BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
Max Midstream CEO Todd Edwards tells Tank Storage Magazine about plans to turn the Port of Calhoun into a rival for Houston and Corpus Christi, and the sustainable focus The Texan ports of Corpus Christi and Houston are hugely important for the export of many US products, but they are increasingly congested. Both are in built-up areas, so expanding to deal with the shipping traffic is difficult at best and impossible in most cases. In 2015, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Calhoun Port Authority realised that the port at Point Comfort needed to be expanded. In 2020, […]
THE COST OF NATURAL DISASTERS
Philip Myers and Earl Crochet run through the latest updates coming to API 656 – Aboveground storage tank operations during uncontrollable natural disasters during the first six months of 2021, there have been eight separate billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events across the US. The eye-opening plot in Figure 1 shows the magnitude of problems associated with natural disaster events, referred to as ‘natech’, which means ‘natural hazard-triggered technological event’. Natechs can occur any time natural disasters interact with petroleum or chemical storage facilities and their local associated societal infrastructure. A recent stretch of extreme cold weather in Texas was […]
TANK ALARM MONITORING TO KEEP KENYA FUELLED
Ian Loudon from tank monitoring alarm specialist Omniflex looks at how alarm systems are used for managing tank overfill conditions. If not monitored correctly, loss of containment from a tank or storage vessel could pose a serious safety risk to people or the environment. This is why Burhani Engineers, the company installing overfill protection systems in the largest tank storage facility in Mombasa, Kenya, needed reliable, high level alarm instrumentation to help protect critical assets. Having the right alarm system ensures safety in a tank facility. The UK’s Major Incident Investigation Board report into the Buncefield fire in 2005 concluded […]
PHYSICAL SECURITY IN THE BLIND SPOT
Security professional Duane Jones on the importance of ensuring that physical and cyber security complement each other. The proliferation of cyber threats against critical infrastructure, such as the ransomware attack against Colonial Pipeline in May 2021, will continue to require added attention, resources, and proactive strategies in lieu of reactive ones. While the cyber threats are quite real against virtually all type of industry, critical infrastructure is an obvious high-value target for numerous threat vectors. However, with the majority of attention now focused on cyber elements, companies must ensure they do not position their physical security programme in the blind […]
MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION – REDUCING RISK IN A PANDEMIC
Mark Busch at Conidia Bioscience looks at how single use immunoassay fuel test kits can help. Microbiological contamination (fungi and bacteria in fuel) is a serious risk to tank storage operations, especially if fuel turnover is lower. However, there are some fast, economical steps that can be taken to prevent unnecessary costs and risks to business. ORGANIC MATERIALS Like a piece of bread, fuel is an organic substance. Also like a piece of bread, fuel can go mouldy. Mould, along with yeast, is a form of fungus and grows over time. The longer it is stored, therefore, the greater […]
HELPING FUEL OIL DISTRIBUTORS TO IMPROVE PROFITABILITY
Nick Hawkins from Kingspan on why companies shouldn’t miss out on new tank telemetry technology. Tank telemetry has undoubtedly been one of the great advances for the fuel and oil storage sector in the last 10 years. Many millions of the basic, first-generation, devices have so far been installed across the globe as customers take advantage of a gauge that allows them to check their supplies from the comfort of their own home or office. But that’s far from the end of the story. New, smart, connected devices are underpinning improved, distributor business models, and they can help distributors meet […]
W ENERGY SOFTWARE TRANSFORMS PHILLIPS 66 OPERATIONS
Michael Ferrante from W Energy Software discusses digital oilfield advancements in tank storage accounting and measurement Amidst the digital oilfield, paper tickets, paper invoices, even faxes continue to be part and parcel of many terminal operations. Digital systems tend to be built with older, legacy technology, create data silos, and are inflexible and difficult to use. The result is a mixed bag of commercial products, internally developed solutions, and disconnected workflows for invoicing, scheduling, inventory, balancing, and regulatory reporting. Manual processes and a fragmented information landscape persist at a time when terminal operators need a single view of complex supply […]
STREAMLINING TANK INSPECTIONS WITH VISUAL FEEDBACK
Optically activated pigments highlight areas in need of repair, explain Justin Hair and Michael Harrison from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine. For aboveground petroleum storage tank owners, 10-year inspection intervals often present some challenges. Inspections are necessary to ensure owner compliance, tank integrity and safety, but they also carry a high cost – sometimes upwards of US$500,000 (€424,000). The longer a tank is out of service for repairs, inspections and lining applications, the higher the cost due to lost storage capacity. The ongoing cost of ensuring tank integrity is unavoidable. Most often, the American Petroleum Institute’s API 653 standard (Tank Inspection, […]
