Benzene Shipments – Furthering Transport Knowledge

       In order to aid in the decision making regarding transportation options for shipping benzene, Acuratek was mandated to audit a risk assessment that was previously executed. In addition to the audit, it was deemed necessary to extend the analysis with the goal of further quantifying the likelihood of a marine spill incident and the magnitude of incident consequences.

       Acuratek adopted a strategy to further the original analysis based on recomputing the spill frequency calculation for fewer annual shipments, examining vessel design characteristics to investigate their impact on spill likelihood and performing consequence modelling. The consequence analysis was extended to include environmental sensitivity data, spill effects including realistic collision as well as grounding initiated release scenarios.

       These techniques resulted in a more complete range of outcomes, including explosions and the propagation of contaminants in the river system. Thus, Acuratek equipped its client with an extensive analysis and set of recommendations regarding the shipping options for this product.