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Crude oil storage tanks

Crude oil untreated and unref ined are stored in tanks f or shipment to other locations or processing into
f inished products.
T here are f our basic types of tanks used to store petroleum products:
(1) Floating Roof Tank used f or crude oil, gasoline, and naphtha.
(2) Fixed Roof Tank used f or diesel, kerosene, catalytic cracker f eedstock, and residual f uel oil
(3) Bullet Tank used f or normal butane, propane, and propylene
(4) Spherical Tank used f or isobutane and normal butane.
It is to be noted that fixed roof tanks could be used for storing low amounts of crude oil as compared to the
million barrels stored in floating roof tanks.
Floating roof tanks (as compared to fixed roofs) Pros and Cons
Floating roof tanks are advantageous, compared to f ixed roof tanks, as it prevents vapour emissions (that
are highly combustible) that help eliminate the chances of f ire or an internal tank explosion. T hey are
usually used f or stable liquids (with no dynamic loads acting, as discussed later). However, adverse
environmental conditions could af f ect f loating roof s as accumulation of snow and rain water could result in
roof submersing in the stored liquid. Nonetheless this static load can be incorporated in making
assumptions on the response of the roof , which can be f urther used in the design of the tank with a
signif icant f actor of saf ety. An area of concern, although, is the dynamic loads that act upon the roof due
to constant splashing of water or leaks that result in f looding of roof compartments. T his could be partly
corrected by having suf f icient stif f ness in the circumf erential direction at the roof , but due to the irregular
nature of such loads, it may not be possible to accurately predict its magnitude.
Also, while the liquid exits the tank, the f loating roof steadily approaches the bottom leaving behind a wet
shell (liquid droplets that are lef t behind as the level drops). T his results in the evaporation of liquid
droplets to the atmosphere and is termed as the withdrawal loss, a f orm of emissions similar to
hydrocarbon leaving the f ixed roof tanks. A f lawless rim seal (closure between the roof and the shell) could
impede the loss of liquid but most seals have a loss f actor associated to them that is calculated based on
tank diameter and wind blowing over the tank.
Another alternative to external f loating roof s is an internal roof that combines the concept of conical f ixed
roof tanks that lie on top of pontoons. T hey too are af f ected by the withdrawal and storage losses that
are mitigated using similar means. Most recently, engineers have been designing f loating roof tanks with
secondary seals to mitigate such emissions and prevent any seal f riction caused by using tighter seals (a
simpler solution to prevent any vapours to exist)
Fixed roof tanks storage
During the process of storing crude oil, light hydrocarbons such as natural gas liquids, volatile organic
compounds, hazardous air pollutants and some inert gases, vaporize and collect between the liquid level
and the f ixed roof tanks. As the liquid level in the tank varies, these gases slowly release out to the
atmosphere. A solution to prevent this f rom occurring is by installing vapour recovery units. T hese units
capture the BT U-rich units f or sale or use it onsite as f uel.

Another solution could be the use of f oam chambers. T hese are designed to cover f lammable hydrocarbon
or water miscible liquids with low expansion f oam or f ire extinguishment or vapour suppression. T he f oam
occupies the vacant space that was initially f illed with air, one of the main sources of combustion, to
prevent any potential hazards. T hey have the advantage over ground based monitors of directing all their
f oam directly onto the f lammable liquid surf ace regardless of weather conditions.
T he f oam generator made f oam by introducing air into a f oam solution stream that was delivered to the top
pourer system (T PS) in a variety of ways. T he inlet of the T PS is f itted with a venturi jet designed to draw
air into the stream through a series of holes located around the f oam generator. T he f oam solution is
obtained f rom mobile f oam proportioning equipment located f ar away f rom the tank and routed back to it
through pipelines.