New firefighting foam for fire safety
Bioex gives a few tips to select the appropriate foam concentrate for your fire risk at tank storage terminals around the world, fire is potentially the greatest single threat to safety, therefore choosing the right fire protection is critical. In the event of a fire, effective extinguishing systems and firefighting foam are vital. Tank farm fires in the oil and petrochemical industry do not occur often. When they do occur, it is with devastating effects and sometimes cause deaths and pollution. This highlights the importance of having suitable systems and maintaining fully functioning fire safety systems, to prevent, detect […]
Tank disinfection with UV light
HyDe is developing disinfection systems suitable for storage tanks based on the application of UV-C LEDs HyDe Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Desinfektionstechnologie (Company for Hygiene and Disinfection Technology) was founded in Saxony, Germany, as a start-up for developing, producing and selling UV light disinfection devices. HyDe operates in various industry segments, such as automotive, sanitary, public transport, food and beverages, as well as storage tank farms. BLOCKING VIRUS TRANSMISSION The transmission of pathogens, especially viruses like COVID-19, locally as well as internationally, has become a very relevant topic in 2020. The worldwide exchange of people and goods along any […]
Making port calls more efficient
Careful analysis of data using the Qronoport platform can reduce wasted time for liquid bulk vessels during port calls A liquid bulk vessel is sailing towards the Port of Antwerp, which is extremely efficient, and one of the world’s most important chemical ports. The vessel is one of the 5,300 liquid bulk vessels that arrive at the port every year, making 8,700 berth calls at the different terminals. She first arrives at the pilot station at sea to get clearance to sail into the port, and is one of the 65% of liquid bulk vessels which have to wait for […]
Innovative and efficient tank maintenance
Despite the added complications of working in a pandemic, 3X Engineering successfully completed a tank repair earlier this year In July 2020 pipeline repair and protection specialist 3X Engineering was asked to reinforce a tank suffering from severe external corrosion leading to a through wall defect (a hole measuring 15×15 mm and depth 5 mm). After analysis of the tank and defect characteristics, 3X Engineering decided to repair the installation using a Reinforcekit Patch, specially designed for tank long-term repair. According to ISO 24.817 and 3X repair calculations, they applied 6 Kevlar patches covered with epoxy resin (size 300x300mm). Before […]
All Time’s advanced tank welding in major Middle East project
All Time’s automatic vertical tank welder provided more productive and efficient welding for a large tank project Hong kong company All Time, which has a production facility in Shanghai, China, has 20 years of experience in manufacturing specialist tank welding equipment. Its expertise was recently called upon by a major Middle Eastern engineering company, which had been awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to deliver a network of 95 crude oil storage tanks for a leading oil company. Each of the tanks is 110 m in diameter and 22 m in height, and has a storage capacity of […]
Revolutionising work at height
Mina Kamel, CEO and co-founder of Voliro Airborne Robotics, discusses the revolutionary potential of flying inspection robots for storage tanks eaking storage tanks cause severe damage to the environment, not to mention asset downtime and reputational risk for asset owners. All these potential risks can be avoided with regular inspections. Yet traditional inspection methods come with their own costs and challenges. Regular inspection of ageing infrastructure such as storage tanks, silos and pipes is crucial in order to maintain their performance and safety with minimum capital outlay. These inspections are often in difficult to reach areas and require placement of […]
Sustainable storage and the COVID-19 pandemic
Arend van Campen and Aimee Cabalo from Tank Terminal Training and TSSI examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on tank storage demand and how it might affect the push towards sustainability The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly and temporarily filled global storage tanks to the brim. Tankers, unable to transport crude and petroleum products profited by being chartered to store even more oil and petroleum on board as tank storage availability became scarce. Refineries had to slow down or suspend refining. Now, as the threat of the virus lessens, we have to ask some important questions. What did we learn? How […]
ANALYSE A NETWORK IN LESS THAN TWO MINUTES USING AI
How do you improve your business operations and increase your competitiveness without reducing or eliminating the need for humans? Bringing humans back into focus to counteract the potential negative effects of Industry 4.0 is one of the core goals at Dutch automation expert Procentec. In fact, designing solutions for technicians working with industrial networks led the company to develop the ‘Industry 4.Human’ concept in 2019. The ethos behind Industry 4.Human is empowering humans who use Industry 4.0 technologies, in particular automation networks. And there is no better product that demonstrates this concept than SNAP Analysis. Identifying the cause of […]
