Safety philosophy and risk analysis methodology for LNG bunkering simultaneous operations (SIMOPs): A literature review

Liquified natural gas (LNG) is widely considered to be a leading alternative marine fuel as the maritime industry has been going towards a green and sustainable direction. LNG bunkering availability is fundamental to the adoption of LNG as a fuel. The proliferation of LNG bunkering technology is dependent on safe and efficient operations. In order to maintain tight sailing schedules and optimise cost, it is suggested that LNG bunkering and the associated operations (such as people movements, cargo loading/unloading, crew transfer, crane operations, port activities, and oil bunkering) be conducted simultaneously, which is referred to as simultaneous operations (SIMOPs). Towards understanding the safety of LNG bunkering SIMOPs, this paper presents a systematic review and synthesis of the literature related to LNG bunkering and SIMOPs. Moreover, the paper sheds light on the safety philosophy and risk analysis methods emerging within the literature in these areas. The study identifies a series of research gaps that highlight the most fruitful areas for future investigations in this area, thereby helping to lay the groundwork for research that would potentially accelerate the development of safe and efficient LNG bunkering SIMOPs.