Tsm May/June 2013 by Woodcote Media Ltd

The voice of the storage terminal industry

MAY/JUNE 2013

ITC grows in Houston The economic recovery in Texas has enabled ITC to add a greenfield terminal to its operations

Billions on rails Out of the many components in the fuel storage supply chain, the tank car has become a hot commodity

Keeping it in the family In a growing industry, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to know that some companies still keep business close to home

Regional focus: US

Volume No. 9 Issue No. 3

comment

Margaret Dunn Publisher

Attacking safety from all angles When the news hit that there had been a fire at a storage terminal in the UK in April it must have rekindled some uncomfortable memories for those involved in the Buncefield explosion back in 2005. Fortunately this time the incident was relatively minor – a rim seal fire in an empty storage tank. A foam attack was launched and the situation was quickly brought under control. But the fact that this potentially devastating fire had limited impact was no stroke of luck. Fire fighting equipment was automatically deployed and the people involved knew exactly what to do. Fire fighting crews had recently been on the site training with terminal employees to prepare for such an incident – proving that when it comes to safety, preparedness really is key.

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

This issue of Tank Storage magazine has a strong focus on fire safety, with articles covering the different options available to terminals to protect tanks in the event of a fire, as well as the new regulations requiring the use of by-pass conductors to prevent fires caused by lightning. To coincide with this year’s ILTA it is also worth reading our in depth analysis on the impact the North American shale boom is having on storage operators and for something a little more light hearted don’t miss New Zealand oil company Gull’s ‘tank graffiti’ on page 26. We’ll be at ILTA again this year on stand 1011, so feel free to come and introduce yourself. We look forward to meeting you, Best wishes, Margaret

contents

May/June 2013 Volume 9 issue 3 Horseshoe Media Ltd Marshall House 124 Middleton Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 6RW, UK www.tankstoragemag.com

MANAGING DIRECTOR Peter Patterson Tel: +44(0)20 8648 7082 peter@horseshoemedia.com

Publisher & editor Margaret Dunn Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4126 margaret@tankstoragemag.com

contents news 1 Comment 2 Contents 4 Terminal news 32 Technical news 49 Incident update

Deputy editor James Barrett Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4146 james@tankstoragemag.com

Assistant Editor Keeley Downey Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4183 keeley@horseshoemedia.com

Advertising Sales manager David Kelly Tel: +44 (0)203 551 5754 david@tankstoragemag.com

PRODUCTION Alison Balmer Tel: +44 (0)1673 876143 alisonbalmer@btconnect.com

SUBSCRIPTION RATES A one-year, 6-issue subscription costs £150 (approximately $240/€185 depending on daily exchange rates). Individual back issues can be purchased at a cost of £30 each Contact: Lisa Lee Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4160 Fax: +44 (0)20 8687 4130 marketing@horseshoemedia.com Follow us on Twitter: @tankstorageinfo No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in any form by any mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or other means without the prior written consent of the publisher. Whilst the information and articles in Tank Storage are published in good faith and every effort is made to check accuracy, readers should verify facts and statements direct with official sources before acting on them as the publisher can accept no responsibility in this respect. Any opinions expressed in this magazine should not be construed as those of the publisher.

ISSN 1750-841X

features 55 ITC grows in Houston The economic recovery in Texas is providing a platform for ITC to add a greenfield terminal to its operations 57 US storage boom reflects the continued shale revolution Increasing crude volumes, low feedstock prices and end product specification changes are all fuelling new opportunities for storage and terminals across the US

A perfect storm? UK refining industry association UKPIA believes the country is losing ground on others and talks are needed to redress the balance

Keeping it in the family

61 Tank terminal update – US 79 The returning champion The 17th annual ILTA conference will have experts from the terminal industry discuss increasing operational effectiveness, managing business issues and improving safety and environmental performance 73 Is a hydrotest always necessary? 97 SIOT introduces wireless radar for custody transfer of crude for the heart of Europe 100 Steel experts join forces

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

contents

125

Making smart energy choices As utility costs rise, sliding vane pump technology may become the choice for energy efficient operations in all types of liquid storage terminal applications

features 102 How to survive the storm 104 Fire safety: make the right choice Fire in a storage tank, or in the surrounding bund, is a challenge to both fire fighters and tank operators. The value of the contents makes the provision of fire protection commercially viable, while the risk to life makes it essential 107 ADNOC’s Takreer takes lowimpedance path to complete tank safety 109 Next communication step Wireless communication around tank farms and refineries is becoming more apparent – but why? 111 Major shift approaching for tank coatings 115 How to ensure incident-free pipeline maintenance 119 Getting the full picture Steel is inherently unstable over time: the challenge to any tank terminal operator is catching structural and corrosive failure before it occurs

Time to REACH out is ticking

120 Tank floor monitoring using ultrasonic guided waves 122 Matching the pump to its purpose

Billions on rails

128 Networking on a full tank Tank Storage magazine brings you all the discussion from the halls of this year’s of StocExpo in Antwerp, Belgium The voice of the storage terminal industry

MAY/JUNE 2013

Volume No. 9 Issue No. 3

ITC grows in Houston The economic recovery in Texas has enabled ITC to add a greenﬁeld terminal to its operations

Billions on rails Out of the many components in the fuel storage supply chain, the tank car has become a hot commodity

Keeping it in the family In a growing industry, it’s good to know that some companies still keep business close to home

REGIONAL FOCUS: US FC_TSM_May-Jun_2013.indd 1

13/05/2013 16:03

Front cover courtesy of HMT

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

terminal news

Horizon will complete Jebel Ali oil terminal by Q4 2013 Emirates National Oil Company’s (ENOC) Horizon Terminal is on schedule to finish its new oil terminal in Jebel Ali, UAE by the end of 2013. The $142 million (€108 million) bulk liquid petroleum terminal will comprise more than 141,000m3 of storage capacity and be connected to Dubai International Airport via a new 60km jet fuel pipeline. It will be able to receive jet fuel from marine tankers and ENOC’s nearby refinery. Horizon Terminal’s MD Yusr Sultan was quoted as saying: ‘With Dubai recording significant growth in its aviation sector, the new terminal has a strategic role to play in further strengthening operational efficiencies through assured jet fuel supply. ‘It’s equipped to meet the growing demand for jet fuel, in tune with the Dubai International Airport’s growth, which welcomed record passenger traffic of over 58.5 million last year.’

Horizon has achieved a construction milestone of 1 million safe working hours without loss time injury

Fuel offloaded at new Zambia terminal Petroleum products are being offloaded at the new 10 million litre Lusaka-West Fuel storage terminal in Zambia ahead of its commissioning. Almost 9.5 million litres of fuel, which has been stored in 237 tankers marooned at the TanzaniaZambia Mafuta distribution terminal in Ndola, are being transported towards the terminal. So far around 30 trucks, each loaded with 40,000 litres of petroleum,

have been offloaded. ‘A lot more is coming because we want to fill all the storage facilities there before the plant is commissioned,’ Yamfwa Mukanga, mines, energy and water development minister, was quoted as saying. The government is also building storage facilities in Mongu, Mpika and Solwezi to increase the number of fuel delivery locations in Zambia.

Vopak to expand Terminal Vlissingen Vopak is expanding its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and chemical gases storage and handling terminal at the Port of Vlissingen, the Netherlands. The independent bulk tank storage service provider says it will grow the 131,400m3 facility by 36,800m3 to meet the ‘growing interest and market commitment for additional pressurised storage capacity at the terminal’. The expansion will include the construction of six new tanks: three 7,650m3 tanks and three of 4,600m3. Associated pipework and rail loading racks will also be built. The terminal has the potential to be expanded further in the future. Work is expected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of next year.

Total invests in Durban terminal

Total is expanding its terminal in Durban at a cost of over €7.5m

Total South Africa will expand fuel storage capacity at its Island View Terminal in Durban with a R90 million (€7.6 million) investment. Over the next two years the oil giant will grow its fuel storage depot as it works to increase its fuel deliveries to neighbouring countries. Total South Africa CEO Christian des Closieres was reported as saying the project is part of his company’s growth strategy to expand its presence to markets inland. Additionally, Total is planning to expand and upgrade its blending plant at a cost of R50 million. Around 17% of Total South Africa’ s fuel products are currently stored at the Durban terminal, with this increasing to 26% once the project has been completed.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

your partner in high quality loading, unloading and safety systems for over 30 years

Visit us at ILTA Houston, Texas 2013

KANON MARINE LOADING ARMS Symmetric Design, Excellent Performance

www.kanon.nl

Loading equipment for marine, road and rail tankers

TANK STORAGE â&#x20AC;˘ May/June 2013

terminal news

Liberian terminal to be transformed under new agreement A new deal between the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company and Petro Trade aims to re-launch a damaged oil terminal as a stateof-the-art facility by Q3 2014. Under the $3.4 million (€2.6 million) agreement, the two companies will build an automated loading gantry at the site in Ganta, Nimba County, in addition to a fire-fighting system, a petroleum testing laboratory

and a pump house by September next year. The project will begin towards the end of May. Upon completion the terminal is expected to have a storage capacity of 800,000 gallons of petroleum products. It will be used to store the nation’s strategic oil reserves and also supply its customers in Ninba, Bong, Lofa, Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties.

Tesoro and Savage form JV for unloading facility A new joint venture between Tesoro subsidiary Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company and supply chain solutions company Savage Companies has been formed to build and operate a new crude-by-rail unloading and marine loading facility at the Port of Vancouver in Washington, US. The $75-100 million (€58-77 million) facility, which is subject to approval by regulatory agencies and port commissioners, will be able to handle 120,000 bpd of crude with potential for expansion to 280,000 bpd. The project is expected to

be operational in 2014. The JV will enter into a land lease agreement with the port for an initial period of 10 years. Savage will manage the design, construction and operation of the facility. ‘Building upon the recent success of the rail unloading facility at our Anacortes, Washington refinery, where we have been delivering MidContinent crude oil via unit train, this project is the ideal next step for Tesoro,’ Greg Goff, president and CEO of Tesoro says.

news in brief... Tradebe launches storage terminal in Barcelona Spain-based environmental services group Tradebe opened its new fuel storage terminal at the Port of Barcelona in April. The €65 million facility contains 29 storage tanks with a total capacity of 453,000m3. Tradebe hopes its new terminal will be handling 1 million tonnes of fuel by the end of this year. The group is also looking to build three similar storage terminals in the future, although a final decision on this will not be made for another two years.

Abu Dhabi eyes Malaysia for oil storage Abu Dhabi is to develop a $6.75 billion (€5.2 billion) petroleum storage terminal in Johor state, Malaysia. Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed an agreement with Malaysian Prime Minster Najib Razak to build the facility in Tanjung Piai. The project ties in well with Malaysia’s future economic development plan of turning Johor state into an oil and gas hub.

Standic receives ISCC certification Independent bulk liquids storage and distribution company Standic, based in the Netherlands, has received sustainability certification for biofuels storage. The company has been awarded International Sustainability and Carbon Commission (ISCCEU) and the German version ISCC System. Standic says the certification is ‘essential’ for both itself and its biofuels clients. ‘With these two certificates we can further strengthen our position as an important biodiesel hub in northwest Europe.’

Tundra and Enbridge sign MoU

Lindsay Goldberg’s 49% share in Odfjell

Tundra Energy Marketing is to partner with Enbridge Energy Partners on a previously announced crude oil rail terminal near Cromer in Manitoba, Canada. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly own and expand the facility, which will be able to handle up to 60,000 bpd of crude oil. Phase one of the project is already underway, expected to be loading 30,000 bpd from trucks and existing pipelines by July this year. The second phase will see the terminal connected to Enbirdge’s pipeline network and its capacity increased by a further

Lindsay Goldberg is to acquire a 49% interest in Odfjell Terminals after the two companies signed final transaction agreements. Odjfell Terminals is the holding company for the majority of Odfjell’s tank terminals activities. In December 2012 Odfjell announced its intention to expand its existing joint venture (JV) with Lindsay Goldberg. In exchange for a 49% share, Lindsay Goldberg will invest $219.2 million (€167.3 million) in cash and also contribute its 49% share of the existing JV. As a result, all of the assets in the existing JV will be fully owned by Odfjell Terminals, 51% of which will be owned by Odfjell and 49% by Lindsay Goldberg. Odfjell says the investment will be used for global expansion projects, particularly in China. An investment will also be made to improve Odfjell Terminals Rotterdam. The transaction is expected to close by the third quarter of this year.

30,000 bpd. This will come online at the beginning of next year. With the same time scale, volumes and location, it is thought this project is the same as that announced back in October 2012; it is possible the new 50/50 JV between Tundra and Enbridge has replaced that between Tundra and Canadian National Railway Company (CN). Tundra and CN also signed an MoU for the construction of a crude oil railcar loading terminal near Cromer to benefit Bakken crude oil producers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The terminal was to begin operating with an initial loading capacity of 30,000 bpd.

January/February 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

Tank overfill. In the best case, you have to clean up. In the worst case, you end up in court. Want to sleep well at night?

You CAN Do THAT Driving overfill prevention technology forward. Emerson’s new Rosemount Raptor tank gauging system lets you comply with the reworked overfill protection standard API 2350 (4th edition) for every type of storage tank. The Raptor system includes safety features like SIL certification and a unique radar with two independent gauges (level and overfill) in one housing. Learn more about Raptor and get the latest API 2350 overfill prevention guidance at www.rosemount-tg.com/safety

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

terminal news

Irving Oil acquires share in Montreal terminal owner Irving Oil, a privately owned regional refining and marketing company, has acquired an equity share in Norcan Petroleum Group following a new partnership with La Coop Fédérée and MacEwen Petroleum. Norcan owns the Montreal, Canadabased Norcan Terminal. According to Jonathan McKenzie, chief financial officer at Irving Oil, the investment ‘fits well with our current growth strategy’. The Norcan marine terminal has storage capacity of 1.3 million barrels. Additionally, Norcan owns storage for various petroleum products at the Port of Quebec City, which it leases to customers. The terminal is strategically located in Montreal East and has pipeline access to the Saint Lawrence River. Allan MacEwan, president of MacEwan Petroleum, says the oil company will bring ‘a wealth of synergies to the partnership’.

Irving Oil’s acquisition is part of its growth strategy ‘The Norcan terminal is a core component of our strategy, acting as a hub where the ingredients of many of our

Singapore loses storage space leasers It is believed that thin margins is the reason some fuel oil trading companies have stopped leasing storage tanks in Singapore. The region has seen Petrosummit cancel a lease on 150,000m3 at Vopak, Marubeni International Petroleum Singapore has stopped leasing three 40,000-tonne capacity

tanks and Itochu has given up 180,000m3 at Helios’ terminal. These moves are reportedly a product of slowing demand for fuel oil and current market backwardation making it difficult to hedge cargoes. A $1 (€0.76) premium per tonne of fuel oil sold only covers a fraction of leasing the storage space.

A number of companies are no longer leasing tanks in Singapore

green fuels are amalgamated,’ Gaétan Desroches, chief operating officer, added on behalf of La Coop Fédérée.

IOC ‘not put off’ with loss of tank depot in Sri Lanka Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) Sri Lanka arm will push ahead with expansion plans despite seemingly hitting a recent hurdle. The Sri Lanka government had not informed Lanka IOC it would take back an unused World War II time strategic oil storage depot in Trincomalee. The China Bay tank farm is the largest located between the Middle East and Singapore. ‘The Sri Lankan government has not informed us about any proposal to take back those oil tanks but we are going ahead with our expansion plans, including the setting up of a $17 million (€13 million) bitumen handling facility,’ Subodh Dakwale, MD of Lanka IOC was quoted as saying. ‘We are also looking to refurbish about 30 oil tanks at Trincomalee within the next two years, which may see an investment of about $40 million.’ Lanka IOC bought a third of the Sri Lankan government’s retail business in 2003 and aims to get more of the 99 tanks operational moving forward. Currently only 15, owned by Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals, are in use.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

At Envent, Tank and Pipeline Degassing is our SPECIALTY, not a Sideline.

Envent’s Approach to Water Treatment: Safety, Compliance, Efficiency and Cost Effectiveness.

You don’t get to be #1 by accident. With a TRIR of zero and no NOVs, Envent owns the BEST SAFETY & COMPLIANCE RECORD in the industry. And with the LARGEST BACT-CERTIFIED FLEET in North America, we have crews ready 24/7.

Envent operates the nation’s LARGEST FLEET of mobile water treatment units that meet the highest standards for safety and efficiency, capable of achieving NPDES and POTW discharge limits.

• Units with Suction Rates 500 to 6000 CFM (measured from tank, NOT stack) and up to 42 MMBTU/HOUR • All EMTOS Units Capable of 1400o F and 0.5 Second Residence Time • All EMTOS Units Source-Tested to BACT (99.9+% DRE) • Mobile Marine Vapor Recovery Systems for Ship and Barge Loading

• EPA Authorized & TTU Permitted • Pipeline & Tank Hydrostatic Test Wastewater • Terminal & Refinery Wastewater • Construction Dewatering • Contaminated Groundwater • Emulsified Oily Water & Sour Water • VOC/Benzene-Contaminated Water • Flow Rates up to 5000 GPM

Thank You Chevron & Chevron Pipeline for the 2012 Gold Star Safety Excellence Award, the 2012 Safety Leadership Award & 2012 Best Crew Award!

CALL US TODAY – and get the PEACE OF MIND that comes from working with the #1 SPECIALIST in the industry.

TOLL FREE

888-997-9465 ■ www.enventcorporation.com

LONG BEACH ■ BENICIA ■ DENVER ■ HOUSTON ■ NEW JERSEY TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

terminal news

ITC plans new storage terminal in Pasadena

New oil terminal underway at Costa Rica port

Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui (USA), will build a $150 million (€115 million) bulk liquid storage terminal on the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena, Texas. The company says the facility will help serve the petrochemical industry as its demand for shale gas and oil continues to grow.