Managing the safe introduction of hydrogen
Rosen’s global market strategy manager Mario Humbert tells Tank Storage Magazine about Rosen’s contribution to the HYREADY partnership to help decarbonise the energy sector TELL US ABOUT THE HYREADY PARTNERSHIP. HYREADY is a joint industry project to develop clear engineering guidelines for transmission system operators (TSOs) and distribution system operators (DSOs) to support them with the preparation of both their existing natural gas transmission and distribution networks and their system of operation for the introduction of hydrogen and natural gas mixtures. The aim is to achieve a smooth conversion of assets and applications without adverse effects on humanity and the […]
The impending transformations of the energy market in the age post-COVID-19
Antonio Turiel discusses what the future might hold for the energy sector The COVID-19 pandemic has created a serious health crisis, and undeniable economic havoc, a toll that will only become fully evident in the coming years. Some consequences will be less evident than others. One of the obvious consequences is the huge, deep impact that it has had on the oil sector. Since 2013, due to increasing exploitation costs and lower profitability, divestment from the global oil sector has become almost a norm, except in the US fracking sector. From 2014 to 2016, the investment in oil upstream fell […]
Virtual site tours and smart P&IDs
A3D’s new virtual site tours will allow terminal personnel to walk their site, whether it be from their home or workstation COVID-19 has for many of us, forced changes in our work patterns including that of working from home. To facilitate this, company IT departments have softened their attitudes towards cloud computing methods to facilitate home working. However, for both managers and engineers employed on process installations, maintaining access to their operating areas during COVID-19 pandemic has been restricted. VIRTUAL SITE TOURS A3D’s established clients have seen the benefit from having had A3D complete the 3D laser scanning of […]
Libya presents a rare opportunity
With an emphasis on enhanced security and safety, the recovering infrastructure in Libya presents a unique opportunity for innovative equipment suppliers DUring the Arab Spring uprisings much of Libya was devastated. Oil and gas infrastructure including tanks and pipelines became easy targets and many were destroyed. Fast forward 10 years and the region is slowly being re-built. Oil production in Libya, which had been cut by more than 90% to 100,000 bpd, has now recovered to about 1 million bpd. As the infrastructure is repaired and reconstructed, an opportunity presents itself for companies to implement new, innovative technology with a […]
GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY IN MEXICO
A unique oceanfront greenfield site is up for sale in the State of Sonora on the west coast of Mexico. The development site consists of 1,297 hectares (3205 acres) of undeveloped land which has direct access to the Sea of Cortez The site benefits from a substantial amount of existing infrastructure, including large quantities of economical electrical power and natural gas already in place. A new 36’’ US supplied natural gas pipeline, which connects to the US’ largest LNG fracking supply network is just 4 km from property. The LNG pipeline can be used to supply extensive qualities of reliable […]
Disrupting Portugal’s energy industry
Prio supply director Luis Nunes tells Tank Storage Magazine why sustainability and flexibility are so important Portuguese energy company Prio has sustainability at its core. It began life in 2005 and has grown to become the largest biofuel producer in Portugal, and one of the largest European producers of sustainable green biodiesel from waste raw materials. The company now also has more than 250 service stations and the largest network of private electric vehicle chargers in Portugal. ‘Prio believes that energy for mobility is undergoing a tremendous transformation, in which innovative fuels that are increasingly sustainable and more environmentally friendly […]
A SOLAR-POWERED PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS CARBON NEUTRALITY
Total Solar DG recently installed a solar energy system at Singapore LNG. Tank Storage Magazine spoke to both firms to find out more the island nation of Singapore is one of the most densely packed countries in the world, but over the years has gained a reputation for being one of the greenest. Huge efforts have been made to preserve remaining wildlife in reserves and the main city has been designated a garden city. The use of renewable energy, particularly solar, due to the tropical climate, is rising rapidly. It is perhaps then no surprise that Singapore LNG Corporation (SLNG), […]
THE STORAGE OUTLOOK
After one of the strangest years in living memory, eight storage operators from across the world reflect on 2020 and look at what 2021 might have in store RUTGER VAN THIEL CEO, Alkion Terminals 2020 was a very eventful year but also a successful year. 2019 for the Alkion Group was an excellent year and we continued that into 2020, but of course the big difference was the unexpected pandemic. Despite COVID-19, the company did show a strong performance in terms of safety, the environment and financially. The Alkion Group has shown itself to be a resilient business, after […]