LIGHTNING RISK MITIGATION – MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE
Dr Akihiro Wakabayashi, CTO of Critical Facility Group, looks at why tank fires and explosions are still happening and what can be done to reduce the risk one of the biggest risks to external floating roof tanks (EFRT) is the exposure to potential tank rim fires and explosions. The occurrence of such incidents happens on a yearly basis in facilities around the world and causes significant impact on environmental damages, interruption to operation, business losses and in some cases severe injuries and loss of lives. A major cause of these tank fire and explosion incidents is lightning – one of […]
RANSOMWARE AND INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS
Chris van den Hooven from Hudson Cybertec explains how organisations can protect themselves against ransomware attacks On 7 May 2021 a ransomware attack took down the Colonial Pipeline infrastructure. Ransomware is a form of malicious software designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the computer systems that rely on them unusable. Attackers then demand ransom in exchange for decryption. In the case of Colonial Pipeline the attackers demanded a ransom of about US$5 million (€4.3 million). The impact of the attack on the largest gasoline pipeline in the US was enormous. Colonial had to shut down […]
FASTER THAN EVER
Tank Storage Award winner Toptech Systems explains what it can offer to the whole petroleum supply chain In recent years, Toptech Systems has grown from being a solutions provider for terminal owners, to being a solutions provider for the entire supply chain (terminal owner, supplier, customer, carrier, and driver). Toptech has done this by expanding and improving its suite of products to provide unique benefits that reach beyond the terminal owner, offering key advantages to other stakeholders as well. With a reputation built over the last 33 years as one of the most innovative, reliable companies in the industry, it […]
THE BROAD CONSEQUENCES OF A SPILL
Adler and Allan’s Mike Prendergast and Burges Salmon’s Simon Tilling outline the legal and other implications of a spill and the importance of having an adequate emergency response plan in place Site operators should be aware of the legal, as well as practical implications of a spill. Environmental and health and safety law imposes certain duties on site operators which, if not complied with, can result in legal proceedings, fines and reputational damage. In addition to the time and expense involved in containing and cleaning up a spill, a spill into the environment can have a number of legal implications. […]
CENTRALISING ASSET DATA MANAGEMENT IN THE PROCESS INDUSTRY
CEA software can track, manage and visualise all integrated data sources The process industry is waking up to the heightened importance data plays in reducing costs, maximising the value of assets, and increasing the competitive advantage in the market. As the industry continues to grow, so do the number of assets and the data associated with them. Managing asset data improves the possibility to make data driven decisions and be in full control of asset performance and movement. Over the years, there has been an increased shift towards centralising data management. More organisations are initiating this digital transformation journey to […]
THE ROUTE TO INCLUSION IS NOT EXCLUSION
Allison Newell explains the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the tools and approaches needed for a truly diverse workplace DR Allison Newell is an environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) consultant with her own consultancy ESGenuine. She works with a number of tank terminal companies, and others, helping them to improve their corporate social responsibility programmes. ‘I give advice on all seven major facets of non-financial CSR and CSR reporting options but I have a real particular passion for health and safety. I believe that a safe and healthy work environment is a fundamental right of every employee. […]
ASIA TO REMAIN A GROWING SINK FOR THE CRUDE MARKET
FGE’s Grayson Lim reports on the trends in Asia’s crude markets The rapid economic development in Asia has resulted in strong oil demand growth in recent decades. In tandem with this, close to 13.3 million bpd of refining capacity was added during 2010-2020. Despite the current subdued state of refining business largely due to the COVID-19 crisis, around 3.1 million bpd of refining capacity is expected to come on stream in Asia by 2025. Most of these projects started construction before the onset of the pandemic. China has been leading the refining capacity growth in Asia and will continue doing […]
COVID-19 IN CHINA – ONE YEAR ON
China’s economy weathered the COVID-19 storm but there are still pressures to face China’s bounceback from the pandemic shocks of early 2020 was one of the few economic success stories of last year. This year, however, the world’s second largest economy has rattled global financial markets as long-running worries about the huge debts amassed by its commercial sector crystallised around the woes of Evergrande, the cash-strapped Chinese property giant. It became clear in recent months that the Shenzen-headquartered conglomerate would struggle to meet deadlines on bond interest payments totalling tens of millions of dollars. With some analysts estimating that China’s […]