Ground has broken on a new oil terminal at Moin Port, Costa Rica. Costing $96 million (€73 million), the terminal includes an oil dock that will be able to handle tankers between 40,000 and 80,000 tonnes. Construction company MECO is building the project after it won the bid. It predicts operations at the dock will start by the end of 2014. Tankers arriving at the new terminal will be able to unload their oil 24 hours a day. Funding for the new oil terminal is being provided by state-owned Refinadora Costarricense de Petroleo.

ITC has already acquired the land on which the project will be developed and intends to bring the storage terminal online in the second quarter of 2015. The site is also large enough for further expansions in the future. This storage terminal will be ITC’s second on the Houston Ship Channel – it already owns a 265 acre facility at Deer Park.

AMETEKDRE 12406-SIL2-TankStorage_4.56x7.5 04/15/13 1:39 PM Page 1

Will it work when you need it?

With tank overfill protection, you also can’t afford to be wrong.

If a chute’s packed right, it’ll work correctly. But what about your tank overfill protection device? You don’t need to climb the tank to test it manually with Drexelbrook’s IntelliPoint SIL2 level switch. You just push a button in your control room to verify operation. So why take a leap of faith with something less? Visit www.drexelbrook.com/tankoverfill to learn more or call 800-553-9092.

drexelbrook.com 10

Aqaba Oil Terminal to undergo improvements Aqaba Development’s oil terminal in Jordan is to be upgraded after the company signed an agreement with Beta Engineering Manufacturing and Erection at the end of March. Under the $28 million (€21.8 million) EPC agreement, Turkeybased Beta is to install and upgrade the facility’s oil pumps, improve the existing loads arms and implement new ones to handle crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals and liquid petroleum gas (LPG). The project will also improve safety at the terminal and enable night operations. The oil terminal in Aqaba supplies over 90% of Jordan’s demand for crude oil and petroleum products. With this in mind, the terminal will remain operational during the project’s execution to avoid oil shortages to the nation. Aqaba’s CEO H.E Eng. Ghassan Asa’ad Ghanem says: ‘The signing of this agreement is part of Aqaba Development’s plans to rehabilitate and construct an integrated ports community, which consists of 28 terminals. The rehabilitation of the oil terminal is a core part of Aqaba ports community.’ According to Ghanem, part of the work will be carried out by a Jordanian contractor as Aqaba works to support local contractors and the kingdom’s economy.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

SOCAR to erect storm breakers Azerbaijan’s state-owned energy company SOCAR is to build new infrastructure at its Kulevi oil terminal, located on the Black Sea coast of Georgia, to protect it from harsh weather and strong sea waves. Due to its coastal location, the terminal endures storms and waves from the west and southwest. The construction of breakwater structures however, as recommended in design documentation and environmental social impact assessment reports, will reduce the intensity of adverse conditions on the facility. The terminal said in a statement: ‘The construction of breakwater structures will reduce the intensity

of wave action in inshore waters and thereby reduce erosion in the coastal zone and increase the safety of navigation in Kulevi Port.’ Erecting this additional infrastructure has been on SOCAR’s agenda for a while and, at the end of 2012, the company opened the bidding process for the tender for design and construction. All proposals have now been submitted and are now ‘under study’, with the successful applicant chosen in the ‘close future’. The Kulevi oil terminal has been operational since May 2008 and can store 320,000m3 of oil products, with the possibility of increasing this by 20,000m3 in the future. Able to

Arc Terminals to buy Motiva’s refined petroleum products terminal Independent terminal company Arc Terminals is to acquire a New York-based refined products terminal from Motiva Enterprises, an oil refinery distributor and marketer, after the two companies reached an agreement. The facility will be an independent third party terminal as operated by Arc, while Motiva will remain as a customer of the terminal. There is land available for Arc to expand on the current tankage at the site, in turn adding to its petrol storage capacity. Alternatively, the company could enter the distillates market. The current tank layout allows Arc to increase throughput volumes through the existing customer base and enter into agreements with new third parties. Served by pipelines and marine vessels, the Brooklyn facility is used to distribute petrol to the greater New York City metropolitan area, parts of Long Island and Westchester County.

New storm breakers will protect the Kulevi terminal accommodate up to 168 tank cars, the facility can handle 10 million tonnes of oil annually,

including 3 million tonnes of oil, 3 million tonnes of diesel fuel and 4 million tonnes of fuel oil.

Vopak plans new oil terminal at POLB Dated oil infrastructure at the Port of Long Beach (POLB) in California, US could be upgraded if the project is approved. POLB and terminal operator Vopak Terminal North America have already approved an environmental impact study of a liquid bulk terminal. If given the go ahead, the project, to be completed in three phases, would see Vopak build a new 21-55 million barrel per year oil terminal. A new 28-acre deepwater oil terminal would also be built. Construction is expected to take four and a half years, including a full environmental impact report, design, permits and building work. Initial works would include $37 million (€30 million) worth of dredging by POLB as well as other waterside improvements. Before breaking ground on phase one of the new terminal, Vopak would carry out landside works at an investment of $120 million. POLB handles around 200 million barrels of oil annually.

Break the connection – safely www.rs-seliger.de rs814gb-kleinanzeigen-2013-abv-185x60-en-end.indd 1

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

02.01.2013 09:39:24

terminal news

IndianOil invites bids to build LNG terminal State-owned oil company IndianOil is planning a liquid gas import terminal in Tamil Nadu, India and has invited bids for the construction of the project. In a statement the company said it is ‘seeking Expression of Interest proposals for a lump-sum EPC contract’ for the Rs.4,320 crore liquefied natural gas (LNG) import and re-gasification terminal. Interested parties must have submitted their proposals by mid-April. With an initial capacity of 5 million tonnes a year, the import facility will be operational by 2016. There is potential for it to be expanded to 10-15 million tonnes in the future. According to the tender document, bidders must have ‘successfully completed an EPC contract for an LNG re-gasification terminal with minimum capacity of 2.5 million tonnes per annum or LNG liquefaction facilities of minimum capacity of 2.5 million tonnes during the last 10 years’. The company also specified: ‘The bidder, having a minimum annual turnover of $200 million during the last three years and a net worth of at least $55 million, should have carried on its own design, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and project management for these facilities.’ IndianOil will have a majority stake in the project, with Tamil Nadu Industrial Development expected to take a 5-10% holding. The company may also offer 26% of the project to a supplier of LNG such as Gazprom of Russia, for example.

LBC’s bitumen storage terminal comes online Independent storage provider LBC Tank Terminals has finished building a 12,000m3 bitumen storage facility for Shell Bitumen. Located at its Nantes terminal in France, LBC completed the terminal one month ahead of schedule and the first shipment of bitumen was received in January. Shell will be able to blend and load a range of penetration grades at its new facility. Operations will be automated, allowing ships to be unloaded in under 10

hours and 12 trucks to be loaded within an hour. The terminal can handle up to 32,000 tonnes of bitumen per month. Additional capacity will be available after a new 14,000m3 depot comes online in Bayonne. LBC Tank Terminals is the only independent storage provider of bitumen storage capacity in France. The company currently rents out 33,900m3 of capacity, covering Nantes, Bayonne and Marseille.

CAO starts operations at new oil storage terminal in South Korea A new oil storage terminal in South Korea’s South Jeolla Province, built by China Aviation Oil’s (Singapore) joint venture company Oilhub Korea Yeosu (OKY) has entered operation. The facility took two years to build and cost around $500 million (€390 million). It has a total storage capacity of 1.3 million m3 for crude oil and petroleum products, featuring 36 storage tanks which range from 6,000-80,000m3. It also has heating and blending systems in place and is located close to OKY’s oil storage terminal, the largest of its kind in Korea. The terminal has four berths with a draft of 17.7m. KNOC owns a 29% stake in OKY and CAO 26%, making it the second largest shareholder of the company.

Other shareholders include SK Energy, GS Caltex, Samsung C&T, LG International and Seoul Line. CAO’s CEO Meng Fanqiu says: ‘CAO has signed an eight-year storage lease with OKY for middle distillates. As Korea is our main source of jet fuel supply, securing oil storage at OKY’s terminal has strengthened our ability to ensure certainty of jet fuel supply to China. The terminal is able to support trading activities to the west coast of the US, southeast Asia and Europe. CAO has storage leases in jet fuel storage facilities in China and Korea.’ CAO is the largest physical jet fuel trader in the Asia Pacific region and the sole supplier of imported jet fuel to the civil aviation industry of China.

Global and Tesoro sign agreement Midstream logistics and marketing company Global Partners has signed an agreement with Tesoro Logistics for a new crude oil pipeline. Under the agreement, Tesoro Logistics’ High Plains pipeline system will build, own and operate the sevenmile pipeline which will connect its crude oil station in Lignite, North Dakota to Global’s 100,000 barrel crude oil storage tank at the Basin Transload facility in Columbus, North Dakota. The new pipeline is expected to come online in the third quarter of this year. ‘Strategic expansion of our crude gathering system is a key component of the rail logistics strategy we are deploying across our assets in the midcontinent region,’ Eric Slifka, president

and CEO of Global Partners, said in a statement. ‘The pipeline connection will tie our Columbus location directly to the Tesoro High Plains pipeline system.’ He continues: ‘The new branch will augment the volume of crude currently being transported by truck from the wellhead to our Columbus storage facility. The pipeline-connected gathering system will enhance the ratability of the Columbus terminal and make the terminal available to a broader area of the region that may not be accessible by truck.’ Tesoro’s High Plains Pipeline System includes around 45,000 bpd of truckbased crude oil gathering operation and approximately 700 miles of pipeline and related storage assets.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

becauSe you’re not juSt buying SteeL, you’re buying Leeco SteeL

Leeco SteeL haS doubLed capacity in the South with our new, 73,000 Square-foot diStribution center juSt South of fort worth, texaS. now, more than ever, we have the pLate SteeL you want, when you need it. meet us at ilta June 3 - 5, 2013. call Jay Ervin at 630-427-2128 to set an appointment.

the StrongeSt name in SteeL TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

Eight global locations • lEEcostEEl.com • 800-621-4366

terminal news

LBC to handle increased volumes of Alberta crude Crude oil throughput at LBC Tank Terminals’ Sunshine terminal in Geismar, Louisiana is set to rise as transportation company CN plans to increase shipments of heavy northern Alberta crude oil through the terminal. LBC is currently expanding storage capacity at the Sunshine terminal by 160,000 barrels and is adding more rail unloading and steaming spots in order to ‘accommodate the rise in customer demand as a response to the growth in the movement of heavy crude oil and fuel oil products’, according to Russ Crawford, VP of marketing, Americas at LBC. The expansion project will finish in October 2013 and LBC expects for the facility to be able to handle 3 million barrels in the future. CN plans to develop new markets for northern Alberta crude oil on the east side of the Mississippi River near the Gulf of Mexico. It is also moving chemicals from the Chicago area to the Sunshine terminal.

news in brief... Fuel storage lease signed by Saudi Aramco In a move to boost its trading portfolio Saudi Aramco has leased one of its fuel storage facilities at the Port of Fujairah, UAE. Saudi Aramco Product Trading signed the agreement with Vopak Horizon Fujairah but no further details were made available. ‘Aramco Trading will use the fuel storage facility to optimise its trading portfolio as parent Saudi Aramco’s downstream investment portfolio expands in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and overseas,’ a statement read.

Port of Rotterdam in land transfer agreement Tank terminal owner Shtandart and the Port of Rotterdam Authority signed a land transfer agreement in April. It is an important milestone that allows Shtandart to start execution of two new tank terminal projects under the banner of Terminal Europoort West, including completion of the permitting and contracting of the work on the site. All discussions around issues related to unexploded ordances left from World War Two have been successfully concluded too and construction will begin next year, with a view of being operational in 2016.

Vopak plans 140,0003 expansion at Vlaardingen terminal Vopak is expanding its Vlaardingen storage terminal in the Netherlands with the construction of 52 new tanks, according to the Port of Rotterdam. The company knocked down 85 storage tanks at the site in 2012, which totalled 50,000m3. The replacement infrastructure will be able to handle 140,000m3 of product, which could be vegetable/animal fats or biodiesel, among other things. The new storage tanks will enter operation later this year.

1_Tank_Storage_Mrz_April:Layout 1 20.02.13 09:30 Page 1

BORNEMANN PUMPS FOR TANK STORAGE, -TERMINALS AND REFINERIES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL AND ECONOMIC STORAGE & TRANSPORT OF MINERAL OIL PRODUCTS

Our expertise for tank storage and -terminals and refineries • Loading and unloading of barges, tankers and trail trucks • Circulation from tank to tank • Stripping of tank and pipes • Transfer • Operation with wide range of product viscosity • Operation at high or low pressure 14

• Full control in all kind of operation modes • Reduced installation costs for pipes and valves • High safety due to variable operation • Low pulsation • No fixed duty points • Wide range of capacity

Joh. Heinr. Bornemann GmbH P.O. Box 1162 31676 Obernkirchen, Germany Fon: +49 5724 390-0 Fax: +49 5724 390-290 info@bornemann.com www.bornemann.com

January/February 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

Oiltanking acquires two storage terminals in South Africa South African independent bulk liquid storage provider Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo (OGC), a subsidiary of Oiltanking, is to acquire Grindrod Tank Terminals, a division of freight logistics and shipping company Grindrod. Under the agreement, which is subject to relevant regulatory approvals, OGC will become the owner of two liquid bulk terminals: one in Durban and a second in Cape Town, in addition to a road tanker fleet. Both terminals are used to store and redistribute molasses and vegetable oils. In addition to these products, OGC has secured licenses to store high flash point liquids such as glycols, caustic soda and base oils. The terminals help meet demand for vegetable oil, a market that is expected to grow over the coming

years in the nation. With this, they both include sufficient land and jetties available for further expansions. This is Oiltanking’s first move towards

penetrating the liquid bulk logistics sector in South Africa. Oiltanking also said in a statement that OGC is the preferred bidder for the bulk

liquid terminal in the Port of Coega where it expects to sign a definite agreement with the South African Port Authorities in the near future.

OGC has acquired two liquid bulk terminals in South Africa



InCon InspectionConsultants

Inspection Consultants (InCon) Ltd offers:

Inspection Consultants (InCon) Ltd is a specialist NDT inspection company providing in service and out of service storage tank inspections in compliance with current codes and standards. To complement our inspection services, InCon is able to offer full engineering assessment of storage tanks to meet the guidelines laid down by EEMUA 159 and API 653 including “ﬁtness for purpose” reports, RBI (Risk based Inspection) assessment and inspection scheduling reports.

To discuss your requirements contact: Steve Delves Tel: +44 (0) 1472 488101 Mob: +44 (0)7725 261 393 Email: stevedelves@incon.co.uk

• Storage Tank Integrity Assessment to EEMUA 159 & API 653 • Storage Tank Floor Inspection using the Floormap VS2i MFL Scanner in both Mapping and Manual mode • Storage tank shell survey using the Scorpion Dry Probe UT Crawler • Stainless Steel and Aluminium storage tank shell survey using a Dry Probe UT Scanner on extendible poles negating the requirement for scaffolding around the tank • Dye Penetrant Inspection (DPI) • Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) • Pipeline Integrity Inspection to API 570 • Digital Radiography of pipelines through lagging/insulation • Digital Radiography of PTFE/FRP pipelines • Phased Array Inspection of pipelines, welds, and mapping of corrosion areas • Tubular Inspection using the Olympus MultiScan MS5800 (ECT, IRIS & RFT, NFT, MFL) • Positive Material Identiﬁcation (PMI) • Remote Video Inspection (RVI) • Bespoke Weld Procedures & Welder Qualiﬁcations • Mobile Radiographic Services.

Neil Edge Tel: +44 (0)151 3572212 Mob: +44 (0)7736926750 Email: neil@incon.co.uk Incon.indd 1

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

13/05/2013 10:04

technical news

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

Oil storage grows at Port of Rotterdam Crude oil capacity at the Port of Rotterdam is set to increase as a number of storage terminals are being expanded. Maatschap Europoort (MET), for example, is expanding its capacity with the construction of two 105,000m3 storage tanks. The first of these entered operation at the end of last year, with the second due to come online by the middle of this year. MET will be able to store 1.6 million m3 of crude oil in 21 tanks at the site when this tank comes online. The company handles around 16 million tonnes a year of crude oil. In a statement, the Port of Rotterdam said: ‘The extra tank capacity is not particularly related to an increase in supply, but gives the refineries greater flexibility, which makes them more competitive. As the extraction/ production of North Sea oil is declining, crude oil will be brought in from other areas in the future. These different types will be blended to specifications at MET.’ Three new storage tanks have also been erected at the

Liquid bulk throughput grew at the port last year Maasvlakte Oil Terminal, which came online at the end of 2011. In addition, Shell Europoort recently finished its project to deepen a berth at jetty 104 in the Beneluxhaven, extending it by 2m to -23.65m NAP. This will enable

Shell to handle large oil tankers with a draught of 22m, allowing for more 30,000 tonnes more crude oil per vessel. The Port of Rotterdam said liquid bulk accounted for almost half of its total throughput last year.

