A Complete Guide To Oil And Fuel Tank Decommissioning

 

The primary intention and goal of this article is to give you insights into different kinds and types of oil and fuel tank decommissioning processes and methodologies behind choosing certain methods.

This guide can be used for both above-ground and underground oil and fuel storage taken decommissioning. It is mandatory that the decommissioning process should be carried out only by experienced, skilled, and competent contractors.

 

 

The contractor must comply with various guidelines and protocols such as Designing, Construction, Maintenance, modification, and Decommissioning of Filling Stations (4th Edition), HSE Guidance, OFTEC Technical Book 3, and the best practices under legal duties defined under the health and Safety at Work act 1974.

It is important to separate all the potential hazards posed by gas and oil tanks as they are likely to impact the course of Tank Decommissioning process and the methods that you choose for decommissioning.

Explosion and fire risk: Making certain that tanks those contain explosive atmospheres and elements such as petrol tanks are not left their own devices in potentially hazardous conditions.

Environmental hazards: It is to make certain that all the residual liquids from the tanks are emptied and cleaned when no longer in use so that the possibilities of leaks and spills are eliminated.

The tank removal process:

The best and the most effective way to decommission fuel and oil tanks are to remove them and dispose them of complete so that all the potential hazards can be eliminated at one shot.

First, the tanks will be cleaned internally and after the cleaning tanks will be either removed by uplifting or excavating; for above the ground tanks uplifting is the process and all the underground tanks will be excavated

The internal cleaning of tanks ensures that all the sludge and liquids present on the tanks are cleaned thus eliminating the potential environmental hazards. All the wastes collected are considered hazardous waste and a complete auditing process will be in place from the origin to the disposal of the wastes.

Event after the internal cleaning, at times, certain tanks such as petrol tanks can also pose threats. Over the time, tiny pockets of products stored or left in welds can produce highly flammable vapors thus making the tank “gas up”.

Hence, petrol tanks must always be opened up significantly and sufficiently after the removal to eliminate any further build-up of vapors or it should be filled as quickly as possible after the removal to eliminate build-ups.

Within the 24 hours of the removal of the tank, a gas-free certificate would be issued after which other atmospheric monitoring would take place.

Cost of the fuel tank cleaning and removal:

The cost of the fuel and oil tank cleaning and removal varies depending upon various factors. For instance, larger internal and underground tanks can be expensive to remove; however, there are other factors that also play a vital role that includes the size of the tank, the grade of the oil, and locations. Similarly, if you have heavy fuel oil tanks, then it can be a relay expensive affair. For more info on the cost of the oil tank removal and Tank Decommissioning see our service page.

Solid Foam and Concrete filling of the tanks:

At times, tank removal might not be the best options and in such situations, the tanks will be filled with either void filling concrete or resin based foams.

However in these cases, it is also important to remove residual liquid and tank bottoms are removed so that environmental hazards can be eliminated if the shells of the tank decompose ever, this is to ensure that no liquid seeps into surrounding areas.

Filling is not common for above the ground tanks except petrol tanks, it is mostly used for underground tanks. The main reason for decommissioning redundant tanks is to eliminate and eradicated all the voids in which vapor can build up and get accumulated. Resin foams and void filling concrete achieve the desired results.

At times, filling up underground tanks can be carried out for structural stability when removal is not an option. Once the tanks get redundant, it is forgotten and there is likability of potential delicate spots that can lead to collapses.

Which filing is better?

Both concrete and foam filling has their own benefits but when it comes to the cost concrete can be a cheaper choice in certain cases. For instance, concrete can be a cheaper choice for the small-sized tank a there would be no mobilization wherein in such cases there could be a mobilization fee for foams after a certain quantity is achieved. The crux of the matter is that the cost of the solid filling decommissioning depends upon the size and the capacity of the tank.

The benefit of foam-filling is that the fillings can be removed should the tank is required in the future. The whole filling and decommissioning of the tank should and must be carried out by professional contractors.

Tank Cleaning and Leaving In Situ:

Some tanks with certain features can be emptied, cleaned, and left in situ during the decommissioning process. The methods will depend upon the types of the tank, tank constructions, and client requirements. Tanks with suitable man lid can be emoted, cleaned, resealed, and left in situ for any future uses.

If the tank does not have a lid, then a hole can be made to clean it and leave it in situ but till that time it needs removal. Since the tanks are cleaned any smells would dissipate quickly leaving a clean sheet of steel in its place.

Note: This method is not applicable for petrol tanks as the residues can form vapors but in case of kerosene, diesel and gas tanks, this possible because the volatility level is not the same as petrol.

Temporary oil and fuel tank decommissioning:

·        At times, some tanks need to be taken out of commission for a short span of time for various reasons such as a change in the ownership. The methods of temporary decommissioning will vary depending upon the content.

·       Low hazard tanks such as diesel, kerosene, and gas tanks can be cleaned of the residuals and left for a certain period. It is advisable to empty the tank so that there are no issues taking place while monitoring is not happening.

·        If you want to know more details you can visit https://www.leesindustrialservices.co.uk/services/tank-decommissioning

 

 

If

If