Sahreej perfects depot services

BETTER EVERY TIME

DEPOTS • KEEPING TANK CONTAINERS IN TOP QUALITY CONDITION EXTENDS TANK LIFE, REDUCES THE CARBON FOOTPRINT AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, REDUCES RISKS IN TRANSPORT, SAYS SAHREEJ

SAUDI ARABIA’S KANOO Tank Services (Sahreej), a joint venture between Stolt Tank Containers and Saudi Arabia’s YBA Kanoo, is on a continuous improvement programme to increase the life of tank containers and help to ensure the safe transport of hazardous (and non-hazardous) cargoes around the globe.

Sahreej has upgraded, enhanced and expanded each of its three depots in Jubail, Dammam and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and now has a comprehensive service not only for cleaning, inspection, heating and storage, but also full capabilities for all repairs from paintwork and logos to shell repairs and refurbishment of complete tanks. Added to this, a full service of modifications is also available. Each location is served by a comprehensive inventory covering all aspects of tank container use, fully qualified welders and repair teams, guided by Sahreej’s technical manager Sarfaraz Salani.

The process starts even before the gate, as every safety data sheet (SDS) is reviewed and risk assessed before the tank is given approval to enter the depots. Once the SDS is approved and a cleaning process is allocated, the tank can be delivered to the depot. On entering, the tank container is fully inspected externally, photographed from each of the six sides and details from the CS Plate taken, recording the last (and next) Statuary Test date. All details are entered onto the Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR), which is then signed off by the delivering driver. All details on the EIR and photographs are all available to the customer via hyperlink.

Tanks are then positioned in the precleaning area ready for the cleaning process, which takes place within 24 hours of arrival. Once cleaned and dried, the inspection process can begin. After taking gas readings at three heights within the tank, internal inspection starts using the buddy system: each inspector has a fixed gas meter and a buddy outside the tank monitoring for any issues (the Sahreej ‘Man down Training’ video can be found on YouTube). The inspector will be looking for any transferable or nontransferable stains, shell dents, tool marks or pitting. Shell pitting has the type identified and depth recorded, all based on ITCO standards. The inspectors can also inspect to specific customer needs, for instance in off-hire situations.

All observations are recorded on the tank mapping report and this document is the basis for the customer estimate. The estimate will now include all external and internal issues, and these are supplied to the customer with photographs for review and approval. The process from gate-in to issue of estimate to the customer is achieved within three days.

STOCKS AND REPAIRS Once the estimate is approved by the customer, the tank is placed in a ‘Rotator’ that can position the tank to ensure no working at height is required and allows the repair team to work at the most efficient and safe height. For welding work in the designated hot work aera, Sahreej has qualified welding procedure specifications (WPSs) and procedure qualification records (PQRs) and each welder is certified. Minor repair work such as damaged cladding is quickly made available. For frame repairs, including corner post and

section replacement and patching, the work is completed and painted.

For pitting repairs, following repair, nondestructive testing (NDT) takes place with dye penetrant testing, the area is then pickled and passivated and is inspected by a third party inspector, who will also witness hydro testing. Shell insets follow the same procedure and also include x-ray testing in additional to the procedure followed for pitting. Sahreej keeps 316-grade stainless steel tank heads in stock and can also repair damaged tank heads. To complement shell repair, Sahreej also carries out steam tube repair using the same procedures as above.

Sahreej carries a wide variety of inventory to cover all requirements, including steel sections, corner posts, cladding, insulation and walkways. This complements the regular supply of all seals and gaskets. In terms of manlid gaskets, which are replaced every trip, Sahreej has substantial stock of PTFE/braided fibre, Super Tanktyt (STT), Teftek Ultra Seal, Halo and Viton gaskets.

For hardware, Sahreej uses the ‘ABC’ approach to inventory: high moving items such as pressure gauges are kept as Category A items along with manlid gaskets and seals - these are replenished on a monthly basis using historic usage figures. Category B items, such as manlids, bottom outlet vales, ball valves, butterfly valves etc, which are required infrequently, are kept in stock but at low levels. Category C items are by customer order only. These include such items as flow meters, level gauges, remote operating systems and so on.

TRAINED TO PERFECTION All the above would not be effective without a solid base of - and ongoing - training. HSE manager Faris Al-Shali, who oversees all external certifications such as ISO 9001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, ISO 14001:2015 and SQAS, also runs the training process across all three depots. Shali arranges weekly Tool Box meetings and runs the Intelex on-line training system that covers all aspects of tank container skills and operations and has a dedicated monthly training program specifically designed to cater for each operator with specific relation to their job function.

Near Miss reporting is also an integral part of Intelex and identifies topics for Tool Box training or more in-depth training. Al-Shali also arranges external bodies to perform training on topics such as container handling, firefighting and behaviour-based safety, as well as Train the Trainer sessions. In addition to the operational training, all staff with an email address have undergone fraud and corruption awareness and Codes of Business Practice training, subjects that are reviewed at every board meeting.

Sahreej’s goal is to be the ‘one-stop-shop’ for all tank container needs and to expand this to cover associated areas. Sahreej has an emergency response function that can attend off-site issues at the three Saudi ports of Jubail, Damam and Jeddah and at its customers’ plants. In addition, Sahreej performs cross-loading, intermediate bulk container (IBC) cleaning, reefer services, and the storage of gas tanks and non-standard tank containers.

Sahreej is eager to increase its services offered in Saudi Arabia and is always looking to its customers to suggest and request additional services that can be mutually beneficial to the liquid chemical industry. www.sahreej.com

SAHREEJ SEES THE TRAINING OF ITS WORKFORCE

AS CRUCIAL TO IT BEING ABLE TO OFFER A HIGH

QUALITY, DEPENDABLE SERVICE TO ITS WIDE RANGE OF

INTERNATIONAL TANK CONTAINER CUSTOMERS