INSPECTING IN-SERVICE TANKS

Diakont’s inspection crawler technology provides reliable data and reduces tank downtime to ensure tank integrity A key fact of life for operators of petroleum and petrochemical facilities and terminals with tank storage is performing recurring inspections that assess the integrity of those tanks, determine what maintenance or repair is needed, and confirm that the tanks are suitable to stay in service. These inspections are conducted as a matter of professional prudence, but also to meet underwriting requirements, and to comply with regulations; which often follow an industry code such as API 653 or EEMUA 159. Many of these inspections are quite routine, conducted from outside the tank – such as inspections of the roof structure and any seals if applicable, external appurtenances and structures, and the shell. However, the internal structures, particularly the tank floor plates, are inaccessible for inspection from outside. So as a result, the common practice for inspecting these internal elements is to conduct an out-of-service tank ‘turnaround’, wherein the tank is drained, cleaned of sludge, and degassed of vapour – to allow for personnel to conduct the inspection...