Terminal Tank Cleaning Case Study
The Task
This May 2022, a Fortune 500 company, and a valued client of ours, asked us to uplift & transfer 600,000L of Kerosene from an 18 million Litre tank and drain back all the associated pipework.
We then undertook a man-entry tank clean to remove all traces of sludges and contaminates before jet washing and ragging dry, with all waste being disposed of via a licensed facility.
When left unchecked for long periods of time, Kerosine can be contaminated with water particles and microbial growth, the same as other types of liquid fuel stored in large tanks. Spoiled kerosene can cause damage to your heater or boiler and increase your expenses. Luckily, our client has trusted our expertise with maintaining their Kerosine tank and ensuring it is kept safely within specification.
Regular tank maintenance is essential at terminal Sites due to the sheer volume of product stored. If a storage vessel with tens of thousands of Litres of fuel is contaminated, it could result in significant financial damages. Our client has always kept on top of their fuel and tank maintenance, and our team is regularly at their disposal when they require our services for fuel or tank environment servicing.
Scope of Works
A 6-day job due to the significant size of the tank, our team arrived on site to perform a site audit and outline the scope of work. At this terminal site, due to their significant security and health and safety measures, we got a special permit to conduct a case study and take photographs for marketing purposes.
Our long-term partnership with our client allowed us to access this otherwise ‘no trespassing’ zone and observe, photograph and report on the ongoing works performed by our LCM team.
Arriving on site, the 18mil L kerosene tank looked substantial compared to all its surroundings. Skyscrapers in the distance suddenly seemed not so tall. Our team uplifted 600,000L of kerosene from a single tank at the fuel terminal via our ADR Rated vacuum tankers and transferred it into another tank for storage. All pipework was drained, yielding approximately 15,000L additional kerosene per pipework run. A man entry tank clean was performed on the 36m diameter tank, then jet washed, and rag dried.
Whilst the team was on-site, we were asked to complete another man entry clean of a smaller gas oil holding tank.
Due to the efficiency of the LCM operatives, they were able to not only safely complete the main scope of works ahead of schedule but also undertake this additional task for the client.
The Outcome
Our client was left with a dry, clean and contaminate-free 18 million litre storage tank ready to receive fuel. We have scheduled the cleaning of the tank currently holding the 600,000L of kerosene for later in the summer and will complete a similar job to the same excellent standards.
The challenge of the job came from the volume of fuel that required transferring, the remarkable dimensions of the kerosene tank, the tightened security measures at the fuel terminal and the steep timescale, as well as the extensive health and safety measures taken to ensure everyone’s wellbeing.
The task was performed within all necessary Health and Safety guidelines, and promptly within the time range given by the client.