Liquid bulk at Port of Antwerp doubles in 20 years The Port of Antwerp handled over 9 million tonnes of bulk liquids in the first two months of 2013, a 100% increase on 1992 volumes. Between January and February, 9.43 million tonnes of product passed through the port, with petroleum derivatives attributing largely to this increase. Expansions at the port were another contributing factor. The amount of liquid bulk in January 2013 alone was 4.56 million tonnes, up from 2.3 million tonnes in January 1992. In February the figures rose by a further 4.86 million compared to just over 2 million recorded in February 1992. The port reported a growth of 37% in the sector compared to the same period in 2012. The Port of Antwerp said in a statement: ‘One important

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

advantage enjoyed by Antwerp is its dynamic tank storage facilities. The port offers more than 6.3 million m3 of storage for energy companies, traders and chemical manufacturers around the world, who increasingly opt for Antwerp as the location for their distribution hubs for petroleum and chemical products. ‘Antwerp has the largest amount of stainless steel tanks in Europe, vital for storing chemical liquids and gases. The storage facilities enable industrial clusters in Germany, southern Netherlands and northern France to be supplied quickly and efficiently.’ Other advantages include controlled shipping traffic within the port, Antwerp’s strategic location and its rail, barge and pipeline connections.

Who are the Innovators in loading arm technology?

terminal news

BTT loads first train Botlek Tank Terminal (BTT) has loaded the first train at its new loading/unloading station. The new station entered service in April and loaded around 1,000 tonnes of biodiesel for export to a Bavaria-based refinery in Germany. The fuel was transferred from one of the storage tanks. In addition to Germany, the station will also be used to load and unload biodiesel to and from Austria and Italy. The project cost €2 million to build and was completed by a consortium of contractors in six months. It features two 340m tracks and can fill or empty six wagons simultaneously at a rate of 400 tonnes per hour. BTT said in a statement: ‘Driven by growing customer demand for rail transport, throughput is expected to rise

BTT’s new loading station

quickly from around two trains a week at the start to one train a day. The facility can also be modified to handle other oil products such as

aviation fuels, petrol, diesel and edible oils. In the mediumterm, throughput could increase to two trains a day.’ BTT’s existing terminal

consists of 34 storage tanks with a total capacity of 200,000 m3. The company is looking to expand this in the near future to a maximum of 750,000m3.

s low F n

re he

ti va o n

The Best Choice

Blackmer For Terminal Operations?

Better Get Blackmer.

HXL Series Sliding Vane Pumps for High-Volume Transfer

Blackmer® Sliding Vane Pumps have been designed with better reliability, better energy savings and better volumetric efficiency for all of your Mission Critical terminal operations. • Easy maintenance and trouble-free operation • Self-adjusting, sliding vane pumps are energy efficient by design • Excellent self-priming and line-stripping capabilities Contact your authorized Blackmer distributor today.

Visit us at

ILTA

Booth #333

1809 Century Avenue SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503-1530 USA +1 (616) 241-1611 www.blackmer.com

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

Oiltanking to expand LPG docks in connection with Enterprise agreement Oiltanking Partners is to expand its storage terminal on the Houston Ship Channel in Texas so it can import and export increased volumes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The expansion, in connection with Oiltanking’s agreement with Enterprise Products Partners which runs through 2026, includes building a new vessel dock as well as adding infrastructure to existing ones. This will enable the handling of more LPG vessels at multiple

docks. The project will cost $44 million (€33.5 million) and operations are planned to begin at the end of 2014. ‘Since the inception of the relationship, both parties have kept pace with import/ export demand by continuing to add the necessary infrastructure to become the preferred LPG import/export facility throughout the Gulf Coast,’ explains Anne-Marie Ainsworth, president and CEO of Oiltanking Partners’ general partner.

‘In conjunction with Enterprise’s most recent expansion at our facility, the loading capacity for lowethane propane will increase from the current rate of almost 4 million barrels per month to approximately 7.5 million barrels per month. Under the amended agreement, Oiltanking will provide vessel-based LPG import and export services on the Houston Ship Channel exclusively to Enterprise.

Valero to build $30m crude oil terminal Valero Energy plans to expand its Benicia refinery in northern California, US with the addition of a new crude oil terminal. The project will cost $30 million (€23 million) and will feature an offloading facility and rail access. The company has submitted an application to the city of Benicia and, if approved, could break

ground on the terminal this year with completion expected for 2014. Valero Energy says the new terminal will help its refinery remain competitive by reducing the amount of foreign crude oil and offsetting it with cheaper North American domestic crude from Canada and the Bakken Shale plays in North Dakota and Montana.

Vopak opens oil storage terminal in Algeciras The first terminal to offer independent oil storage services in Algeciras, Spain has been inaugurated. Vopak Terminal Algeciras, a joint venture between Vopak (80%) and Spain-based Vilma Oil (20%) comprises 22 tanks with a total storage capacity of 403,000m3 for a variety of oil products in addition to a jetty for sea-going vessels. Vopak designed the facility. Together with the ports of Ceuta and

Gibraltar, the port of Algeciras is part of the second largest European marketplace for bunkering services and is an important logistics hub for oil trading activities. ‘The design of the terminal will give our customers the opportunity to capitalise on any developments in the Mediterranean bunker and oil trading market,’ says Eelco Hoekstra, chairman of the executive board and CEO of Vopak. The facility opened on 25 March.

Who Wholistens listensto to their theirclients, clients, helping helpingthem themto to deliver deliveraarange range of ofproducts products considered consideredas as some someof ofthe thebest best on onthe themarket? market?

Vopak has inaugurated its 403,000m3 storage terminal in Spain

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

terminal news

Jefferson Refinery Westway Terminal expansion expands for moves forward The city of Hoquiam in Washington, US will 30 April. Construction will continue through crude oil Jefferson Refinery is building a new crude oil terminal at Orange County dock in the Port of Beaumont, Texas. The project is expected to cost around $46 million (€35 million) which, in the first phase, will see the construction of 120 unloading stations to transfer crude oil from tankers to barges. The terminal will also feature its own berth. The company says the terminal, predicted to offload between 65,000 and 70,000 bpd, will begin handling crude oil delivered via rail in May this year and a 25,000ft rail loop to serve the dock has already been built. The crude oil will be coming from Canada, North Dakota and Texas oil fields in the Eagle Ford Shale for delivery to local refineries. Jefferson Refinery also plans to build storage tanks with a total capacity of 150,000 barres and a pipeline network connecting the facility to ExxonMobil and Oiltanking Beaumont.

collaborate with the Washington Department of Ecology and act as co-lead agencies for the environmental review of Westway Terminals’ proposed expansion of its terminal tank farm at the Port of Grays Harbour. Westway has proposed to build four 200,000-barrel crude oil storage tanks at the site. It would also receive crude oil unit trains and ship product out of the port. The project is estimated to receive 9.6 million barrels of oil annually. The permits were due to be finalised by

December, with the terminal being brought online at the beginning of next year. It has already been determined by the two parties that Westway’s proposed expansion will not pose any risk to the environment and a review showed the chances of land erosion are minimal. Existing traffic is also expected to remain unaffected, with trains coming into the port increasing from three to five per week. The number of vessels into Grays Harbour will rise to five per month.

Klaipedos Nafta awards EPC contract to BMGS Lithuania-based terminal operator Klaipedos Nafta is developing a 2 billion m3 liquefied natural gas terminal and has awarded the EPC contract for the facility’s new jetty to a Latvian construction firm. Following a final tender which closed in February, BMGS won the contract with its lowest bid – the company undertook to

carry out all the works for €27.2 million. The contract is now pending until it receives approval from the terminal operator’s board of directors and shareholders. €14.2 million of Klaipedos’ total investment for the project will be reimbursed by Klaipeda State Seaport Authority as agreed previously.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

Jetti breaks ground on bulk liquid storage terminal Jetti Petroleum, a provider of petroleum products, has broken ground on a bulk storage terminal in Mariveles, a Filipino province of Bataan. The facility will cost P1 billion (€18.5 million) to build will have a storage capacity of 68 million litres, the Philippine Star reported.

This will be Jetti’s second international import terminal for the handling of fuel products coming from Singapore and other countries. The first facility is located in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriential province and exports products to Jetti’s other fuel terminals in Mandaque, Cebu; Naic, Cavite; and Iloilo City, Iloilo.

The TheKonnect Konnect technical news Loading LoadingArm Arm range rangefrom from Emco EmcoWheaton Wheaton

BTT gets new owner Storage company Botlek Tank Terminal (BTT) is now 100% owned by HES Beheer, a holding company for providers of logistical services in ports. HES Beheer acquired Noble Netherlands’ 50% stake in BTT for €21.7 million and, as of 19 April, the terminal is wholly owned by HES Beheer. Noble Netherlands is a subsidiary of Noble Group. The holding firm can fund the purchase price from its own resources and, as it previously announced, will distribute 50% of its 2012 profits in shares instead of cash; together with its annual cash flow surplus, its available cash reserves are sufficient to cover the purchase price. Following the completion of the transaction, liquid bulk will account for around 14% of HES Beheer’s consolidates revenue. Noble Group will continue to be one of BTT’s major customers.

True True

Innovation Innovation developed developedwith with

you you

in inmind mind

Aegis commissions phase one of bulk liquid terminal The first phase of a new 19-tank bulk liquid storage terminal in Haldia in West Bengal, India has been commissioned. Oil, gas and chemicals logistics company Aegis Group is behind the project, which it expects to be fully commissioned in the first half of 2014. The first phase comprises five

tanks with a storage capacity of 15,100KL. Total storage at the terminal will be 60,190KL. It will be able to store and handle a variety of liquids, including liquid cargo, furnace oil and lube oil. With this new capacity at Haldia, Aegis Group will be handling liquid volumes of over 2.5 million tonnes and more than 750,000 tonnes of gas.

HollyFrontier and Holly Energy partner on crude oil rail project Texas-headquartered petroleum refiner and marketer HollyFrontier and Holly Energy Partners, a supplier of petroleum products and crude oil transportation, tankage and terminal services, are collaborating on a rail project for crude oil loading/unloading near HollyFrontier’s Artesia and Lovington refining facilities in New Mexico. The facility, which will have

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

an initial capacity of up to 70,000 bpd, will be connected to Holly Energy’s crude oil pipeline transportation system in the south eastern region of the state. It will be able to handle a number of crude oil types, including West Texas Intermediate, West Texas Sour and Western Canadian Select. Project completion is expected by early 2014.

ToTofind findout outmore, more,contact contactus usnow: now:

t.t.+1 +1281 281856-1300 856-1300 assist@emcowheaton.com assist@emcowheaton.com www.emcowheaton.com www.emcowheaton.com

visit visitus us at atILTA ILTA on onstand stand #405 #405 21

terminal news

Shell Malaysia completes Wesport Terminal expansion Shell Malaysia has completed the expansion of its Westport Terminal in Malaysia after finalising phase three of the project. The third stage in this build-out includes three new storage tanks and 1.4km of pipelines. The terminal expansion will allow Shell to meet the demand for petroleum products in Malaysia’s Klang Valley while also relieving overcrowding at its existing facility at Port Dickson and Klang Valley Distribution Terminal. The facility, which first opened in May 2011, is built on 25 acres and includes access to Westport’s jetties, cargo lines, fuel storage tanks and gantry facilities. ‘The expansion project demonstrates Shell’s ongoing confidence in the country. We envision Malaysia as a key country for Shell Downstream and we

Shell is continuing to invest is Malaysia will invest in this country to strengthen our position here,’ Azman Ismail, MD of Shell Malaysia Trading, said at the project’s inauguration ceremony. Shell Malaysia’s chairman Iain Lo adds: ‘Malaysia is one of Shell’s

heartlands. Our continued investment for our downstream business reflects our recognition of Malaysia as an attractive long-term investment destination not just in the upstream sector but also in the downstream business.’

MOBILE COLD CUTTING SERVICES

Ultra High Pressure Mobile Water-jet Cutting SPECIALIZING IN CUTTING OF TANK S P I P ES VESSELS C ONC RETE ASP HALT F I BERGLASS

• Environmently Friendly • Adaptable Configurations • Design & Fabrication of Specialty Cutting Tools • Simultaneous Multiple Cutting Head Systems • Easy Set-up & Minimal Support

Safe-Cut uses patented Ragworm® technology that has been proven around the world.

903.986.8386 • email: info@safe-cut.com • www.safe-cut.com Safe-Cut is a service of Mass Technology Corporation.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

Cargill to expand site in Rotterdam’s Botlek area Cargill’s site in the Botlek area of the Port of Rotterdam is to be expanded after it reached an agreement with the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Under the agreement, the company’s current site will be extended by 28,000m3. An inland shipping jetty and sea jetty, which was relocated earlier this year, are currently built there. A producer and marketer of industrial, agricultural and food products and services, Cargill also processes vegetable oils and fats, and its refinery in Rotterdam is one of Europe’s largest. According to Bas Hennissen, VP of industry and bulk cargo at the Port of Rotterdam Authority, this agreement demonstrates what the port ‘wants to achieve with the restructuring of the Botlek area: to offer clients the space they need to achieve their ambitions for growth and improve the infrastructure’.

Gibson Energy building 1.7m bbl of new storage capacity Canadian midstream energy company Gibson Energy is building a new 500,000-barrel crude oil storage tank at its Hardisty Terminal in Alberta and has received committed customer support for the tank. It will be erected along with three 400,000-barrel tanks, two of which were announced

in September last year. Site preparation and civil works are now underway, with the first 400,000-barrel tank expected to enter service by mid-2014. The second and third tanks are predicted to be operational by the end of 2014 and a new 500,000-barrel tank will come online at the beginning of 2015.

Kinder Morgan growing Sweeny Lateral pipeline Pipeline transportation and energy storage company Kinder Morgan Energy is increasing capacity on the Sweeny Lateral pipeline and has entered into a longterm contract to support the expansion. The Sweeny Lateral pipeline connects the Kinder Morgan Crude Condensate pipeline to Phillip 66’s Sweeny refinery in Brazoria County, Texas. The project will see capacity increase from 30,000 bpd to 100,000 bpd. Kinder Morgan will add a new 120,000-barrel

storage tank and additional pumps at its Wharton Pump station, plus increase the truck offload capabilities at its DeWitt Station to facilitate the increase in capacity. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2013. KMP Products Pipelines president Ron McClain says the expansion ‘provides Phillips 66 with a flexible option to move more crude and condensate out of the Eagle Ford shale to their refinery in Sweeny’.

Fluid Control Systems: Systems: • Additive & Dye Injection • Bio Fuel & Chemical Blending • Fuel & Chemical Loading • Pump Sets & Pump Control Vehicle & Plant Access Solutions: • Truck & Railcar Loading & Access • Portable Access Units (Rolling Ladders) • Modular Industrial Stairs & Platforms • Barge & Ship Loading & Access • Spill Containment Control & Automation: • Electrical & Pneumatic Control Panels • PLC Systems and Services • HMI / SCADA / DCS

Superior solutions and services that exceed customers’ expectations

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

For further details please contact: sales@FlotechPS.com www.FlotechPS.com Telephone: +44 (0) 1472 268852

terminal news

Rangeland plans crude oil terminal Midstream energy company Rangeland Energy is to build a new storage terminal near Loving, New Mexico after agreeing to acquire up to 770 acres of land for the project. The facility will be able to handle crude oil, frac sand, pipe and other products. It will also feature a pipeline system in southern Eddy County, New Mexico which will connect to existing and planned pipelines for both the receipt and delivery of crude oil. Expected to be operational by the end of this year, the terminal will benefit crude oil producers and buyers located in the Delaware Basin. It will produce crude oil from the incoming sand frac and pipe, and store and export

Rangeland will buy 770 acres of land for the new terminal it to multiple downstream markets via pipeline and rail. Rangeland has also

purchased land on which it will build facilities for the receipt, storage and distribution of

frac sand. The facility will be served by BNSF Railways.

Enbridge completes Bakken pipeline expansion

Magellan is acquiring Rocky Mountain infrastructure from PAAP

PAAP to sell non-core refined products assets to Magellan Plains All American Pipeline (PAAP) is to sell its non-core refined product pipelines and related assets in the Rocky Mountain and New Mexico areas. The company signed a definitive agreement with Magellan Midstream Partners, which will acquire the pipelines and other assets for approximately $190 million (€143 million). The transaction is expected to close

during the second quarter of this year, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The assets to be sold include a pipeline system that delivers refined products throughout Wyoming, South Dakota and Colorado and associated tankage, in addition to a pipeline system that delivers refined products from El Paso, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico and Juarez in Mexico.

Energy transportation company Enbridge Energy Partners has finished its expansion of the Bakken Pipeline, which runs from Berthold in North Dakota to Steelman in Saskatchewan, Canada. Undertaken by Enbridge Partners in the US and Enbridge Income Fund in Canada, the project included the reversal and expansion of an existing pipeline and the construction of a 16” pipeline, linked to a newly-built terminal near the company’s mainline facility in Cromer, Manitoba. The project provides 145,000 bpd of capacity, 25,000 bpd of which began operations at the beginning of last year. Enbridge says that ‘firm commitments totalling 100,000 bpd have been received from anchor shippers’. ‘This is the third expansion project we have undertaken in the last five years to meet the needs of Saskatchewan producers and enable growing production from the Bakken region to access key US markets,’ says John Whelen, president of Enbridge Income Fund.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

technical news

SAP/ERP

How it works

G3 Client

Corporate/Regional Office

Corporate Internet Optional Private Connection Terminal 1

DTN TABS®

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

DTN Guardian Host™

G3 Server

G3 Client

Terminal 2

G3 Server

G3 Client

terminal news

Gull brightens up terminal k n ta d te ra o c e d rt a t e re st h wit Gull has opened a new 10.6 million litre, painted with an eye catching energy-themed mural, at its Mount Maunganui terminal located in the Port of Tauranga.

storage facility has New Zealand’s third largest bulk . ition add ue uniq and a new

by the Minister of The tank was officially opened spray painted the final he n Energy Simon Bridges whe . ting pain the in teardrop

s total storage The new tank brings the terminal’ tanks able to six with , litres n millio 88 capacity to . store over 10 million litres

terpiece was painted The 15m high and 30m wide mas took four days to ve, ecti Coll Cut ts artis d by Aucklan of spray paint. s can 200 e complete and used mor

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

Singapore’s LNG terminal comes online Commercial operations have begun at Singapore LNG’s new LNG terminal on Jurong Island after it received its first commercial cargo. The decision to build the $1.7 billion (€1.3 billion) terminal was made in 2006 and construction started in 2010. The first two tanks with regasification facilities are now complete. Second minister for home affairs, trade and industry, Mr S Iswaran, says: ‘Energy diversification is an important part of Singapore’s strategy for energy security and resilience. The LNG terminal is a key infrastructure to achieve this objective. It will also contribute to the development of Singapore

as a regional gas hub.’ The new terminal will have an initial throughput capacity of 3.5 million tonnes a year, which will increase to 6 million tonnes by the end of this year when a third tank, additional jetties and regasification facilities are completed. A fourth tank and associated regasification facilities will also be added to the site, bringing throughput to 9 million tonnes a year.

Singapore’s new LNG terminal on Jurong Island

Level Plus® Magnetostrictive Liquid Level Sensors

BP starts work on Iraq terminal BP is to build a terminal at the Port of Khor al-Zubair after signing an agreement with Iraq. Under a five-year contract, the oil major will construct the new facility to replace an existing one and began work at the site on 30 April. No financial details of the project have been revealed. Speaking to Reuters Anmar al-Safi, a spokesman at the General Company for Ports of Iraq, said: ‘BP will help Iraq build an advanced terminal to receive refined oil product shipments and also to export products in future. BP will pay around $7 for each cubic metre of imported and exported refined products through this terminal.’ The terminal will be completed in phases, with operations expected to commence in 18 months’ time. ‘We are working with the Ministry of Transport in Iraq to help meet the country’s demand for refined oil products,’ BP’s CEO of integrated supply and trading business Paul Reed was quoted as saying.

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

3-in-1 Measurement Level Plus® transmitters are the most economical automatic tank gauging solution. Combining the measurement of Product Level, Interface Level and Temperature from one sensor in one tank.

›

Visit us: Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), Houston Booth 7446

MTS Sensor Technologie GmbH & Co. KG • Tel. +49 (0) 23 51 / 95 87-0 • www.mtssensor.com

The Measurable Difference

technical news

Tank

torage Directory

Brought to you by the leading publication Tank Storage magazine

Update your free listing now

The terminal operator’s buyer’s guide

TANK STORAGE DIRECTORY

Your FREE listing will be accessed by equipment and service buyers at terminals worldwide Choose up to 3 FREE categories Include full contact details Update changes online NEW for 2013 – Live fully searchable online version

The must-have book for the Tank Storage industry

All for FREE Tank Storage Directory.indd 1

26/02/2013 13:44

Complete your FREE listing by visiting www.tankstoragedirectory.com New online version for 2013

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal news

FREE advertising NEW for 2013 We will, for the first time in 2013, be creating an online version of the directory. This will be a quick and fully searchable database for terminal operators to locate exactly what they need and allows you to update your details at anytime during the year so if you move office or have a change of personnel your prospective customers will still be able to reach you quickly and easily.

The Tank Storage magazine Directory is the most comprehensive source of equipment and service providers to the oil and chemical tank terminalling industry, and is an indispensable tool for owners and operators of storage tanks globally. Here at Tank Storage magazine we’re constantly asked by terminal operators for lists of companies that provide certain equipment or services - whether that be tank construction, vapour recovery units, loading arms, tank cleaning - you name it we’ve been asked it. So we’ve come up with the solution - the Tank Storage Magazine Directory. With over 90 separate product/service categories in which to list your company for FREE the Tank Storage Directory is read by terminal owners and operators worldwide. Companies that used the directory in 2012 include: Cyprus Petroleum Storage, Odfjell, Sprague Energy, LBC Tank Terminals, VTTI, Caltex, Vopak, IMTT…to name just a few. So if you wish to highlight your company and its products and services to buyers and procurement specialists at the leading terminal owners around the world we would recommend completing the FREE listing form on the website or on this form.

To create or update your company profile go to – www.tankstoragedirectory.com

w The Tank Storage directory also includes up-to-date terminal data such as: w The leading independent terminal operators worldwide by capacity and by region w Expert views and 2013 outlook from leading industry terminal owners w Regional analysis articles w New building updates by region

With hundreds of companies listed in the Directory you might like to make your listing stand out from the crowd by adding a colour logo by your listing, or an advertisement to give you that extra space to fully explain and illustrate your company’s capabilities and expertise. In many cases we will be able to place your advert by your listing (on a first come first served basis). All print advertisers get a free online banner on the web pages upon which their listing appears. And all advertisers get a free copy of the directory when it’s printed worth over €300/$380.

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

terminal news

Shoreside to start on terminal expansion Alaska-based fuel and lubricant distributor Shoreside Petroleum will expand its fuel storage terminal in Seward later this year. The project is to be completed in stages with phase one commencing in the summer. The extension will see an additional 8 million gallons of storage built at the site, raising the terminal’s total capacity to around 10 million gallons. New storage at the terminal will guarantee supply all year round; harsh winter months can result in supply to the facility being cut from Cook Inlet due to severe ice. Shoreside is partnering with Petro Marine Services for the expansion.

Lindsay Goldberg to invest heavily after terminal purchase Lindsay Goldberg is to acquire a 49% interest in Odfjell Terminals after the two companies signed final transaction agreements. Odjfell Terminals is the holding company for the majority of Odfjell’s tank terminals activities. Odfjell announced its intention to expand its existing joint venture (JV) with Lindsay Goldberg last December. In exchange for a 49% share, Lindsay Goldberg will invest $219.2 million (€167.3 million) in cash and also contribute its 49% share of the existing JV. As a result, all of the assets in the existing JV will be fully owned by Odfjell Terminals, 51% of which will be owned by Odfjell and 49% by Lindsay Goldberg. Odfjell says the investment will be used for global expansion projects, particularly in China. An investment will also be made to improve Odfjell Terminals Rotterdam. The transaction is expected to close by the third quarter of this year.

The terminal expansion will secure year-round oil supplies

TransCanada plans crude oil infrastructure in Alberta TransCanada is to build, own and operate a proposed pipeline and terminal facility in Alberta, Canada after reaching binding long-term shipping agreements. The storage terminal could have a capacity for up to 1.9 million barrels of crude oil. The Heartland Pipeline would be 125 miles long and able to transport up to 900,000 bpd of crude oil, connecting the Edmonton region to facilities in Hardisty, Alberta and a terminal facility in the Heartland industrial area north of Edmonton. Both projects, estimated to cost $900 million (€690 million) and enter service during the second half of 2015, are being developed to support growing crude oil production in Alberta. ‘With Alberta oil production projected

to increase by almost 3 million barrels per day over the next 15 years, it is important to have the right infrastructure in place to move these resources safely and reliably to market,’ says Alex Pourbaix, TransCanada’s president of energy and oil pipelines. ‘These projects will help link Canadian crude oil resources in northern Alberta to markets in eastern Canada and the US.’ The company says it plans to file a regulatory application for the terminal by the middle of this year, followed by a separate application for the pipeline towards the end of 2013. TransCanada currently operates 15,000 miles of natural gas pipelines across Alberta and 2,150 miles of crude oil pipelines through its Keystone Pipeline.

Enterprise’s 4 million barrel storage expansion Enterprise Products is to expand its crude oil storage and distribution infrastructure in south eastern Texas. The project will include the addition of 4 million barrels of crude oil storage capacity at Enterprise’s Crude Oil Houston (ECHO) and Bertron terminals. It will also build 55 miles of pipeline that will connect ECHO to major refineries in the southeast Texas market. Constructed in phases, the expansion is expected to be finished by the end of 2014.

‘Refiners in the south east Texas market are responding to the opportunities created by the rapidly changing source and grades and crude oil supplies,’ Enterprise COO AJ Teague explains. ‘We have received strong interest from our customers to expedite the development of additional storage capacity and distribution capability to facilitate their consumption of the different grades of crude oil.’

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

technical news

NO MAN WAS EVER GREAT BY IMITATION

- Samuel Johnson

FlowDome™ from BTE The source of true innovation for the above ground storage tank industry

BTE

manufactured the

world's first

flush batten design geodesic dome roof

in 2010

Baillie Tank Equipment

Phone: +61 2 9317 5900 Fax: +61 2 9317 5911 E-mail: Sydney@BaillieTank.com Web Site: www.BaillieTank.com

worldwide installations TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

25 years experience

quality construction 31

technical news

PMSL advances side entry mixer Fluid mixing equipment and process optimisation company Philadelphia Mixing Solutions (PMSL) has developed advancements for one of its side entry mixers. The Cutlass side entry mixer now includes the BSE-R fixed angle and the BSE-R swivel models to help overcome prevalent concerns in the petroleum sector. The development provides benefits for maintenance, reliability, operations and promotes energy conservation. The design advancements feature a cartridge-style mechanical seal allowing more room to access and maintain bearings and seals. The shaft is precision-machined to reduce vibration and to increase bearing life for increased reliability.

The improved mixer has a cartridge-style mechanical seal

Vibration and temperature sensors can be mounted on pads cast into the housing to monitor the unit while in operation. The drive

The SB-RT Telescoping Ramp Gangway with folding handrails

Green Access improves safety on tank trucks Green Access and Fall Protection, an access and fall protection equipment manufacturer, says its ramp gangways provide safety to operators working on top of tank trucks or rail cars. Its SB-RT Telescoping Ramp Gangways, which are ideal for applications where the required range is within 15 degrees above or below the working platform height, feature adjustable dual-tension springs in both box-channel side panels. Folding handrails and telescoping midrails are made from heavy wall tubing and mounted on both sides as standard equipment. The gangways

also feature heavy-duty 0.5â&#x20AC;? bumpers and a grip-strut walking surface for better traction. The gangways are fitted with various rugged materials including steel, aluminium and fibreglass to withstand extreme environments. A number of mounting options are available to operators, such as slide-track mounting, pivot mounting and blush-mount brackets. Optional features include manual or electrically operated hydraulic lift packages for larger units, side-mount brackets, as well as welded stops or safety chains that prevent from travelling beyond a predetermined position.

is protected by a rigid belt cover with quick release captive fasteners and a polycarbonate viewing window for checking the belt.

Alert acquires emergency management solution from CPD Alert Disaster Control (Alert), a supplier of emergency response and integrated risk management solutions services, equipment, systems and products, has acquired emergency management software from CPD. Software solution provider CPD developed the iResponse Emergency Management software, which is in use in more than 20 countries across industries including oil, gas, petrochemical and power, for consequence modelling for thermal, dispersion and overpressure scenarios, and emergency management training. Alert and CPD say they will continue to work in partnership to expand and deliver iResponse software to its customer base.

May/June 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ TANK STORAGE

terminal news

From the level instrument through to your ERP system. Inventory management solutions of Endress+Hauser! Endress+Hauser inventory management solutions help you to reduce inventory costs, to improve customer satisfaction and to increase productivity. From easy monitoring of tanks and silos through to highly accurate tank gauging at tank farms and the automation of terminals, Endress+Hauser – being one of the leading manufacturers of instrumentation – offers, apart from all relevant measuring technologies, also the appropriate software packages to monitor your inventories. Endress+Hauser also supports you in the optimization of your supply chain with individual software solutions for your inventory management and the integration of this data into your company processes and your ERP system. www.tank-gauging.endress.com

Endress+Hauser, Inc. 2350 Endress Place Greenwood, IN 46143 USA

Phone 888-ENDRESS Fax (317)535-8498 info@us.endress.com www.us.endress.com

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

technical news

MyTankInfo to install technology at Southern Petroleum sites Southern Petroleum, a US fuel retailer and distributor with facilities in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee, has teamed up with MyTankInfo for fuel management and site monitoring activities. MyTankInfo will install its technology

to help Southern Petroleum solve complexities within its fuelling operations. It connects Automatic Tank Gauges (ATGs) to the internet for simple and cost effective fuel site monitoring. Access to fuel levels, ATG alarms and compliance data is available

when connected to the internet. Chad Ross, VP of marketing at Southern Petroleum, says: ‘The ability to remotely connect to our sites, as well as receive immediate notification of alarms, are key capabilities that will save us money and reduce risk.’

New headlamp for hazardous areas Equipment manufacturer Ecom Instruments has added a new headlamp to its range of portable lamps which are approved for use in hazardous areas. The Lite-Ex PL 10H headlamp features an adjustable rubber band that can either be worn on a helmet or directly on your head. Its rig switch operates in a non-contact and wear-

free manner and the lamp can also be operated when wearing gloves. The LED is protected by a scratch-resistent, coated panel. It can be operated with 3,000 lux and 6° lens or 1,800 lux and 25° lens to illuminate the working area without any colour distortion. The angle of the lamp can be optimally adjusted to suit the respective conditions on-site.

Hands free work: the Lite-Ex headlamp is suitable for use in potentially explosive areas

THE ULTIMATE FIRE SAFE HOSE

for fuel and chemical transfer

When you can’t afford to compromise on safety, choose fire-safe VRS

+44 151 678 2222 34

sales@dantec.com

www.dantec.com May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

technical news

Pending ASTM biodiesel blend method for filter-based IR analysers An ASTM method for measuring biodiesel is expected to be approved by the end of this year, following the completion of full committee voting. The current ASTM methods for biodiesel blend analysis – D 7371 and EN 14078 – require FTIR spectrometers, expensive equipment which terminal operators are reluctant to place at the loading rack. In addition to the costs associated with these spectrometers, the level of technical knowledge required to operate them presents another issue. Filter-based infrared analysers are better suited for the environment where

The compact and robust InfraCal Biodiesel Blend Analyzer fuels are blended. With this in mind, Wilks Enterprise says it supports an ASTM method which provides a fast, easy to use and inexpensive infrared method for measuring biofuels. The method is now in the process of voting, with approval due for acceptance before the end of 2013. Wilks manufacturers the InfraCal Biodiesel Blend Analyzer and InfraSpec VFA-IR Spectrometer. The InfraCal Biodiesel Blend Analyzer is a specificanalysis fixed-filter infrared

New composite hose ensures safety during chemical transfer UK composite hose manufacturer Dantec has added a fire-safe vapour release system product to its portfolio, suitable for fuel terminal and transport users. The vapour release system utilises a series of non-asbestos barriers in order to achieve its fire retardant ability. This helps to avoid hot, vapourising fuel being violently deposited onto a running or spillage fire and the associated catastrophic effects. According to Dantec, fire-safe VRS ensures the hose carcass is still intact and working after

30 minutes of a severe fire attack. It says: ‘Even after loss of integrity, the fire-safe hose will not fail catastrophically. Instead, it will gradually burn off the product as vapour perculates through the layers and presents itself to atmosphere.’ Fire-safe VRS can be used in a range of enduse applications for the transfer of fuel, chemicals and vapour. The composite hose contains a number of advantages over other forms of flexible hose, including flexibility, weight, versatility and chemical resistance.

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

analyser, suitable for use by fleet managers, distributors or regulators. It provides the user with the capability to measure the blend ratio onsite in 30 seconds, and has a measurement range of 0-100% with an accuracy of +/- 0.20%. The InfraSpec VFA-IR Spectrometer is a spectral range analyser with a linear variable filter and a

detector array covering the wavelength range of 5.4-10.8 μm. This enables it to measure both biodiesel in diesel and ethanol in petrol, or water in ethanol. The simplified PC interface means non-technical personnel are able to make measurements on-site at the blending terminal, as well as the manufacturing facility or laboratory.

Complete liquid management

 Web

based terminal automation systems

 Tank

gauging and inventory management

 Stock

control systems

 Bio-ethanol

and Bio-diesel blending control

 Engineering  Site

design services

maintenance

www.ea-projects.com

T: +44 (0)1629 815674 F: +44 (0)1629 813426

EAP Tank Storage ad.indd 1

sales@ea-projects.com www.ea-projects.com

35 14:54 07/01/2013

technical news

Magnetrol launches new wave radar transmitter Level and flow measurement instrumentation company Magnetrol International has launched a new guided wave radar (GWR) transmitter. The Eclipse Model 706 is designed to be accurate and safe in a number of process industries. Its GWR security achieves both a high transmit pulse amplitude and receiver sensitivity, resulting in an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to competitive devices, Magnetrol says. The model is able to provide dependable control of all application levels, including low dielectric media, extended measuring

ranges and harsh conditions where foaming, boiling or flashing can occur. It is virtually unaffected by fluctuating process conditions such as density, dielectric, viscosity and specific gravity. The company says the transmitter can be installed with coaxial and single rod overfill-capable probes, even when the risk of flooding exists. The LCD diagnostics provide real-time waveform and trend data. Additionally, the model can be preconfigured online prior to shipment to ensure plug-and-play transmitter commissioning and automatic capture of echo curve during upsets.

Gamajet tank cleaning solution benefits biofuels industry Gamajet’s tank cleaning equipment offers new sustainable cleaning processes for biomass-based plants. The Gamajet EZ-8 is designed for cleaning tanks within the renewable energy production industry to save time and increase plant productivity. The company says it has been found to increase etOH yields by up to 30%. The equipment can operate for 800-1,000 hours before preventative maintenance is recommended, a process that can be carried out in the field to decrease tank downtime. A saving of up to 80 hours of machine maintenance a year can be realised with the EZ-8. In addition to time, the cleaning instrument also saves water and chemical consumption – up to 85% per cleaning, according to Gamajet. It carries out thorough cleaning to maintain product quality, resulting in fewer lost batches to microbial growth and provides optimum fermentation results.

safety

With health, safety and the environment in mind.

