Safe jack-up method permits repairs of tank bottoms and foundations
The oil and chemical industries use many thousands of steel tanks to store crude oil, oil products, and chemical liquids. The majority of these tanks are 30-40 years old. Tank bottoms are likely to begin leaking in the coming years, as these tanks get older. The European technique of jacking up a tank and repairing its foundation allows the thorough inspection of the underside of the tank bottom and the removal of saturated foundation material. And the possibility of soil and groundwater pollution is reduced to a minimum. With good, regular maintenance, the lifetime of a storage tank is very long. But experience has shown that special attention should be paid to the tank's bottom. Tank bottoms are only 5 or 6 mm thick, and in the last 10 years, an increasing number of leaks in tank bottoms have been reported. Tank foundations are affected by these leaks. This article describes the resulting procedure, which is used successfully in many European countries, but is not yet common in the U.S.
- OSTI ID:
- 5569976
- Journal Information:
- Oil and Gas Journal; (United States), Vol. 89:44; ISSN 0030-1388
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
TBS Prototype Test Program in service tank bottom leak detection and repair system. [Tank Bottom System]
TBS prototype test program in service tank bottom leak detection and repair system; Final technical report
Related Subjects
42 ENGINEERING
PETROLEUM
STORAGE FACILITIES
STEELS
TANKS
LEAK TESTING
REPAIR
LAND POLLUTION
MAINTENANCE
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
ALLOYS
CONTAINERS
CONTROL
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
TESTING
022000* - Petroleum- Transport
Handling
& Storage
420205 - Engineering- Transport & Storage Facilities- (1980-)
020900 - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects