News

As a dangerous natural phenomenon, thunderstorms are the 25th most common cause of death in the world. According to one large study1, 33% of all oil tank accidents are caused by lightning. Although they are therefore an obvious threat, reliable solutions to minimise the risk of thunderstorms exist for professionals, enabling them to secure their teams, facilities, and operations in a timely and…
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North Sea Port is the Dutch-Belgian cross-border port, stretching 60 km from Vlissingen and Terneuzen in the Netherlands, to Ghent in Belgium. The port, Europe’s number 3 in added value and number 6 in goods traffic in the Hamburg-Le Havre range, is a well-established player on the European port scene. The port’s direct access to the North Sea, multimodal connections to the European…
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Catherine Gras, CEO of Storengy UK and Germany, examines the options THE ROLE OF NATURAL GAS STORAGE TODAY Underground storage is a crucial component of today’s natural gas markets. Storage brings a number of benefits to gas users. A storage is a tool to manage efficiently volume and price risks, storing energy when it is less needed and when prices are lower, and taking it back when there is…
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ScoutDI carried out a live drone inspection of a large bulk liquid storage tank in front of an on-site audience at Equinor’s facilities in Mongstad, Norway. The inspection was live-streamed to remote stakeholders who watched the inspection in the Scout Portal and guided the on-site inspection crew. Concluding the project, a Scout137 Drone System was delivered to Equinor. Scout137 drone…
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Understanding the differences between different types of lightning protection with Lightning Master MORE AND more plants are being equipped with structural lightning protection (lightning rod) systems. Many of these are ‘fuzzy ball’ lightning rods, but what are they? In high lightning areas, plant operators understand that lightning is a real problem, damaging equipment and producing plant…
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Shirley Miles from Adler and Allan, discusses how partnering with a trusted environmental protection provider can ensure standards are implemented correctly Primary (tank), secondary (bund) and tertiary (separator) containment systems are the first, second and third line of defence against environmental pollution. Regular asset maintenance is essential to keep all pollution prevention equipment…
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Cornelis Jan Kallemein and Maarten van Abeelen from the Safety Region Rotterdam-Rijnmond have uncovered a problem with some foam dam constructions on tank floating roofs The Rotterdam-Rijnmond  area is unique due to its large harbour and industrial area. In this harbour there are a lot of vertical atmospheric storage tanks to store flammable and combustible dangerous goods. Protecting these…
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HMT’s Manny Williams runs through the basics of industrial rope access In less than 30 years, industrial rope access has exploded. What was once an experimental technique used to address challenging maintenance issues on offshore facilities has become a mainstream technology for accessing hard-to-reach structural elements in the petrochemical industry and beyond. As a replacement for…
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Dr Steve Ziola considers non-invasive, in-service leak detection, bottom plate assessment and sludge gauging for decades aboveground storage tank (AST) owners and operators have struggled, and spent millions, working to balance operational constraints, contractual requirements and AST integrity management. Even with no known leaks, state and federal regulations mandate costly and time-consuming…
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Choosing the right coating and lining systems depends on multiple variables, say Bruce Toews, Johnny Pourciau and Rodney Cressionnie from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Oil, gas and petrochemical facilities are required to provide both primary and secondary containment areas. Primary containment areas include tanks, feed piping, pumps and process equipment, while secondary containment…
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A lot of time, thought and effort is needed when identifying a solution that optimises terminal operations, says OPW’s David Morrow Imagine seeing a notice asking for symphony orchestra musicians to be at a concert hall on a certain day and time, prepared to play Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, without rehearsal. The individual musicians who responded would likely have the talent and some past…
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Anton Martinez and Adam Beers from KTA-Tator cover corrosion and remedies Popularised in the 1950s, floating roof tanks have become increasingly prevalent over the years. These tanks play an important role in the liquid storage industry, most notably oil storage. At refineries, millions of barrels of oil products are stored in tanks that use a floating roof. These tanks are defined by the roof…
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Dr Emerson John explains the value of inspection and test plans (ITP) to the successful completion of a storage tank construction project Inspection and test plans (ITP) are used during storage tank erection projects to ensure all construction activities are executed, tested, inspected, and accepted. However, because of the nature of a tank project every task under an activity does not represent…
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Carboline’s Dwayne Lum tells the story of the development of modern tank overcoat systems It seems to be a universal law of nature; maintenance painting budgets are the first cut when profits fall and the last reinstated when profits rise. Operators and supporting coating manufacturers, contractors, and other service providers continually face the challenge of protecting assets as economically…
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Fujairah Oil Terminal, shortlisted for the Terminal Innovation Award at the Tank Storage Global Awards, explains the innovative services it offers Over the last decade, Fujairah has seen tremendous evolution from a small costal town in northeast UAE to being the third largest oil storage, petroleum products trading centre and second largest bunkering port in the world. Fujairah offers one stop…
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Sandra De Mey from North Sea Port on the importance of relationships with customers and colleagues Tank Storage Magazine’s Women in Tanks series has covered a variety of roles and industries relating to the tank storage industry, and in this edition, we turn to the vital port industry. Sandra De Mey is the commercial manager at North Sea Port (the Dutch-Belgian cross-border port), with…
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FETSA’s Ravi Bhatiani looks at the contribution of the tank storage industry The Federation of European Tank Storage Associations (FETSA) represents European national tank storage associations and independent private storage companies operating bulk liquid storage terminals. FETSA represents 141 companies operating 743 terminals across Europe. Increasingly storage assets are being used in new…
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Intelligent tank cleaning solutions for companies that prioritise safety The foundations for a new era in tank cleaning safety were laid in 2019 and in less than three years Re-Gen Robotics has already forged its reputation as the go-to company for 100% non-person entry tank cleaning solutions. With an ambitious, young, pioneering team driving the company’s success, they have singlehandedly…
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Owen Stephens, safety relief valve specialist for Nacional Safety Valves UK, discusses the importance of correctly sizing, selecting and maintaining a safety relief valve The primary reason to use a safety relief valve is to prevent a pressurised vessel or system from over pressurising. It is there to protect life, property and the environment and is the last line of defence should other safety…
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Dr Niall Ramsden and Dr Eleanor Lister look at the efforts of Lastfire Group members The ISSUE of transitioning to fluorine-free foams is undoubtedly the greatest challenge currently facing industrial firefighters. Lastfire, the industry group developing best practices in storage tank fire hazard management, has taken a pragmatic approach. It is recognised that it is inevitable. It is time to…
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