Advanced technology and methods provide optimal levels of efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness in non-man entry tank cleaning. Discover how at www.oreco.com Automated tank cleaning and oil recovery solutions

Gamajet’s cleaning equipment goes for 1,000 hours

Cashco opens new office in Brazil Cashco, a US-headquartered equipment manufacturer, has opened a new sales and service office in Sao Paulo, Brazil in response to the growth in sales of its line of control valves, regulators and tank equipment in Europe. The company has already hired the office’s new manager in the shape of Thiago Pittner, Cashco’s GM of the valve division Clint Rogers says. ‘He not only understands the South American market and languages, but can respond quicker than we can from the US. By having a technician within the country, we can deal with issues that come up in an efficient manner,’ Rogers says.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

technical news

Aluminum geodesic dome roofs are used to cover storage tanks up to 120 m diameters in the petroleum industry. • Extreme Light-Weight Construction • Corrosion Resistance • Low Maintenance • Low Erection Cost • Minimum Emission

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

technical news

Simon Storage and Prax extend contract Simon Storage has been providing Prax Petroleum with fuel storage capacity since 2012, and took first deliveries of diesel and gasoil into its UK, Immingham West Terminal in September. Since then product throughput has risen and in February 2013 the contract was extended to include biodiesel storage for intank blending to comply with the government’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (RTFO). Under the contract, Simon Storage provides Prax with more than 18,000m3 of storage capacity, in addition to road loading facilities for onward delivery. Simon Storage says its Immingham West facility and neighbouring East Terminal offer a convenient location for both exporters and importers, with road, rail and waterway transport links providing access to the Midlands and northern England.

Simon Storage provides Prax with storage exceeding 18,000m3

FRANKLIN

OCK HIGH INTEGRIT Y DOUBLE BL AND BLEED PLUG VALVES

“Where Customer Service is Our Focus.” An industry proven design. Franklin improvements extend service life and performance in: • Product manifolds • Measurement units • Processing Equipment Isolation • Loading Racks and Tank Isolation • In ANSI class 150, 300 & 600 • API 591, 6D, 6FA, 622 Certiﬁed

713-812-7100 | sales@franklinvalve.com | www.franklinvalve.com

Rotary Engineering secures two contracts worth S$42m Rotary Engineering, a provider of engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, has secured two new contracts worth around S$42 million (€25.9 million). Rotary says the first S$30 million contract was ‘awarded by one of the world’s leading independent storage operators for oil, gas and chemicals’. The project is located on Jurong Island and involved the engineering design, procurement and construction (EPC) of three spherical storage tanks designed for more stringent storage conditions. The second contract, with a S$12 million value, was awarded by an international speciality chemicals company for the fabrication and installation of pipe rack modules, also on Jurong Island. Rotary is currently working on two major projects: the S$250 million EPC contract for the Fujairah Oil Terminal in the UAE and the S$300 million expansion of the oil terminal at Pulau Busing in Singapore. The projects are scheduled to be completed within the next two years. The Fujairah project involves building 1.1 million m3 for petroleum storage while the Pulau Busing project includes the EPC of 800,000m3 for tankage facilities.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

technical news

got MAGS?

Read more on page 102

Call the experts in tank TANK STORAGE â&#x20AC;˘ May/June 2013 grounding today! 1-800-749-6800

technical news

Emerson certified for process systems cyber security Emerson Process Management’s digital process automation system and project engineering support services have been certified under Wurldtech Security Technologies’ Achilles, a certification which protects process control equipment from evolving cyber security threats. Its DeltaV automation system

has passed standards set by Wurldtech and it now features cost effective, easy to use protections. Manufacturers participating in the programme must re-certify every year as annual audits help participants improve their cyber security processes and practices, development, testing, commissioning,

maintenance and support throughout an automation system’s lifecycle. According to Emerson Process Management’s chief strategic officer Peter Zornio: ‘Wurldtech set the bar for device manufacturer cyber security. Now, with the Achilles practices certification, it has expanded coverage to the entire control system and its lifecycle.’

RTS to process safety material for NSAPI

Low-Cost Ethanol and Biodiesel Blend Analyzers •

Ethanol in Gasoline

•

Biodiesel in Diesel Fuel

•

Portable, Easy to Use

•

Used by Fuel Distributors, Petroleum Terminals, and Regulatory Agencies

On-site analysis with InfraCal® Analyzers offers a quick way to verify that fuel blends are on spec. Incorrect blends can lead to regulatory fines, loss of customer confidence, and damage to equipment using the fuel. InfraCal Ethanol and Biodiesel Blend Analyzers give you: ➢ Results in under 30 seconds ➢ 0.2% - 98% ethanol ➢ 0.2% - 100% biodiesel ➢ Same technology as EN 14078 and ASTM D7371 ➢ Easy, dependable operation ➢ Ideal for non-technical users ➢ Assurance your blend quality always meets specifications Watch our videos http://www.wilksir.com/biofuel-videos.html Visit our website www.WilksIR.com Scan the QR code to watch our videos on your mobile device.

simple analytical solutions

Wilks Enterprise, Inc. East Norwalk, CT 06855 USA TEL: 203-855-9136 FAX: 203-838-9868 EMAIL: info@WilksIR.com

Visit Us at ILTA 2013, Booth 906 40

Reynolds Training Services (RTS) has been awarded a contract to produce training material for the National Skills Academy Process Industries. The UK-based health and safety provider will develop six modules for the academy’s new ‘Process Safety Management for Operations’ course to help meet the requirements of the training standard created by the PSM industry-led project Expert Panel. RTS director John Reynolds said the creation of a trainer package to enable health and safety personnel to deliver the process safety course in-house would be a benefit to the industry. ‘Time, cost-saving and flexibility of delivery will be complemented by the local knowledge and experience an onsite trainer brings as they understand their own site and its associated hazards better than anyone else,’ he says.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

technical news

Roxtec seals the deal with Humber oil refinery Cable seal manufacturer Roxtec has signed a deal to supply one of the largest oil refineries in Humber, UK. The Humberside refinery processes around 221,000 barrels of crude oil per day and Roxtec will supply a number of transit seals which cover cables entering large-scale fuel, oil

and bund tanks at the facility. ‘We are being used to seal cables powering the instrumentation equipment for level sensors in the bund tanks. The technology forms a fire-, water- and dust-tight seal at the point the cables enter the tanks,’ the company’s MD Graham O’Hare says.

In upgrading the existing brownfield site, Roxtec has supplied a customised sealing solution to fit around the existing structures and facilities. O’Hare adds: ‘The system can be retrofitted around the existing cable and pipework to simplify upgrades on the site.’

Parker launches portable oil contamination detector Parker Hannifin, a manufacturer of motion and control technologies, has launched a portable bottle sampling system that detects contamination in hydraulic oils and hydrocarbon fuels. The compact icountBSplus, which uses laser particle counting technology, has been designed to help improve the reliability and productivity of production equipment and processes. It is able to be used in fixed location laboratory or for portable contamination testing in a wide range of industry sectors including oil and gas, aerospace,

agriculture and construction. The laser particle counting technology and Windowsbased user interface can deliver results in 15 seconds. A front-loading sample bottle chamber provides a controlled environment where every sample is degassed using suppressed, clean air prior to delivery to the measurement cell via a fixed displacement pumping system. This helps eliminate many of the variables associated with traditional methods of contamination monitoring. An integrated relative humidity

moisture sensor is included to detect and report on the water content in the sample being tested. An additional sensor provides accurate temperature monitoring while an external fluid supply adaptor facilitates sampling from a hydraulic pressure line. Data from more than 500 tests can be stored in the built-in memory or printed with the integrated thermal printer. Results may

also be downloaded for analysis using common applications such as Microsoft Office. Any future software upgrades can be uploaded to the unit via a convenient, integrated USB port. The icountBSplus is CE compliant and fully accredited to all particle counting standards, including ISO, NAS, AS and GOST, as well as the latest ISO Medium Test Dust standards.

New sealing material protects during harsh temperatures OPW Engineered Systems, a division of OPW Fluid Transfer Group, has improved two of its bottom-loading couplers with the addition of a new sealing material. Its 1004D3 and 1004D4 models of OPW’s API Bottom-Loading Couplers are now available with ‘low-temp’ material that has been designed to retain its sealing capabilities at temperatures as low as -55°C. The seal material is also compatible with all petrol, diesel and ethanol formulations and blends. These low-temp seals with sub-zero leak protection help eliminate concerns associated with cold-weather leaks. OPW says a temperature drop commonly affects the sealing ability of many bottom-loading couplers and the only solution available to operators is to wait for the temperature to rise. The two models provide a fast connection during transfers and work to reduce liquid loss at disconnect; they can be fitted with all 4” bottom-loading adaptors.

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

technical news

FABRICATION AND ERECTION Highly recognized for safely delivering On-Time, On-Budget tank and piping projects. Sixty years in the business of storage tank engineering, design, fabrication and construction with skilled and experienced personnel that perform field construction of tanks, associated steel plate structures, piping, structural steel and related equipment, often on turn key basis in the US and internationally.

Tampa Tank Inc. product line includes both shop assembled ASME and field erected API storage tanks, process tanks, silos, bins, hoppers, duct work, stacks, stack liners, breechings, miscellaneous and other custom structures in carbon steel, alloy steel. In addition, Tampa Tank, Inc. offers tank inspection, repair and maintenance services.

2710 E 5th Avenue Member of:

Tampa, Florida 33605, USA Tel +1 813 241 4261 Fax +1 813 626 1641 e-mail: sales@tti-fss.com visit us at: www.tti-fss.com Certified by:

May/June 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ TANK STORAGE

technical news

Trelleborg develops vapour suppression spheres for fire fighting Trelleborg has developed an advanced composite material specifically designed as a fire and vapour suppression agent for large storage tanks containing hydrocarbon polar or non-polar fuels. Applied as a semipermanent vapour barrier, or used as an additive to firefighting foam, the new Vapor Suppressing Spheres create a barrier between both polar and non-polar flammable liquids and the vapour space above. As the product is capable of handling high temperatures and has an oil repellant outer coating, the barrier lasts indefinitely compared to the temporary barrier that traditional ‘wet’ foam provides, therefore eliminating the need for continuous re-application. The individual spheres, which vary in size from 3-5mm, are applied dry and self-assemble into a foamlike structure that is lighter than both oil and water. The resulting ‘foam’

suppresses vapours to the point of extinguishing the liquid hydrocarbon fires. Unlike traditional water-based foams, the dry foam fire suppression spheres work without freezing or bubble degradation, and are better for the environment because they do not contain fluorosurfactants. Since they do not rely on water to put out fires, the spheres are most suitable for applications where water is scarce and in regions where low temperatures pose freezing issues. Another application for the Vapor Suppression Spheres is in chemical storage tanks that, due to safety reasons, cannot have a physical roof. Trelleborg recently completed an in-house and third party testing programme to quantify the ability of the spheres to function as a semi-permanent floating roof. The findings indicated that a 6” layer of spheres could provide a suppression evaporation rate of hydrocarbon up to 98% of

Maag introduces seal-less internal gear pumps Maag Industrial Pumps, a producer of positive displacement pumps and systems, has added a new line of products to its portfolio. The EnviroGear Seal-less Internal Gear Pump features a seal-less design with patented between-the-bearing support system, which effectively eliminates leaks and mechanical wear, enhancing safety and reliability. It uses magnets mounted directly to the rotor, eliminating the adapter plate, which in turn allows for a single-fluid chamber. The design of this chamber results in a short flow path and allows the pump to easily handle fluids with high viscosities up to 50,000 cSt while increasing bearing life and reducing maintenance. The pumps are available in ductile iron, carbon steel and stainless steel with differential pressures from (20-200 psi) for ductile iron and available for temperatures from -40°C-260°C. Maag Industrial Pumps is a new product platform introduced by Pump Solutions Group (PSG), a business unit within Dover Corp. This new platform combines PSG’s existing external/internal gear and screw pump technologies under the Maag brand name.

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

Trelleborg’s composite material has been designed as a fire and vapour suppression agent

that in a tank with no spheres. The spherical shape and specific gravity of the spheres allow them to spread easily and in layers, providing improved blockage of vapour

paths. Furthermore, as the spheres minimise product loss by reducing the need for re-application, tank farm operators are able to make significant cost savings.

For your storage needs in Europe! Storage of Chemicals and Petroleum products. Contact us! Telephone: +46-31 53 45 00 Fax: +46-31 53 45 08 Email: info@nordicstorage.se

technical news

Honeywell wins four contracts worth $40m Honeywell has been awarded four major contracts worth a combined $40 million (€30.4 million) over an 18 month period for the Borouge petrochemicals complex in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi. Honeywell will be the main automation contractor for this project, providing Linde and other EPC contractors with integrated control and safety systems. The company says the installation of its control and safety systems – Experion Process Knowledge System C300, Safety Manager and Advanced Process Control – will allow for operational integration, improved production and maximum

operability. The Real Time Information Management System will help streamline and centralise operations at Borouge 3. Borouge 3 is the latest expansion of Borouge’s polyolefins plant in Abu Dhabi and will manufacture ethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene and lowdensity polyethylene (LDPE), alongside associated butane, utilities and offsite facilities. Honeywell’s technologies have previously been implemented in the Borouge 1 project in 1999 and the Borouge 2 project in 2010, and will continue to help it meet its goal of expanding the production capacity of the plant.

The Safety Manager system from Honeywell

ATEC Steel is an industry leader in field-weld tank construction and specialty steel fabrication. Our facility utilizes the latest state-of-the-art equipment. Our in-house Quality Assurance and Quality Control Program satisfies the stringent requirements of API, AWWA, ASME, AISC and other specified codes.

ATEC Specialties Include:

In today’s market, ATEC Steel commands some significant advantages over other suppliers:

Cone Roof Tanks Umbrella Roof Tanks Dome Roof Tanks Open Top Tanks Internal Floating Roofs Double Wall Tanks Sloped / Shovel Bottom Tanks External Floating Roofs

Ground Reservoirs Clairifiers Digesters Dry Bulk Silos and Hoppers Foundation Installation Field Applied Coatings Shop Built Tanks ASME Pressure Vessels

Key employees with extensive backgrounds Proven industry experience Single point of contact project management Low cost - high quality producer Precision fabrication Reliable performance on every project Commitment to safety - Industry low TRIR and EMR ratings, member of ISNetworld Commitment to “Golden Rule” customer service

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

technical news

Emco Wheaton responds to global fuel growth Emco Wheaton, a supplier of equipment for the oil and gas transfer industry, has appointed senior management staff to bolster its customer service. New members include a global director of aftermarket, an aftermarket manager, a global marketing manager and a customer service manager. Responsible for creating and delivering framework agreements and structuring the company’s aftermarket activities is Olivier Ahmadzadeh. Based in France, Ahmadzadeh will be supported in his role by the appointment of Hans Annuszies as aftermarket manager for loading arm operations, who is based in Germany. In charge of improving client experience in the

UK is customer service manager, Ian Robertson. He is located in Margate, Kent – the company’s head office – and is the point of contact for clients of tank truck equipment solutions. Emco Wheaton has also made a number of additions to its customer-facing team, including expanding its Flotech will distribute Emco’s loading arms in the UK and Ireland global sales team and appointing a new global marketing loading arms solutions. company’s decision to partner manager, Emma ArdleyUK-based Flotech with Flotech, Graeme Murphy, Batt, at the Kent office. Performance Systems VP and GM, says: ‘We look In similar news, Emco manufactures fluid handling for established organisations Wheaton has announced solutions for the fuel and that have engineering, project a new sole UK and Ireland chemical market sectors. management and aftermarket distributor for its range of Speaking about the service resources.’

Petroleum

Industrial

Liquid Products/LPG • Measurement & Control Tank Level • Control Systems • Overfill Protection • Fabrication 24 Hour Emergency Service & Repair Providing Sales & Service of Flow Measurement Equipment, Calibration, and Fabrication since 1958 800-696-1331 • 3250 E. Grant Street • Signal Hill, CA 90755 • www.pft-alexander.com

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

technical news

Neptune introduces low-volume hydraulic diaphragm metering pumps Neptune’s low volume pumps are suitable for the oil and gas industries

Neptune Chemical Pump, a manufacturer of chemical metering and peristaltic pumps, has launched a new product model. The Model 5003-S and 5005-S Hydraulic Diaphragm Metering Pumps are, according to Neptune, low-volume pumps which deliver repeatable flows, making them ideal in oil

and gas production and recovery, and in refineries. The pumps feature Eze-Clean valves, allowing for valve cartridges to be removed for cleaning without disturbing the piping. Electronic stroke-length control is available along with explosion-proof models, which can be used in a variety of hazardous environments.

MB fuels new relationship with Essar Engineering contractor Motherwell Bridge (MB) is to design, procure and install the replacement floor and double deck floating roof for a storage tank at Essar Oil (UK)’s Stanlow refinery. Former owner Shell sold the refinery to Indiafocused energy company Essar Energy in July 2011 and, as part of an ongoing investment programme by Essar, MB will be handling the floor replacement and double deck floating roof on one of the facility’s 100,000m3 storage tanks. During phase one of the nine-month project, MB will jack up the tank from the ground to remove the existing annular plates. The new floor and annular plates will then be installed before the tank is lowered and non-destructive testing is carried out. The roof part of the project will see MB erect false works before bottom decks, bulkheads and outer rims are positioned and welded. A compression bar, radial bulkheads and rafters will be fitted before the top deck works commence with the installation of the new roof supports and fittings. New fire fighting equipment will be added along with new valves, drainage and a rolling ladder. Once completed, the tank will be hydrotested before it is handed over to the client.

Tank storage training course comes to London

100

95 The

Engineering and Equipment Materials Users’ Association (EEMUA) has developed a new 75 training course for the tank storage industry. The TankIntro training programme offers an introduction to industrial-scale storage tanks, providing a basic understanding of the 25 different tank designs, material and fabrication 5aspects of construction and how tanks should be inspected, maintained and repaired. 0 The first session of this introductory training course will run on 3-4 June in London, UK.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE Tank Storage Quarter Page ILTA 135x90mm 0413 26 April 2013 09:50:53

terminal news

Hop on Board! API Storage Tank Conference & Expo October 24-25, 2013 | San Francisco, CA | USA In conjunction with the Safe Tank Entry Workshop | October 22-23, 2013

Scan me for more info or go to www.api.org/storagetank Copyright 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; American Petroleum Institute, all rights reserved. API and the API logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of API in the United States and/or other countries.

