operator of the 2.38 Bcf/d liquefied natural gas export terminal on the upper Texas coast has been reviewing the cause of the facility’s June explosion with the help of IFO Group and other independent firms as it seeks to restart operations. 

In the Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) published by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Tuesday, IFO identified deficiencies in procedures to secure valves, pressure valve testing and alarms contributed to a line becoming over pressurized and rupturing.

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