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE MEETS GLOBAL PARTNERS
Stolthaven Terminals president Guy Bessant tells Tank Storage Magazine about the company’s planned new terminal with Revivegen in Taiwan Stolthaven Terminals recently announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Taiwanese company Revivegen Environmental Technology to build a greenfield terminal in Kaohsiung Port, Taiwan. The terminal will mostly handle and store petrochemicals and industrial gases for Taiwan’s large industrial sector. Stolt-Nielsen, Stolthaven’s parent company, has had a presence in Taiwan since the early 1990s, on the shipping (Stolt Tankers) and isotank (Stolt Tank Containers) side of things, but does not have a terminal in the country. Tank Storage […]
A LONG-TERM VISION FOR INDIA
Vopak India managing director Deepak Dalvi discusses the company’s partnership with Aegis Logistics for LPG in India Vopak has been active in India since 2011, when it bought CRL Terminals at Kandla Port in Gujarat from a local operator, seeing the potential of the growing Indian market. The company owns two terminal sites in the country, a chemical terminal and a vegetable oils terminal, with a total capacity of 243,000 m3. Vopak is now a leading terminal services supplier in Gujarat, having invested steadily in the terminals since acquiring them. The terminals are well-connected to jetties and equipped to handle […]
Adapt to thrive
Kees Oerlemans from nVent explains how smart electric heat tracing systems and innovative tank insulation are helping tank farm owners react to changing demand Seismic change is on the horizon for the chemical storage sector. For many years, the industry has relied on oil production as its main source of new investment streams. In 2020, however, this well-established trend was challenged. As a result of the pandemic, worldwide oil production dropped from 100 million bpd to 88 million bpd – a downturn felt even more keenly by the US market, which fell by a staggering 20%1. While both demand and […]
Maximising your process safety metrics
Dr Zsuzsanna Gyenes from the IChemE Safety Centre explains why you should only try to manage what matters, and not try to manage everything Process safety and plant integrity can be supported by the thorough application for both lagging and leading indicators, or metrics. These are as useful as the knowledge of their practical application as well as the limitations. What is very common for every organisation is the need to understand what processes or systems are important to manage process safety and then monitor and verify them. This should be a combination of testing, inspection, metrics, both lead and […]
Life cycle assessments and decision making
Jess Twemlow from Ricardo looks at the six benefits for a business A life cycle assessment (LCA) determines the environmental impact of a product at each stage of its life cycle. It looks at the impact of extracting raw materials for the product, the resources used during manufacturing, how it is distributed to the end-user, its impact when people are using it, and what happens after it has reached the end of its useful life. Ricardo Energy & Environment is using LCAs to help its clients unlock greater value from their products and embed sustainability into their supply chains. Over […]
The new rulebook for UK-EU trade
Tim Doggett from the Chemical Business Association reviews the implications of the Rules of Origin for UK–EU trade for the chemical industry the uk’s international trade figures over the last two years have been riding a rollercoaster as a result of Brexit, the end of the transition period, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The figures have shown what the Office of National Statistics (ONS) describe, in something of an understatement, as a ‘higher level of volatility.’ The latest trade data, released recently, revealed an increase in the UK’s total exports of goods following a decrease at the beginning […]
Resilience to regeneration
Steve Elliott from the Chemical Industries Association looks at how the UK chemical industry bucked the downward trend in 2020 and how it will continue to thrive For the UK chemical industry, 2020 was meant to be a year of preparing for the end of the transition period between the UK and EU before getting to grips with our subsequent new trading relationship. Although this still transpired, it was overshadowed by the onset of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns and economic fallout. The chemical industry is a foundation industry, supplying products to 95% of UK industries including all aspects of […]
The aftermath of COVID-19
Why the chemical industry needs to stay focussed on sustainability and flexibility in the supply chain The last few years have been exceptional for all industries and there have been many trends and changes. THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have increased consumers’ concerns, not only for their own health, but the health of the planet. Increasing concern over carbon emissions has led to increased investment in energy efficiency and more use of renewable energy. Consumers are also placing a higher value on sustainability and are generally switching to products with a lower carbon footprint where possible. Research […]
Staying number one