TANK STORAGE â&#x20AC;˘ May/June 2013

terminal news

VINÇOTTE STORAGE TANKS CAN YOU STORE YOUR REPUTATION IN A SAFE PLACE? Vinçotte offers all types of inspection services and NDT techniques to preserve the integrity of your storage tanks during the complete lifecycle of your installation. Vinçotte evaluates your storage tanks, calculates the remaining lifespan and delivers elaborate status reports about the inner and outer condition of your tank. To determine the condition of the tank we use an extensive range of techniques, such as: ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle testing, penetrant testing and on stream radiography. Together with vacuumbox testing, floor scanning, viper and corrosion mapping we offer a complete approach on storage tank NDT. NDT expertise combined with the knowledge of applicable norms (EEMUA, PGS, etc.) results in a reliable inspection program that preserves your reputation. Can we store your reputation in a safe place?

Visit WWW.VINCOTTE.COM for a complete list of our services. Live up to your reputation. Contact us for more information on how we can store it in a safe place for you.

YOUR REPUTATION IS MINE. May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

incident report

terminal news

Providing terminals with up-to-date information on fires, leaks, spills and accidents in the oil and petrochemical industry n 29/04/13 Vopak Essex, England, UK

n 29/04/13 South Coast Terminal Houston, Texas, US

n 06/04/13 Suncor Energy Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada

A fire broke out at Vopak’s oil terminal in Essex, UK. It started in a seal of one of the terminal’s diesel storage tanks which saw 60 fire fighters in 12 fire engines respond to the incident. The tank was empty and no injuries or evacuations were reported. Fifteen crew members remained at the scene throughout the evening to monitor the situation. Two mineral oil storage tanks were damaged after a fire at South Coast Terminal’s Texas facility. A lightning strike has been blamed for the incident, which happened in the morning; it sparked a tank fire that spread to another. The tank exteriors were damaged, however their integrity remained unaffected. Around 70 fire fighters responded to the blaze, which was extinguished at approximately 3.50am. No injuries were reported. A small volume of the 225 barrels of biodiesel that leaked from a storage tank at Suncor Energy’s Burrard Products Terminal in British Columbia entered the Burrard Inlet. Western Canada Marine Response was called to the scene to inspect the spill and help crews with their cleaning efforts. The majority of the escaped fuel remained within the property of the terminal, contained in a trench. The faulty tank was also emptied to avoid any further incidents. Around 2 litres is thought to have flowed into the inlet. Despite knowing about the leak since 6 April, the public were not notified until sometime afterwards. It is thought minor amounts of product may have been leaking from the tank since the end of March. There will be an investigation into the cause of the incident.

n 25/03/13 Sprague Operating Resources Sprague has agreed to pay civil penalties after fuel oil leaked from its Newington, River Road terminal in 2011. New Hampshire, US The company agreed to a settlement of $30,000 (€23,000) with the state Department of Environmental Services in Rockingham County Superior Court. It will also repay the state $11,615 in response costs. The company has already fixed the source of the leak and carried out all necessary spill response. A leak developed on a No.6 fuel oil pipeline on 16 June 2011, causing 168 gallons of oil to spill. Corrosion on a section of the steel piping, which has been replaced, was partly blamed for the incident. The state also believed Sprague was violating a number of rules related to inspection and maintenance of aboveground petroleum storage tanks. Additionally, Sprague has been ordered to replace and/or upgrade and coat most of the No. 6 pipeline at the River Road terminal to prevent future leaks. n 25/03/13 Plains LPG Services San Pedro, Los Angeles, US

n 02/03/13 Sullom Voe Shetland, Scotland, UK

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned it could sue a butane storage terminal in San Pedro, Los Angeles after concerns it is not complying with federal safety law. The San Pedro Terminal has been in service for 40 years and, with a 25 million gallon storage capacity, is one of the largest and oldest aboveground fuel storage facilities of its kind in the US. The San Pedro Terminal received the formal notification of potential federal enforcement following a site investigation. The EPA is said to be primarily concerned with the terminal’s lack of action to rectify lost city water during fire suppression in the event of an earthquake, according to Dan Meer, assistant director of superfund division in the EPA Region 9. The law states that terminal owners and operators must enforce and uphold a safe facility to prevent the release of hazardous substances. For years local residents have filed complaints about the facility, which they believe is a disaster waiting to happen. ‘We are delighted with the EPA’s action,’ Janet Schaaf-Gunter of San Pedro and Peninsula Homeowners United, was reported to have said. ‘That facility is far more dangerous today than it ever was because it sits on a 40-year-old infrastructure.’ Rancho LPG said in 2011 that its storage infrastructure at the terminal was well maintained and fitted with safety equipment, including monitors, sprinkler systems, automatic shut-off valves and dikes. If found to be breaching federal regulations, the San Pedro Terminal could face a fine of $37,500 (€29,000) per day of noncompliance. A leak and subsequent shutdown of a platform in the North Sea left the onshore Sullom Voe oil storage terminal with a 50% reduction in oil. The leak was discovered during an inspection in March and all personnel were evacuated. No oil entered the sea. This is the second leak to have occurred at the platform this year; staff were evacuated in January and the infrastructure repaired in two days.

refining

A perfect storm? UK refining industry association UKPIA believes the country is losing ground on others and talks are needed to redress the balance The UK’s downstream oil industry is at a crucial crossroad against a backdrop of tough market conditions, cost pressures, supply against demand challenges, a burdensome legislative background and growing competition from the US, the Middle East and Asia. Two UK refineries have closed over the past four years, the most recent being Coryton last June, so the loss of further UK refining capability poses a serious risk to future energy security of supply and resilience. It could also jeopardise other industrial sectors dependent on feedstocks from refineries to make the UK highly reliant on imported middle distillate fuels, such as diesel and aviation kerosene.

The loss of further refining capability could potentially give rise to a substantial loss of things generated by refineries like income to both national and regional economies, jobs and trade skills. The refining industry has a long history of cyclical performance but, this time, many of the changes and challenges in place are threatening to shake up the core of the industry. Most crucially, refineries are impacted by multiple UK and EU legislation which places taxing incremental cost demands, in terms of operational and other requirements, while severely disadvantaging them against global competitors. Meanwhile, oil will continue to play a major role in the

UK’s energy mix for years to come and the world’s appetite for hydrocarbons will keep growing, especially in India, China and across the wider Asia Paciﬁc region. Globally, the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2012 presented primary energy demand, in the new Golden Rules Case, rising from 12,700 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2010 to 17,150 Mtoe in 2035; an increase of 35%. This is almost comparable to adding another US to the global demand balance. Even so, oil is still set to take pole position as the most important fuel in the energy mix, followed by gas and coal. Legislation Legislative changes associated with carbon reduction and air quality, such as EU Emissions Trading System Phase III, Fuels Quality Directive article 7a and the Industrial

UKPIA calculated that new legislative impacts could result in a negative net margin of ~<0.75p/l

Emissions Directive, will add to these pressures with the risk that UK and EU refineries are competitively disadvantaged versus overseas refineries that do not have to meet the same standards. In addition, UK-only legislation, such as the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and Carbon Price Support, are adding substantially to the industry’s costs. The UK refining sector works on a very narrow differential between cost of crude oil and the value of products produced – typically even in more favourable conditions equivalent to around £1.65 (€1.93) per litre. After energy and other operating costs are taken into account, this reduces to £0.60 per litre (Wood Mackenzie/UKPIA). Clearly the government cannot change the commercial conditions affecting refining but it can address policy aspects that act as a disincentive to investment. UKPIA is not asking for measures to protect UK oil refining from competition but seeks a level playing field with competitors within the EU and elsewhere. And, with a study by Purvin and Gertz for the Department for Energy and Climate Change due to be completed shortly, coupled with EU level dialogue opened up with the Director General Energy via the EU Refining Roundtable, valuable opportunities to review policy are becoming apparent.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

page header

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

page header

Delivering Peace of Mind to Terminal Operators Since 1988 TDS offers game changing data delivery and management tools UAP is the most powerful automation system for bulk plants TMS6 is the most widely used and trusted terminal management system in the world MultiLoad II is the most innovative preset on the market RCU II and veriFID offer powerful access control and facility security solutions

Scan This QR Code to Learn More about Toptech Systems 1. Download a QR code reader such as “QRReader” on your smartphone or tablet 2. Scan the QR code on the right 3. Discover how Toptech Systems can change the way you do business Be sure to visit us at booth 831 to learn more about the solutions we can offer your business. USA OFFICE — LONGWOOD, FLORIDA PHONE: (407) 332-1774 — FAX: (407) 332-1802 EUROPE OFFICE — ZWIJNDRECHT (ANTWERP) BELGIUM PHONE: +32 (0)3 250 60 60 — FAX: +32 (0)3 250 60 61

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

t i s ti c k i

g n

regulations

c a e

m e to R

The countdown to the next Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (Reach) deadline of 31 May is underway, a time for pre-registered companies that manufacture or import EU phase-in substances in quantities above 100 tonnes a year to register their chemicals with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). At this time many smallto-medium businesses (SMEs) will come under Reach and they will no doubt be finding the process of compliance complex, time consuming or challenging. But the aim of Reach is to improve and ensure the safe use of chemicals by allowing all parties in the supply chain, from manufacturers and distributors through to downstream users, directly responsible for the safety of the chemical substances they handle. One area where this has

caused changes is the shipping of chemicals and, in particular, the requirements for documentation in the supply chain. Under Reach, the responsibility is on suppliers to ensure that their customers are supplied with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), exposure scenarios and other critical safety information, often with the requirement to actually deliver and update at regular intervals, rather than simply sending these documents. In addition, the requirement to ensure that all internal personnel that may come into contact with hazardous materials are also provided with current MSDS has increased record keeping and time consuming tasks. To compound these challenges, a wave of new Reach-like health and safety regulations have been introduced around the world in countries including China, Korea, Turkey and Switzerland.

TANK STORAGE â&#x20AC;˘ May/June 2013

There has also been updated domestic health

and safety legislation in places like the US, with updates to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Hazard Communication standard and the Emergency Planning and Community Rightto-Know Act (EPCRA). Need to know What these regulations have in common is the emphasis they place on manufacturers and distributors to provide more information about chemicals and their properties within MSDS, or exposure scenarios, and ensuring these documents and other critical information is delivered directly to customers. It is not always enough to simply send information in the post or by email as this only assumes they have reached the customer; there is often a need to implement the resources and processes required to ensure the actual delivery of the documents in order to achieve compliance. To do this companies will need to have easily retrievable records and preferably audit trails of

the MSDSs and exposure scenarios, that have been sent and received by customers and their own staff. They will also need to demonstrate that new or updated documents have replaced previous versions, both internally and externally, while maintaining past versions and, in many cases, demonstrating compliance for over 30 years. The additional administrative workload can be significant and needs anticipated or automated systems to address this workload implemented by many smaller SMEs now. To add further complexity to the situation, Reach Delivery sees a great deal of overlap in legislation, mainly because the new international legislation has to co-exist with domestic health and safety directives. Whereas the requirement to register hazardous materials is clear in its own right, other elements have parallels in existing regulations. The supply and delivery of MSDS will be addressed often in more than one relevant piece of legal requirement. Under EPCRA section 313, chemicals suppliers must notify customers of any hazardous chemicals present in mixtures or other trade name products that are distributed to facilities. The notice must be provided to the recipients and may be attached or incorporated into the productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MSDS. If no MSDS is required, an accompanying notification document, containing specific information, must accompany or precede the first shipment of any product to a facility. MSDSs are also covered by the OSHA regulations, which are aimed at making sure that all chemicals imported into, produced or used in US workplaces are evaluated and that employees are given information about potential hazards. OSHA requires all manufacturers, importers and distributors

regulations of hazardous chemicals to provide both appropriate labels and MSDS to the companies to which they ship. Any updates must also be sent to the customer, with MSDS readily accessible to employees during their shifts. The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System is Canada’s national hazard communication standard. It addresses workers’ ‘right to know’, insisting MSDS are readily available to workers that may be exposed to a controlled product. The CSCL, PDSCL and PRTR legislation used in Japan outlines specific requirements for information delivery throughout the supply chain. The standard for chemical substance classification and

MSDS in Korea requires the supplier to provide MSDS to the customer, but also that the recipient has an obligation to provide a confirmation of receipt in return too. Similarly in China, its GHS requirement means MSDS are communicated to downstream users and, when any hazards arise, those updates are provided as new information. Australia’s Model Work, Health and Safety sets out the obligation to prepare and maintain up-to-date information on an MSDS, so it can be provided to all customers or any person likely to be affected by a chemical. Finally, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health legislation sits alongside

Reach in the UK, with both calling for risk assessments and full use of MSDS information. Got you covered Requirements vary worldwide but one thing is clear: global legislation is moving in the same direction as Reach and the onus is firmly on suppliers to ensure their customers are directly supplied with MSDS and other critical safety information. There is also a need to ensure that all personnel within an organisation that may come into contact with hazardous materials are also using chemicals safely, consistently and correctly. One such system is the new Reach Delivery 2013 edition, which is designed to

enable companies to comply with all relevant domestic and international legislation easily and cost effectively. This edition supports the sending, receiving, internal distribution and automated update of MSDS, and associated documents, for all companies. It meets the various legislative requirements by guaranteeing delivery, monitoring and auditing actual receipt by customers and staff, as well as ensuring that the latest version of the document is always available. In the event of a dispute, users are able to access complete audit trails quickly and easily. For more information:

This article was written by Malcolm Carroll, director of Reach Delivery www.reachdelivery.com

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

profile

ITC grows in

Houston The economic recovery has enabled ITC to add a greenfield terminal to its operations

‘There is a lot of excitement in store for Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC)’, says the company’s CEO Bernt Netland. ITC has just embarked on a new greenfield development project close to its current 12.8 million barrel (2 million m3) Deer Park terminal. ‘After 41 years of operation, growth is catching up to us as we see our terminal in Deer Park, Texas almost fully

built out. We will continue to expand, based on customer needs, but we need more space. That is why we bought 180 acres of waterfront land in Pasadena, Texas.’ The new property is strategically located on the south side of the Houston Ship Channel, one mile west of the Beltway 8 Bridge and a short distance from Deer Park. This is a greenfield site with deep water access, rail connections and convenient truck access. Multiple product pipelines are located near or adjacent to the site, providing access to the all important pipeline networks for North America. ‘The basis for our business is Houston’s prominence as a petroleum and petrochemical manufacturing and logistics hub. The prospects are bolstered by opportunities resulting from North American

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

shale developments. It is without exaggeration to state the shale revolution has given ITC more girth to grow than previously thought years ago’, explains Netland. ‘Although ITC has consistently and systematically grown each year, the pace of growth is higher than ever before seen in North America. Deer Park has maintained a high utilisation rate as we have attracted and maintained a strategic and loyal customer base.’ The greenfield site in Pasadena will allow ITC to add to its existing 12.8 million barrels of liquid storage capacity at Deer Park. Construction is under way for phase one: 1 million barrels of storage capacity, two ship docks, four barge docks and truck and rail facilities. ‘We have already cleared

and levelled the land and have started construction of the dock facilities’, says Netland. ‘Start-up operations are planned for April 2015 with the first phase of tanks and associated infrastructure facilities. ‘The 180 acres of land is scalable, enabling future expansion of tanks, and more marine docks. The master plan envisions over 10 million barrels of future storage, four ship docks, eight barge docks and adequate truck and rail racks. The near-by and adjacent pipelines also represent interesting opportunities.’ The head of ITC’s commercial and marketing efforts, Rich Merz, adds: ‘This facility is positioned to serve numerous markets but will be reliant on no one particular market segment. Being in such a position allows us to plan for many segments and respond as demand dictates. Merz believes expansions must be conducted with restraint for several reasons. ‘First, we must ensure our customers we provide enough dock capacity to accommodate their marine throughput. Docks at many facilities are already congested in the Port of Houston,’ he continues. ‘We will manage our docks utilisation to ensure our customers receive safe and efficient services. Secondly, as an industry we must remain cognisant to the market drivers and strive to match capacity supply with demand.’ Netland further ties ITC’s successful growth to its principles of doing things safely alongside environmental stewardship: ‘The Pasadena terminal will complement Deer Park and be a great addition to the logistics capability of the Port of Houston. This is in addition to our other terminal locations in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and ITC Rubis in Antwerp, Belgium. ITC will continue to expand all its terminals.’

page header

Lisa Meche Human Resources Manager, Oiltanking Houston

We Can, We Care As Human Resources Manager, Lisa Meche ensures all our

promote for the beneﬁt of our employees and ultimately

employees are treated with the respect and dignity they

our customers. It is cliché to say our people are our grea-

deserve as trusted custodians of the Oiltanking spirit. This

test asset, it is real when our people are treated as such.

spirit reﬂects in everything we do and in the culture we

Lisa makes sure that happens. Simply because she cares.

Your reliable storage partner for liquid bulk.