LIBYA PRESENTS A RARE OPPORTUNITY
With an emphasis on enhanced security and safety, the recovering infrastructure in Libya presents a unique opportunity for innovative equipment suppliers DURING the Arab Spring uprisings much of Libya was devastated. Oil and gas infrastructure including tanks and pipelines became easy targets and many were destroyed. Fast forward 10 years and the region is slowly being re-built. Oil production in Libya, which had been cut by more than 90% to 100,000 bpd, has now recovered to about 1 million bpd. As the infrastructure is repaired and reconstructed, an opportunity presents itself for companies to implement new, innovative technology with a […]
GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY IN MEXICO
A unique oceanfront greenfield site is up for sale in the State of Sonora on the west coast of Mexico. The development site consists of 1,297 hectares (3205 acres) of undeveloped land which has direct access to the Sea of Cortez THE SITE benefits from a substantial amount of existing infrastructure, including large quantities of economical electrical power and natural gas already in place. A new 36’’ US supplied natural gas pipeline, which connects to the US’ largest LNG fracking supply network is just 4 kilometers from property. The LNG pipeline can be used to supply extensive qualities of […]
TANK BOTTOM LIFE, RISK BASED INSPECTION AND CORROSION: PART 3
What it takes to implement corrosion prediction of tank bottoms. IN PART 1, we established a foundation for determining what a corrosion rate is, how care is required in defining a corrosion rate, and how it is used to establish tank internal inspection intervals. In Part 2, we provided the methodology for using survival analysis to properly quantify the useful tank bottom life. Part 3 will look at the details of how the gamma process model can work and show the kinds of results returned by simulated examples. THE CORROSION PROCESS The gamma model of corrosion has been applied to […]
IMPROVING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WITHIN THE TANK STORAGE SECTOR
A look at the points raised by Ollie Folayan in Tank Storage Magazine’s October webinar DIVERSITY and inclusion are buzzwords that seem to be everywhere at the moment. But in a world where differences, at least by many people, are now being celebrated, is the tank storage sector doing enough to encourage people of colour, or women, or people with disabilities, or members of the LGBTQ+ community to join the industry? Or can more be done? In Tank Storage Magazine’s most recent webinar, Dr Ollie Folayan, a process engineer in the oil and gas industry, member of the Oil & […]
DIGITALISATION: CONNECTING THE OIL AND GAS SUPPLY CHAIN
Tank Storage Magazine talked to Implico CEO Tim Hoffmeister about ongoing structural reorganisations within the oil and gas industry, the need for a standardised supply chain and the upcoming online check-in for trucks at tank farms. DIGITALISATION is still on everyone’s lips. What is your understanding of the term ‘digitalisation of the tank storage industry’? Terminal management has come a long way. And yet, we are currently in the starting blocks again – ready to head into a new era of digitalisation. Whereas a terminal management system mainly had to function in the past, it now also has to […]
FIBRE OPTIC TECHNOLOGY BEYOND TRADITIONAL LINEAR HEAT DETECTION
AP Sensing’s novel solution addresses the need for monitoring storage tanksand pipelines THE susceptibility of modern-day assets in the oil and gas industry canpose significant challenges. For example, storage tanks are filled with chemicals that are flammable and often explosive, but these tanks can be ten or more years old and geographically located in regions with substantial lightning activities. Similarly, pipelines are susceptible to leaks and third-party interference (TPI), which can have hefty consequences. Distributed fibre optic sensing (DFOS) technology is becoming an increasingly popular method for monitoring critical infrastructure such as pipelines, floating and fixed roof tanks, loading docks, […]
CHOOSING THE RIGHT HOSE SYSTEM
Hytrans looks at how to choose the right hose, couplings and recovery unit for your needs INDUSTRIAL firefighting asks for more water and more pressure, and this needs larger hoses and larger pumps. The mobile water supply systems need to be more flexible and more powerful to provide this flow and pressure. However, while flow and pressure are important, they are not the only things that make a water supply system work. The question is, how do you get the water to the monitor or fire truck in a safe and quick manner without requiring a lot of personnel? Dutch […]
LIGHTNING PROTECTION OF EXTERNAL FLOATING ROOF TANKS
Lightning strikes are always a risk on a storage tank, but effective bonding between the floating roof and the shell can reduce the risk of sparks SINCE 2013, at the Iranian Oil Terminal facility located in Kharg Island, more than 12 fire incidents have occurred due to lightning strikes. In 2015, one strike resulted in simultaneous fires in five tanks, and staff noticed that all damaged tanks had a mechanical sealing system, leading them to question the safety of mechanical sealing systems regarding the lightning impacts. Due to the location of tanks in Kharg Island, at a height of 60 […]
BYPASS CONDUCTORS PROTECT FLOATING ROOF TANKS
