Aurex Constructors have successfully completed the demolition and replacement of two carbon steel storage tanks at an oil storage facility in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The project included building two new API 650-compliant base oil storage tanks, Tank 5 (2,331m3) and Tank 7 (1,479m3), in a live environment. Detailed pre-commissioning and handover meant the move from construction into commissioning and product introduction was successful, with Aurex also celebrating 168,000 injury-free manhours during the project.
Renier Carstens, operations manager of tankage and terminals, Aurex Constructors, comments: ‘This was a flagship project for our Tankage and Terminals division. The complexity lay in delivering new tanks safely while operating within an active storage terminal where operational requirements and emergency access routes had to remain functional at all times. A robust working relationship with the customer supported effective decision-making throughout the project, enabling alignment on permits, access and sequencing to minimise disruption and maintain progress.’
Clive Garner, industrial project solutions director, Aurex Constructors follows: ‘While we have constructed tanks using conventional methods before, this project demonstrated how targeted investment in advanced technologies and specialised expertise can improve delivery efficiency and safety performance. Delivering safely in highly regulated environments is non-negotiable: our teams consistently met both operational and safety expectations. Safety performance is the result of culture, leadership and discipline. Our teams continue to demonstrate professionalism in complex project environments. What differentiates our role is how we work with operating terminals. We understand the interfaces, the constraints and the importance of sequencing work correctly so our customers can continue operating safely while assets are constructed, upgraded or replaced.’