Admiralitaetstrasse 55 | D-20459 Hamburg Germany Tel. +49-40-370990 0 | Fax +49-40-37099 499 | www.oiltanking.com

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

bulk liquid storage in the US

US storage boom reflects the continued shale revolution Increasing crude volumes, low feedstock prices and end product specification changes are all fuelling new opportunities for storage and terminals across the US by Lynda Davies US crude oil production in 2012 grew more than in any year since the first commercial well was drilled in 1859, and it is set to surge even more over the next few years. Daily crude output averaged 6.4 million barrels per day (b/d) last year, a 15-year high and an increase of 13.8% from 2011 levels, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API). The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects the strong growth to continue in 2013 and 2014, projecting output to climb to 7.3 million bbl/d this year and 7.9 million bbl/d in 2014. The rapid increase in crude production underscores how improvements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology – commonly referred to as fracking – have transformed the US energy market in the last five years by allowing producers to tap shale oil from tight rock formations. Drilling in tight oil plays in the Williston (North Dakota and Montana), Western Gulf and Permian (Texas) basins is expected to account for the bulk of forecast US production growth over the next two years. Amid rising domestic crude production – coupled with lower demand – US crude oil

imports fell last year to their lowest level, 8.6 million b/d, in 15 years. This was 375,000 b/d, or 4.2% lower, than in 2011. Thanks to innovative oil production techniques, the US has a significant opportunity to essentially become energy independent. All these changing oil market dynamics on both the supply and demand sides are providing significant opportunities for new midstream infrastructure. Magellan is one such company investing heavily in crude oil-based growth opportunities. The company is already one of the largest owners and operators of crude oil storage at the Cushing, Oklahoma trading hub and the physical delivery point for the NYMEX West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures contract. In late 2011, Magellan completed the addition of another 4.25 million barrels of storage at the Cushing hub following its purchase of BP Pipeline’s 7.8 million barrels of storage assets there in September 2010. It now owns and operates some 12 million barrels of crude storage at Cushing. Magellan last year spent $365 million (€278 million) on organic growth construction

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

projects, representing a record expansion capital spend. On top of this, Magellan says it continues to have ‘well over $500 million’ of potential growth projects under assessment. About 80% of the current list of potential growth opportunities

expected to have a capacity to bring 300,000 b/d of Permian basin crude to the Houston area. Once completed, BridgeTex will have 1.4 million barrels of storage at Magellan’s East Houston terminal. Magellan’s Double Eagle

relate to crude oil. Like a number of other midstream companies that are investing in pipelines and storage facilities to cater for the rise in Permian Basin production and bring this shale crude to the US Gulf Coast, Magellan is spending $375 million on its Longhorn Pipeline reversal to transport up to 225,000 b/d of crude from west Texas to Houston. Another big Magellan project is the construction of the new 400-mile Bridge Tex Pipeline system to transport additional Permian Basin crude to the Houston area. Both systems require additional storage capacity at the origin and destination points. Magellan began delivering crude oil to the Houston market via the Longhorn pipeline in mid-April, and expects throughput to ramp up to the full 225,000 b/d capacity in the third quarter of this year, when additional pumping capacity and tankage will be completed. The company continues to target an operational date of mid-2014 for the BridgeTex pipeline project ‘with rightof-way permitting and tank construction in full swing’ at the present time. The development, which is a 50/50 joint venture with Occidental Petroleum, is

joint venture is in the process of filling the condensate pipeline for initial deliveries from Three Rivers to the company’s Corpus Christi terminal, with full operation expected in the third quarter of 2013. The pipeline project is a joint venture with Copano Energy, which was recently acquired by Kinder Morgan. Magellan is adding 500,000 barrels of new storage for condensate at its Corpus Christi terminal to complement the new pipeline capacity. Magellan recently announced plans to add crude oil capabilities at its Galena Park, Texas marine terminal in order for the facility to become an origination point for the company’s Gulf Coast crude oil distribution system. The project involves the conversion of some of the refined products’ tanks to crude oil storage and connecting the facility into Magellan’s distribution system, while also providing the capability for rail access and water access through a tunnel. ‘Later this summer we will have approximately 440,000 barrels allocated to crude oil storage at our Galena Park facility, which has a total of 14 million barrels of storage for all products,’ explains Bruce Heine, director of government

bulk liquid storage in the US and media affairs at Magellan Midstream Partners. ‘Overall, Magellan has more than 7 million barrels of tankage [for both crude and refined products] under construction at its various facilities, all of which is supported by long-term contracts.’ Strategic redirection San Antonio, Texas-based NuStar Energy was one of the first liquids terminals and pipeline operators to become involved in the Eagle Ford Shale play in Texas. Last year it implemented a strategic redirection away from marginbased asphalt and fuels refining business in order to focus on growing its storage and transportation operations through internal growth projects and acquisitions. The company has seen total pipeline segment throughputs boosted this year following the completion of two projects on its Eagle Ford system and the $325 million acquisition of crude oil pipeline, gathering and storage assets in the Eagle Ford Shale region from TexStar Midstream Partners in December 2012. The company is investing about $100-120 million in its South Texas crude oil pipeline system and a new inland 100,000 b/d storage facility near Pawnee, Texas as well as a new ship dock already under construction in Corpus Christi, where the company owns a 1.6 million barrel storage terminal and a dock facility at North Beach. The expansion is backed by a 10year throughput agreement signed with ConocoPhillips in December to support the producer’s growing production in the Eagle Ford shale play. The pipeline expansion project is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013, while the new dock facilities – which involves the conversion of an existing dry dock – are expected to be complete in the first quarter

of 2014. NuStar says the completion of the expansion of the dock loading facilities at the Corpus Christi North Beach terminal will allow the company to increase its Eagle Ford related pipeline throughputs even further, as well as the throughput of the terminal. Corpus Christi is the first Eagle Ford waterborne hub, connecting the Eagle Ford Shale play with demand centres on the US Gulf Coast and US Atlantic Coast. Barges and tankers are loading Eagle Ford crude out of Corpus Christi at an ever increasing rate for area refineries. Consequently, several companies have built, or are looking to build, infrastructure to provide for waterborne loadings for crude; additional docks as well as more US Jones Act tankers, the only kind permitted to haul domestic petroleum cargoes, could be needed to relieve the bottleneck already developing at the port. If the US authorities grant export permits for crude oil, Corpus Christi – which is relatively close to the Eagle Ford – is poised to be the hub for waterborne exports. Developments at BOSTCO Kinder Morgan continues to progress the Battleground Oil Specialty Terminal (BOSTCO) on the Houston Ship Channel, where it now expects to expand storage capacity beyond the original 52 tanks with an aggregate 6.5 million barrels. Doug Leach, VP of business development for Kinder Morgan Terminals, says the expansion is for six additional tanks totalling 900,000 barrels for ultra-low sulphur diesel and will cost approximately $55 million. The expansion is contingent on the company finalising the terminal service agreement, which is expected to be achieved soon. The first phase of BOSTCO, in which Kinder Morgan is investing $430 million, provides for the handling and storage

of residual fuels and other black oils with commercial operations expected to begin in the third quarter of 2013. Cushing hub Kinder Morgan is to build six new 250,000-barrel storage tanks at the Deeprock Development terminal at Cushing as well as claw-back three existing 250,000-barrel tanks already at the site. The Deeprock Development terminal will be the terminus of the Pony Express Pipeline (PXP) project, now owned by Tallgrass Energy Partners. Deeprock Development is a joint venture between KMP, with a 51% stake, and Deeprock Energy Resources, which in early 2011 executed a long-term lease and operating agreement with Pony Express. Tallgrass subsequently exercised its option to have Deeprock Development expand the project. KMP also now plans to build two 24” pipelines connecting the Deeprock terminal to all of the other major crude oil terminals in Cushing to service the PXP project. The tanks and pipelines are anticipated to enter service towards the end of 2014. Following completion, the terminal will handle up to 350,000 b/d and have connectivity to five destinations. Given all the incoming new pipelines moving crude to the Gulf Coast and new production coming online in Texas, some market commentators have speculated that Cushing will lose its influence as a trading hub and delivery point for the NYMEX WTI crude futures contract. Magellan’s Heine thinks this will not be the case: ‘We believe Cushing will be needed long-term since 1) it provides traders flexibility to deliver crude to the highest margin market at a given time, 2) it meets the need for strategically-placed blending

services due to the growing variety of crude oil grades and specifications and 3) the relatively low cost to build in Cushing with plenty of land available,’ says Heine. Due to the increased volume of crude oil flowing to and through Houston however, many are considering the development of a pricing index in this market, he adds. All of Magellan’s 12 million barrels of crude storage at Cushing is currently 100% committed. Increasing output in the US and Canada and insufficient pipeline takeaway capacity has continued to bolster stockpiles at Cushing, where inventories climbed to a record 51.9 million barrels in early January, a build of 23.6 million barrels on one-year earlier levels of 28.3 million barrels, EIA data showed. An expansion of the Seaway pipeline to 400,000 b/d from 100,000 b/d was completed in early January, which some market watchers had hoped would help solve the Cushing oil glut. The most recent EIA data – for the week ending 26 April – showed Cushing crude stocks at 49.80 million barrels, down from 51.18 million barrels the previous week, and up from 41.75 million barrels one year ago. Sourcing and end product changes Weak demand for refined petroleum products continues to plague the US, with total petroleum deliveries last year falling to their lowest annual level in 16 years, according to the API. Deliveries fell 2% compared with 2011 and averaging nearly 18.6 million b/d. Petrol demand in the US is continuing to be hit by changes in automotive technology and in the type of petrol and diesel suitable for sale in the US as result of federal legislative and regulatory action, such as the CAFE

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

bulk liquid storage in the US standards, and the Renewable Fuels Standard and other environmental initiatives such as the EPA’s Tier III regulations. The API reported motor petrol deliveries last year were at their lowest annual level in 11 years, averaging 8.7million b/d, down 0.4% from 2011 deliveries. Distillate deliveries in 2012 were the lowest in three years at 3.7 million b/d. Increases in demand for diesel and jet fuel, which depend more on economic activity, however, are expected to partially offset the decline in petrol demand. The further end product specification changes, driven by the changes in government regulation and the ensuing changes in product sourcing, are fuelling opportunities and investment for US midstream companies. As changes to fuel composition evolves, so does the storage and distribution infrastructure. ‘For example, the majority of our terminals have the capabilities to offer a variety of ethanol blend levels from E10 to higher levels of ethanol contained in Ethanol Flex Fuels,’ says Magellan’s Heine. He says Magellan’s storage systems are ‘highly utilised’ at the present time. Longer term, the company expects generally stable refined petroleum products demand consistent with EIA’s projections. EIA is currently projecting US total liquid fuels consumption to grow only slightly from the 18.6 b/d average in 2012, increasing by 60,000 b/d (by 0.3%) this year and by 30,000 b/d (by 0.2%) in 2014. ‘We also expect an increase in US refined product production, which creates opportunities for additional storage services and potential pipeline reversals,’ adds Heine. Kinder Morgan is another example of a midstream company continuing to make investments in assets across its operations to accommodate more biofuels. The company

recently completed modifications at its Las Vegas and Arizona terminals which will allow these facilities to receive, store and blend biodiesel. The company said it expects to start biodiesel blending at these facilities in the second quarter. At its Galena Park terminal, the company has built feedstock and B100 tanks to service the Green Earth’s 100-million gallon biodiesel plant that has been built at the site. Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), are ‘a positive’ for the company because it generates excess RINs at its transmix facilities. Kinder Morgan generates about 700,000 gallons a month of excess RINs, and is selling them on a monthly basis to a customer ‘who wants all that we have’. The company did not specify the types of RINs, but is currently benefitting from a spike in their price. Buckeye recently added biodiesel blending capabilities at its Pittsburgh terminal, as part of an expansion project. It generates about 1 million RINs in ethanol a month, plus about 1 million in biodiesel a month, across the company. Petrochemicals opportunities The US petrochemicals industry is enjoying a renaissance on the back of the shale gas drilling boom. An abundance of attractively-priced feedstock, particularly ethane (commonly found in shale gas) is encouraging dozens of companies to make plans to invest in new manufacturing facilities and capacity expansions on US soil. ‘Certainly, the petrochemicals industry in the US is going through another evolutionary process and it’s largely due to shale development and what’s coming out of the ground in certain regions of the county that are primarily rich in natural gas liquids,’ says James Cooper, VP of petrochemicals at the

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

American Fuel Petrochemicals Manufacturers Association. ‘If you compare the price of ethane in the US to prices throughout the world, it’s easy to tell that there is a cost advantage here now,’ he says. ‘We hear sector analysts talking figures from around $80 billion, up to potentially $100 billion, for all these types of petrochemical facilities planned here.’ Additional midstream infrastructure is going to have to be built to link all this new supply to demand. Storage is going to be ‘a very important element, particularly in the Marcellus shale region’, Cooper believes. Kinder Morgan is one midstream company moving to benefit from the emerging growth opportunities from the country’s resurging petrochemicals sector. Kinder Morgan Terminals’ Leach says it is currently working on more than a dozen petrochemicals projects across the Kinder Morgan system, as well as other projects at its customers’ facilities. In April, the company announced it is to build new methanol storage capacity at its Louisiana liquids terminal to support new methanol production facilities being relocated by Methanex from Chile to near Kinder Morgan’s terminal. Under a long-term deal with Methanex, Kinder Morgan will build, own and operate storage tanks and related infrastructure. It will also upgrade the existing dock at its Geismar terminal, which will provide marine, rail and truck access to the methanol plant. Methanex’s president and CEO attributed the company’s decision to relocate at least two idled methanol trains to Geismar as due to the attractiveness of the current low natural gas price environment in North America, as well as it also being a large methanol consuming region, among other factors. The new terminal

infrastructure is expected to be in service during the second half of 2014, the same time the first of the 1 million tonne/ year train is anticipated to start up. The second train, also of 1 million tonnes/year capacity, is expected to go into service in early 2016. Another such Kinder Morgan project is the expansion of the chemical storage capacity at another of its Louisiana liquids terminals, located in Harvey. Subject to customer agreements, the project comprises the addition of 17 tanks with a combined capacity of 285,000 barrels primarily for the storage of chemicals, vegetable and tropical oils. The 17 tank-build will be undertaken in phases. The company recently acquired a 26 acre terminal in South Carolina, from Quality Carriers, paying $65 million. The 19 tank facility currently provides storage for a single customer of 35,000 barrels and receives product via two rail spurs and distributes via two truck bays. The terminal currently handles solvents and industrial alcohols. With the remaining land, Leach believes it can double the storage of the facility and also do direct transfers from rail to truck. ‘In all, Kinder Morgan Terminals currently has approximately 9.5 million barrels for chemicals storage. Between KMT, KMPP, KMC and KM CO2, we have 120 million barrels of liquid fuel storage,’ says Leach. Buckeye Partners is another adding to its chemical storage segment. The company late last year brought online a propylene storage facility and rail loading capabilities at its Chicago terminal. The project is one of several initiatives to diversify the company’s Chicago area operations and provide storage and rail loading capabilities to enable transportation and storage of propylene. The company says the initiatives are part of its strategy to diversify the products it handles.

page header

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

tank terminal update

Tank terminal update – US Arc Terminals Location Products

Mobile and Saraland, Alabama Asphalt, crude oil, heavy fuel oil and methanol Capacity 1.2 million barrels Construction / expansion / Arc Terminals acquired a marine acquisition terminalling facility (Mobile) and a trail transloading facility (Saraland) from Gulf Coast Asphalt Completion date February 2013

BlendStar Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Designer / builder Project start date Completion date Investment

Birmingham, Alabama Ethanol Two 80,000 barrel storage tanks Construction of a 96 car train terminal Robinson Construction April 2012 (broke ground) December 2012 and full capacity was reached in January 2013 $11-20 million (€8.3-15.2 million)

Arc Terminals Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Completion date Investment

Brooklyn, New York Refined petroleum products Arc Terminals acquired the terminal from Motiva Enterprises April 2013 $27.41 million (€20.8 million)

Buckeye Partners Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date

ArcLight and Blackwater Midstream Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Completion date

US Crude oil ArcLight acquired Blackwater Midstream, which includes: • 900,000 barrel storage terminal in Westwego, Louisiana • 221,000 barrel terminal in Brunswick, Georgia • 177,000 barrel terminal in Salisbury, Maryland October 2012

Colorado Propane 48 tanks storing 1.4 million gallons Construction September 2012 (proposed) and a Special Review Use Permit was approved last October

Biox

July 2012 (Board of Zoning Appeals granted permission for Buckeye to build the 65ft tall storage tanks)

Buckeye Partners Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Completion date Investment

New York Habour, New Jersey Liquid petroleum products 4 million barrels Buckeye Partners acquired the marine terminal from Chevron July 2012 $260 million (€198 million)

Calumet Speciality Products Partners

Aercrete Land Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date

Indiana Petroleum products Construction

Location Products

San Antonio, Texas Jet fuel, ultra-low sulphur diesel, naphtha, reformates, LPG, speciality solvents and other highly specialised fuels Construction / expansion / Calumet has acquired NuStar acquisition Energy’s Elmendorf and San Antonio terminals, plus a crude oil pipeline Completion date January 2013 Investment $115 million (€87.6 million)

Location

In International-Matex Tank Terminals’ Bayonne terminal at New York Harbor, New York Products Biodiesel Capacity 100 million litres a year Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date June 2012 Completion date December 2013 Investment $60 million (€45.7 million)

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

Citgo Petroleum Location Braintree, Massachusetts Products Biodiesel Capacity 250,000 gallons Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date Q3 2012 Completion date Mid-2013

tank terminal update Cogent Energy Solutions and Granite Peak Development Location Products Capacity

Wyoming Heavy and light crude oil The terminal will also offer 900,000 barrels of tank storage and onsite blending. There is potential to expand the site by over 3 million barrels Construction / expansion / Construction of a crude acquisition oil unit loading facility Project start date February 2013 Completion date October 2013

Genesis Energy Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date Investment Comment