Protecting your tanks from lightning strikes using a retractable grounding reel THE roof of an external floating roof tank rests directly on the surface of the stored liquid, leaving little vapour space and consequently leading to a much lower risk of rim space fire. Proper lightning protection is critical for fire prevention –the floating roof tank roof and the outer shell must be bonded continuously to prevent arcing. Fire incidents are reported in tank farms every year, and James I. Chang and Cheng-Chung Lin found that 80 of 242 tank accidents in their study was caused by lightning1. Floating roof […]
SPILL CONTROL IN AN INDUSTRIAL FIRE INCIDENT
Bill Atkinson from Adler and Allan discusses key environmental considerations for fires, and how to rebuild a compliant business once the smoke has cleared MAJOR accidents such as the 2005 Buncefield oil storage depot fire prove that industrial blazes can swiftly escalate into catastrophic pollution events. As witnessed during the disaster in Hemel Hempstead in the UK – which released a cocktail of chemicals including perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS), benzene and xylene into a nearby aquifer – the likelihood of a hazardous pollution event spirals during a fire event. This ramps up the risk of toxic materials and firewater run-off contaminating […]
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING FOR STORAGE FACILITIES
Safety expert Paul Calderwood runs through the aspects to consider when developing an emergency management plan ONE of the benefits of having worked in emergency management planning for so long, is that I have seen a lot of incidents and read the reports about what happened and how it happened. As a deputy fire chief I responded to many incidents and have seen firsthand how fast things can go bad. However, with good planning and training, I have also seen incidents handled before I even got to the facility. What I am going to ask you to do today, as […]
HOW NEW ZEALAND EARTHQUAKES MADE TANKS SAFER
Standing ankle deep in spilled Sauvignon Blanc inspired structural engineer Will Lomax to develop the Onguard system to protect all liquid storage tanks from earthquakes BETWEEN 2011 and 2016, New Zealand was struck by a series of devasting earthquakes. Will Lomax is a structural engineer who witnessed and experienced the three most severe events first-hand, and who was directly involved in the recovery from each event. He has since pioneered new ways of thinking to create more resilient infrastructure for future generations. SERIOUS STRUCTURAL DAMAGE The first event struck Christchurch, the South Island’s biggest city, in February 2011. Despite being […]
PHYSICAL SECURITY TECHNOLOGY FOR TANK STORAGE FACILITIES
New-generation perimeter intrusion detection sensors combined with video analytics and intelligent lighting can dramatically enhance detection, deterrence and response capabilities while meeting budgetary constraints and operational realities THE PHYSICAL security of storage facilities for oil, natural gas, and refined products is critical for public safety. A deliberate attack on a facility could result in injury or loss of human life, harm to the environment, and severely impact supply chains of energy and other critical products. Even less serious incidents, such as vandalism, theft or simple trespassing can also result in substantial damages to high-value assets, potential liability and interruption of […]
SENDING IN THE FLYING SQUAD
Navigator Terminals turned to drones for safe, reliable tank inspections MORE than ever before, drones are becoming invaluable tools in a variety of sectors – including the tank storage world. With their ability to increase efficiency and improve safety, drones have become important tools for inspection, enhancing condition monitoring. Until recent years drones were only able to display what their cameras captured. Now, thanks to artificial intelligence software, they can understand and analyse their surroundings, which enables them to map areas, track objects, conduct surveys and provide analytical reports in real-time. In the process industry, unmanned aerial systems are […]
ROCKET SCIENCE FOR FRENCH FRIES
How computational fluid dynamics helped in the development of innovative jet mixers for tanks NOT MANY people understand that the oil used to fry chips meets many challenges on its route from the field to the frying pan. Some of them arise during the liquid bulk storage phase, such as layering of the oil and building of sediments in the shore tank due to inefficient mixing. This, in turn, leads to the decomposition of oil quality and direct costs, as well as negative externalities associated with the need for cleaning the shore tank, sediment utilisation, and related production idle time. […]
THE EVOLUTION OF SPECIALISED SORBENTS
Spill control manufacturer HalenHardy charts the changes and developments that ultimately led to its new recycled sorbent ANCIENT Greek and Roman texts and artwork document the use of terracotta, metal and wooden containers to transport and store liquids – and with the storage of liquids came the potential for anything holding those liquids to leak and spill. The same ancient texts and artwork also contain the first documented uses of sponges and wiping materials. Of course, ancient civilisations didn’t have paper towels or other commoditised sorbents. Textiles and papyrus were expensive because they were made by hand, so these items […]
