Tips for Oil Storage Tank Maintenance

The oil industry heavily relies on storage tanks to protect oil in various stages of refinery from being contaminated by debris and the elements. These tanks are generally made out of steel and are designed to last for many years. However, the reliability of the protection they offer can be increased further by providing proper ongoing maintenance to the tanks.

Here’s a quick overview of some of the most important oil storage tank maintenance practices you can implement at your Colorado site to keep your tanks in great shape for many years to come:

• Inspections: Even if you don’t think you need to take any actual physical actions to repair or maintain the tank in a given year, you should at least make regular inspections a part of your routine. Have professionals come by and carefully analyze the condition of your tanks. They’ll be on the lookout for signs of corrosion or other forms of damage so they can catch these issues before they become more extensive (and more expensive to address).
• Simple repairs or adjustments: In some situations, small repairs or adjustments may be necessary to keep the storage tank in good condition. This is most likely to occur after an inspection turns up some issues and the inspector makes a note of them for the oil manufacturing company. There are a few common ways in which storage tanks need to be repaired, including making exterior repairs to the shell plating to ensure its integrity, and upgrading the height of the shell to provide additional storage capacity as needed. From time to time it may also become necessary to repair any defective or damaged welds or areas of the shell. The roof and bottom may occasionally need attention, and the seals might also need to be fixed with some welding. Depending on the nature of the repairs, it may be necessary for you to shut down operations in a certain area to prevent potential fire hazards.
• Cleaning: A clean tank is a happy tank, and by keeping your oil storage tanks clean, you can help prevent issues with corrosion and other types of damage caused by long-term exposure to debris and the elements. Cleaning can also be performed on the interior of the tank, which will require emptying the tank and using pressure washers and industrial vacuums to remove any solids that may have built up inside the tank. This also gives inspectors a chance to see if there are any signs of corrosion or damage on the interior, which usually isn’t as easy to pinpoint as exterior damage.
• Replacement: When all reasonable options have been exercised for making repairs to the tanks, it may become more financially responsible to replace the tank entirely, especially if the tank is severely damaged or already quite old. Full tank replacement is an expensive prospect, so it’s important to stay on top of your repairs and maintenance so you can avoid replacement for as long as possible.

For more information about storage tank maintenance in Colorado, contact the team at DJC Enterprises Inc. today.

Categorised in: Oil Tank Maintenance

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