
In the petroleum industry, storage tanks are one of the most important items of equipment needed to safely store Petroleum products. These tanks should be inspected on a regular basis to ensure that the product inside the tanks are safe and secure, clean and cannot harm the environment. Storage tanks are an imperative part of any business within the industry and for Gerrit Prinsloo, MD of GASPET, it forms part of the infrastructure of the business.
Storage tanks vary in size to suit the specific need and purpose of the place where it is used and what it is used for. The most common sizes of storage tanks range from 2200L all the way up to 23 000L with intervals of 4500L, 9000L and 14 000L. One can clearly see that the volumes of the different tanks set them apart and this will be in line with specific needs such as:
- Transporters
- Commercial farming
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Depots and
- Retailers
- Tanks bigger than 23 000L capacity each can also be manufactured.
When it comes to legislation about storing petroleum products the rules are very strict and need to be adhered to with great care, as Gerrit Prinsloo explains: “Legislation can differ from province or area but it usually includes an environmental management plan; approval from the department of environmental affairs; approval from NERSA to safely store fuel; approval from local municipalities with submitted plans and last but not least you will need a permit from the local fire department to be able to store petroleum products on-site”.
Bund walls are another crucial part of the storage tank topic, and it is imperative to have them in place. These lowly built walls surround the storage tanks to prevent spillage and hazardous chemicals from entering the environment, it acts as a barrier and prevents petroleum products to run off and pollute the natural environment. Spilled products can be extracted as the walls will retain the product whereafter it can be recycled meaning that the loss of product is minimal. Bund walls are almost as important as the storage tank itself and it’s a SANS (South African National Standards) legal requirement. (It’s easy to see why!).
To prevent condensation and water from entering storage tanks, Prinsloo clearly states what the necessary steps are to be taken to ensure that it doesn’t happen. Apart from the fact that water will have a negative impact on the petroleum products themselves, it can also be the cause of rust forming inside a storage tank. “You need to ensure that all the in/outlets on the tanks are covered and checked on a regular basis. Breather pipes need to be set up in such a way that water cannot enter through them. Any raptures or welding especially on top of the tank needs to be checked to ensure that it’s sealed. When it comes to condensation the problem is usually more significant in the 2200L tanks than in the bigger sizes. The best way to prevent condensation is to ensure that you empty and fill the tanks on a weekly basis if possible – this will guarantee that water cannot enter through condensation as there won’t be enough time. It is advisable to use water-finding paste on the bottom of the dipstick when dipping processes take place, this will help to identify any water that is present. Last but not least, you can add water filters in the dispensing line to make 100% sure that any water will be captured and not enter the vehicle being refueled” – Prinsloo comments.