Yogesh Mehta tells Tank Storage Magazine about Petrochem Middle East’s new terminal, the move into manufacturing, and a recruitment drive for fresh talent Petrochem Middle East began life in 1995, and in the 26 years since, has grown to be the largest chemical distributor in the Middle East and the tenth largest chemical distributor in the world. It supplies industries including the pharmaceutical, oil, paints and coatings, and general chemical industries, working on a ‘just in time’ basis. Its turnover in 2020 was US$1.5 billion (€1.28 billion) and it employs 235 people. The company head office is in Dubai, with […]
Future reimagined
The 55th edition of EPCA Annual Meeting will be held online on 5–7 October 2021 The theme of the 2021 annual meeting of the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA), ‘Future Reimagined’ will drive the conversation and reflection on the future of the petrochemical industry along with its value chain and its place in the world. In October 2020, the 54th EPCA Annual Meeting concluded with a strong consensus that the industry is committed to taking its share in the green and social transformation and the economic recovery – despite the massive disruptions generated by the pandemic. This year, EPCA wants to […]
Woodfield introduces APILOAD
A family of products for the fuel loading industry woodfield is a global leader in designing, manufacturing and providing sales and services for customised bulk fluid handling and safety access solutions. We provide solutions and systems for loading and unloading of a huge array of products in the oil and gas, chemical/petrochemical and cryogenic sectors, for road, rail, marine and aviation bulk transports. Woodfield takes pride in having a dedicated and experienced in-house design team and state of the art manufacturing facilities in the US and India run by highly skilled and experienced professionals. We have sales offices in Spain, […]
10,000+ hours of ‘man entry’ tank cleaning eradicated…and counting
Re-Gen Robotics’ Managing Director Fintan Duffy discusses how years spent manually cleaning oil tanks, gave him the drive, passion and expertise to grow a robotic tank cleaning company that would take workers out of tanks for good Up until the launch of Re-Gen Robotics in March 2019, the only tank cleaning option available to terminal operators was to send personnel inside fuel tanks with highly explosive atmospheres, using breathing apparatus and chemical suits. Despite all the necessary safety precautions and confined space entry procedures enforced, accidents and fatalities were still commonplace due to human error and industry apathy. Responding to […]
Maintenance strategy: simple & impactful
Joseph Nassif, president at Noon Advisory Group, gives a preview of the presentation he will be giving at this year’s ILTA Conference & Tradeshow in Houston strategy has been defined by multiple business authors as set of management practices, tools and decisions that yield an advantaged competitive position for the business. Simply said, it means managing the maintenance function better than your competition. Well, and what does it mean to manage the maintenance function better? Better in this case, would mean to manage the maintenance function to greater results: costs, plant uptime, and safety performance. But even as companies establish […]
An opportunity, not a crisis
Foam has been the main extinguishing agent of choice for flammable liquid fires for more than 100 years, but the tank storage industry is now at a crossroads with its usage there is growing concern about the long term environmental and health effects of one specific family of chemicals that has been used extensively in firefighting foam for more than 50 years. These are fluorosurfactants, sometimes known as PFAS (per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances). They are extremely persistent and are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals.’ PFAS chemicals have properties that have helped to provide excellent firefighting capability. In particular, […]
Using drones to make better decisions
In another of the Tank Talk webinar series Alex Hennessey, customer success manager for DroneDeploy, talks about the best ways of using drone data to inspect, document and improve efficiency at the terminal DroneDeploy is the leading software platform for commercial drones. It is a cloud-based platform that creates a digital twin of all sites, assets, and infrastructure. Partnering with third-party drone manufacturers, specifically DJI and Skydio, DroneDeploy enables customers to send drones over terminals to generate 3D models, aerial videos, and high-accuracy maps. DroneDeploy’s software is used by 5,000+ customers in 180+ countries, performing nearly 2 million flights per […]
Implications of the energy transition for the European storage industry
Learn about the findings in a new joint study into the energy transition, recently presented in a Tank Talk webinar by FETSA and UPEI The Federation of European Tank Storage Associations (FETSA), representing European bulk liquid storage, and UPEI – the Voice of Europe’s Independent Fuel Suppliers, recently published a landmark study on the implications of the energy transition for the European storage, fuel supply and distribution infrastructure. The study was carried out by energy and economics consultancy Trinomics. The study offers an in-depth assessment of the effect of substituting conventional fuels on concrete supply chains, through 11 case-studies, considering […]