Louisiana Crude oil 350,000 bpd Construction of new assets and infrastructure February 2013 $125 million (€95 million) The additional infrastructure will connect to ExxonMobil’s refinery in Baton Rouge, one of the largest in North America with a refining capacity of over 500,000 bpd. Genesis will upgrade its existing Port Hudsonbased terminal and build a new 18 mile, 20” diameter crude oil pipeline to connect it to the Baton Rouge Maryland Terminal. Improvement works include additional storage, increasing the terminal’s 216,000 barrel capacity by a further 200,000 barrels, and improvements to its existing barge dock and truck station

Gibson Energy and GT Logistics Location Products

Port Arthur, Texas Crude oil, natural gas liquids and other related products Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date September 2012 (announced)

Global Partners

Eighty-Eight Oil Location Products Capacity

Guernsey, Wyoming Crude oil Initial rail loading capacity will be approximately 80,000 barrels a day with expansion capability Construction / expansion / Construction of a unit train facility acquisition Project start date January 2013 Completion date End of 2013 Comment The new train terminal will be connected to EEO’s existing Guernsey-based crude oil storage terminal, which has a capacity of 2 million barrels and currently receives crude oil from the Butte, Belle Fourche, Platte and Rocky Mountain pipelines

Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Completion date Investment

GT Logistics Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Investment

Harris County, Texas Crude oil 750,000 barrels Construction of phase one has been completed November 2012 Phase two will include the construction of an additional 900,000 barrels of storage, which could be operational by the beginning of 2014

Port Arthur, Texas Crude oil Construction of the GT OmniPort Terminal $95 million (€72.4 million)

Inergy Midstream and Rangeland Construction / expansion / Inergy acquired Rangeland and acquisition its COLT Hub, which includes storage capacity, a crude oil rail terminal and related infrastructure Completion date December 2010 Investment $425 million (€324 million)

Enterprise Products Partners Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Completion date Comment

Portland, Oregon Crude oil and ethanol 200,000 barrels of storage capacity Global Partners will acquire the facility from Cascade Kelly Holdings 2013 $95 million (€72.4 million)

Intercontinental Terminals Company Location Products

Houston Ship Channel, Texas Petrochemicals, petroleum products, petrochemical gases and natural gas liquids Capacity 10 tanks each able to store 100,000 barrels Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date April 2013 Completion date Q2 2015 Investment $150 million (€114 million)

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

tank terminal update Jefferson Refinery Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition

Project start date Investment

Beaumont, Texas Crude oil 150,000 barrels Construction of a crude oil terminal and 120 unloading stations to transfer crude oil from tankers to barges March 2013 $46 million (€35 million)

Kinder Morgan Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date Completion date Investment

Geismar, Louisiana Chemicals Construction April 2013 (announced) Second half of 2014 $550 million (€419 million)

Oiltankng Partners Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Completion date Investment

Houston Ship Channel, Texas LPG Expansion Q4 2014 $44 million (€33.5 million)

Oiltankng Partners Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date Completion date Investment

Houston, Texas Crude oil Expansion of 3.3 million barrels Q2 2013 End 2014 $70 million (€53.3 million)

PBF Energy LBC Terminals Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date Completion date

Geismar, Louisiana Crude oil LBC is expanding its Sunshine terminal by 160,000 barrels March 2013 (announced) October 2013

Magellan Midstream Partners Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Completion date Comment

Des Moines, Iowa Biodiesel One 5,000 barrel storage tank Construction September 2012 The facility can store and mix 5,000 barrels of 2-20% biodiesel blends. The tank is heated and insulated

Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date Completion date

Delaware Crude oil 70,00 bpd Construction of a crude oil unloading terminal 2012 (announced) February 2013

Petroplex Location Products

St. James Parish, Louisiana Crude oil, refined petroleum products, fuel oil, chemicals, renewable fuels and agrichemicals Capacity 4-6 million barrels of initial storage capacity Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date First half 2013 Completion date 2014 Investment $600 million (€457 million)

NuStar Energy Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date Investment

El Dorado, Arkansas Crude oil Construction January 2013 (NuStar filed for construction permit) $2.3 million (€1.7 million)

NuStar and ConocoPhillips Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition

Project start date Completion date Investment

Texas Crude oil 100,000 barrels The two companies signed a long-term agreement to expand the crude oil pipeline system which includes a new terminal December 2012 (two companies signed deal) Early 2014 $100-120 million (€76.2-91.5 million)

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

Phillips 66 Location Products

Long Island, New York Petroleum and petrochemical products Capacity Over 5 million barrels made up of 20 storage tanks Construction / expansion / United Riverhead Terminal acquired acquisition the Riverhead Long Island bulk storage terminal from Phillips 66 Project start date October 2012 Completion date November 2012

PI Dock Facilities Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date Completion date

Port Arthur, Texas Crude oil Construction January 2013 Q4 2013

tank terminal update Plains All American Pipeline Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date Completion date

Yorktown, Virginia Oil PAAP is converting the Yorktown refinery into an oil transportation terminal and expanding it 2012 2013

Tesoro Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition Project start date

Plains All American Pipeline Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition

Completion date Investment

US Crude oil PAAP closed the acquisition of loading and unloading assets and various contractual arrangements from US Development Group. These assets include: • 4 operational crude oil rail terminals • 3 crude oil rail loading terminals in Eagle Ford, Bakken and Niobrara • 140,000 bpd rail unloading terminal at St James, Louisiana. It also purchased a project to build a crude oil unloading terminal near California’s Bakersfield December 2012 $500 million (€381 million)

Rangeland Energy Location Products

Loving, New Mexico Crude oil, frac sand, pipe and other products Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date March 2013 Comment The company has agreed to acquire up to 770 acres of land for the terminal

Valero Energy Location Products Construction / expansion / acquisition

Project start date Completion date Investment Comment

Trenton, North Dakota Crude oil Two crude oil storage tanks Construction September 2012 The terminal is linked to BNSF Railways

Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co. Location

Long Beach and Los Angeles, California Capacity The Long Beach terminal comprises six storage tanks with a total capacity of 235,000 barrels Construction / expansion / Tesoro Refining & Marketing sold acquisition its Long Beach marine terminal and Los Angeles short-haul pipelines to Tesoro Logistics Completion date September 2012 Investment $210 million (€160 million); $189 million in cash and the partnership’s equity valued at approximately $21 million

California Crude oil Valero plans to expand its Benicia refinery with the addition of a new crude oil terminal. It will also feature an offloading facility and rail access March 2013 (announced) 2014 $30 million (€22.8 million) Valero Energy says the new terminal will help its refinery remain competitive by reducing the amount of foreign crude oil and offsetting it with cheaper North American domestic crude from Canada and the Bakken Shale plays in North Dakota and Montana

Vopak Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Completion date

Savage Location Products Capacity Construction / expansion / acquisition Completion date Comment

Kapolei, Hawaii Oil Tesoro is converting the refinery into an import, storage and distribution terminal Refining operations ceased in April 2013. The project is to begin soon after

Investment

Comment

Port of Long Beach, California Bulk liquids 21-55 million barrels per year oil Construction/upgrade The project is expected to take four and a half years to complete if given the go ahead, including a full environmental impact report, design, permits and building work. It will be undertaken in three phases. An environmental impact study has already been carried out Initial works would cost $37 million (€28.2 million), with Vopak’s landside works requiring an investment of $120 million The project is expected to improve dated infrastructure at the port

Westway Terminals Location Products Capacity

Port of Grays Harbour, Washington Crude oil Four 200,000 barrel crude oil storage tanks Construction / expansion / Expansion acquisition Project start date 2013 Completion date Beginning 2014

This list is based on information made available to Tank Storage magazine at the time of printing. If you would like to update the list with any additional terminal information for future issues, please email keeley@horseshoemedia.com

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

page header

800-456-6548

www.HaywardBaker.com

For a complete listing of our services and offices, visit: www.HaywardBaker.com

TANK STORAGE â&#x20AC;˘ May/June 2013

page header

TRAC-LOC

keep It Safe, keep It Warm

Two greaT soluTions from one innovaTive company TraceTek hazardous area hydrocarbon leak detection system quickly alerts you to the precise location of any leaks so you can take fast and effective action. Trac-Loc tank insulation is an award winning system that’s thermally efficient and can reduce your total installation and operation cost. Visit us at the ILTA 33rd Annual International Operating Conference & Trade Show at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX, June 3-5, 2013 Register to win an AOC - LED 23" monitor at www.thermal.pentair.com/ILTA2013 or For more information visit WWW.THERMAL.PENTAIR.COM

tHermaL maNaGemeNt SOLUtIONS

WWW.THERMAL.PENTAIR.COM

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

rail terminals

Billions on rails by Nicholas Zeman Out of the many components in the fuel storage supply chain, the tank car has become a hot commodity as rail is the only option for those refiners who want in on the low cost bonanza of Bakken and Athabasca crude. These oilfields in remote areas of North Dakota and Canada have not resolved the pipeline problems now keeping millions of barrels of crude from the market. There is no Keystone Pipeline and reports are that there probably won’t be until sometime in 2015. The situation has changed the nature of bulk fuel storage and supply chains, creating opportunities for companies positioned for the boom. Pipeline companies’ inability to push through regulations has allowed railway companies, tank-car makers, barge operators and other transportation sectors to build nice revenues. This was demonstrated by the fact that numerous $500 million (€380 million) deals for rail terminals, rail assets and equipment were status quo in the first quarter of this year. Terminals are looking for tactical and logistical edges, spending billions on equipment and new construction. The amount of ongoing

work and deals is staggering. In Pennsylvania, Enbridge is turning the site of a shuttered coal plant into a rail terminal able to take delivery of about 80,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil by the third quarter of this year. Sunoco is building a highspeed rail loading terminal at a refinery in south Philadelphia it previously had plans to close. PBF Energy, based in New Jersey, said in February it has completed a rail terminal that will also take delivery of about 80,000 bpd of Bakken and Canadian crude. The company unloaded its first train in January and that oil will go directly into its Delaware City refinery. While Philadelphia is a hot spot for rail terminal construction, dozens of projects in Texas, Louisiana and California are also underway. During the first quarter, construction work accelerated at defunct oil refineries, industrial facilities and other brownfield sites on the East Coast, undergoing conversion to become rail terminals taking crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken Shale formation. TransCanada is also looking to the East Coast to move crude as the Keystone Pipeline experiences more delays. Plains All American Pipeline closed nearly $1 billion in deals between operations

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

in North Dakota and East Coast markets to move crude between wells and refiners. ‘There is no pipeline to the East Coast so rail is the option currently,’ says PBF Energy communications manager Michael Karlovich. ‘We need rail terminal and storage capacity at refining destinations. We’re using Savage’s services to conduct our rail loading and unloading services at the Delaware City site.’ The fact that refineries adding rail loading terminals to their sites represents a paradigm shift in tank storage and energy logistics markets because it was previously thought that refiners were getting out of the downstream business. This is no longer the case. ‘We have been buying more railcars,’ Phillips 66 spokesman Dennis Nuss adds, ‘and we did install rail loading and unloading in New Jersey.’ PBF, Phillips 66, Tesoro and others are getting into the terminal game as part of long-term strategies to maximise exposure to Bakken and Canadian crude varieties, believing they will be the most economical solution to get crude to market. ‘Our rail terminal and tank farm should add an additional 40,000 bpd of heavy crude unloading capability to the existing 40,000

bpd rail facility,’ Karlovich says. Moving these volumes by rail comes with its own set of challenges, however. Often terminals and refiners do not have the expertise, equipment or technology to handle 100 car loads of crude in a limited timeframe. ‘The oil and gas sectors need to focus on what they are good at and not be concerned with becoming railmen,’ offers Dan Weiler, operations manager for management service provider Greenbrier in Oregon, which owns approximately 10,000 railcars. ‘They are oil shippers, not rail car managers.’ Long-term rail sustainability The crude-by-rail business has become a major trend so far this year. Indigo Resources, for example, will build a state-of-the-art rail-to-barge crude oil terminal on the Mississippi River in Arkansas. The Indigo Terminal will help alleviate current infrastructure constraints impacting the transportation of crude oil and other petroleum products produced in Canada and the Bakken shale formation. It will accommodate a direct rail service via BNSF railway and facilitate the downstream movement of products to Gulf Coast refineries over 480 acres. This facility will include 3,000ft of river frontage and five rail loop tracks, with more than 16 miles of track, allowing for the accommodation of 120 car unit trains as well as manifest shipments. The long running argument against rail’s ability to support crude production long-term is its inability to vie with pipelines as an ongoing logistics solution. But the

rail terminals amount of refiners, terminals, tank farms and shippers investing in rail assets suggests they are betting on the longterm sustainability of rail. Enbridge says it will start construction on a terminal this year, which will be capable of loading up to 60,000 bpd into rail cars. This will provide an interconnection with Enbridge’s Bakken Pipeline expansion project, Enbridge Pipeline and Tundra’s Manitoba gathering systems to move Alberta bitumen and North Dakota Bakken oil through the facility. The facility will also have access to trucked-in volumes and tank storage capabilities. Tundra will build and operate the facility but the rail service will be provided by CN Rail. Once a fracking company has a permanent well head installed, the other ground level equipment needs to be set up, including terminals with loading racks, gangways, ladders

and other safety equipment to fill approximately 120 rail tankers at a time. When the rail cars reach the pipeline, terminals are needed to transload crude into tanker trucks that can drive directly to the pipeline or refinery. Keeping competitive during construction Carbis, a design-builder and equipment provider for transloading applications, based in South Carolina, says there is abundant contracting work in this sector as refiners and distributors are willing to spend heavily to get on the low-cost Bakken crude bonanza, which can be sometimes more than $20 per barrel less than the Nigerian crude relied on by East Coast refiners. ‘A true crude-by-rail oil terminal costs about $70 million,’ adds Pete Singleton,

VP of business operations at Carbis. ‘That includes loading and unloading, fall protection, pipes and hoses, storage tanks, loop tracks, spill containment and spurs.’ Tesoro announced in April the formation of a joint venture with Savage Services to develop and operate a 120,000 bpd rail and marine transloading facility at the Port of Vancouver, Washington. The project is still subject to regulatory approval but it believes that location is well positioned to serve West Coast refining centres. Kent Avery, VP of business development for Savage Services, says the biggest challenge at the moment for these projects centres on space and, while most of the work involves traditional construction methods and techniques, every job is custom-made. ‘There is no template

we can use; the design and construction needs of each project is different,’ he explains, adding that installing a rail spur and loop track to accommodate 120 car unit trains can take up a lot of ground. ‘North Dakota’s Trenton Railport facility, which we completed in 2012, occupies 270 acres, for example.’ Savage Services develops new rail loading facilities from the ‘ground up,’ plus Carbis and Savage design and fabricate equipment needed for transloading and tank storage, while looking for contractors with multiple skill sets to handle a whole job. Greenbrier meanwhile plans to triple its production from 1,000 units in 2012 to over 3,000 this year, banking on the fact that major independent oil companies know staying competitive needs world class rail unloading and storage components at terminals.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

page header

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

page header

THE GLOBAL LEADER FOR COMPLETE ALUMINUM COVER SOLUTIONS

CST Covers 498 N Loop 336 E Conroe, TX 77301 USA p: 936-539-1747 f: 936-539-5355 2013 CST Industries, Inc. 70

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

page header

NEW FLUSH BATTEN ALUMINUM GEODESIC DOME

Optimized Structural Design Optimized Batten Seal Technology Optimized Aesthetics • Eliminates Ponding • No Exposed Sealant at Nodes • Flanged Hub Cover

• All-Aluminum Structures • Ideal for New Construction or Retrofit Projects • Reduces Emissions • Eliminates Rain Water in Stored Product • Reduces Risk of Fire • Ease of Installation • No Welding/Hot Work • Virtually Maintenance Free • Compatible with All Stored Products • Light Weight Design • Economical Solution

www.cstcovers.com TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

page header

The new image of trust and quality.

www.solventas.com.tr

May/June 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ TANK STORAGE

tank repairs

Do you have to take the hydrotest? Every year tank owners spend millions repairing aboveground storage tanks. API 653 is one of the most recognisable codes in the world to use for tank repairs. API 653 includes stringent requirements on repair details and nondestructive examination (NDE) to be performed on a repaired tank. Tanks are more susceptible to brittle fracture after repairs. Tank repairs that meet requirements of API 653 are less susceptible to brittle fracture than repairs that do not meet API 653 requirements. For tanks that have been reconstructed, had a change of service (increase operating pressure or lower operating temperature) or had a major repair, API 653 requires a full hydrotest to reduce the potential for brittle fracture. API 653, section 3 defines a major repair as any of the following: a. Installing a shell penetration larger than NPS 12 beneath the design liquid level b. Installing a bottom penetration within 12 “ of the shell c. Removing and replacing or adding a shell plate beneath the design liquid level where the longest dimension of the replacement plate exceeds 12”. d. Removing or replacing annular plate ring material where the longest dimension of the replacement plate exceeds 12”. e. Complete or partial (more than one-half of the weld thickness) removal and replacement of more than 12”. of vertical

Hydrotesting can be expensive and extremely challenging if the terminal is far from a water source, so a well executed hydro exemption plan may be a popular alternative to prove the integrity of the tank weld joining shell plates or radial weld joining the annular plate ring f. Installing a new bottom g. Removing and replacing part of the weld attaching the shell to the bottom, or to the annular plate ring, in excess of the amounts listed in 12.3.2.5.1 a) h. Jacking a tank shell. A hydrotest is a very effective NDE to prove the integrity of a repaired tank. In some cases a hydrotest is either impossible or too expensive to perform. Many job sites are far from a water source, so obtaining water for a hydrotest can be very expensive. Even if water

is readily available, special permits may be required, plus the water may need to be treated before disposal. Recognising the above challenges, API 653 allows hydro exemption if authorised by the tank owner/operator in writing, and the repair has been reviewed and approved by an engineer experienced in storage tank design. Hydro exemption for a major repair can be achieved by repairing a storage tank to meet API 653, Section 12.3.2.3 to 12.3.2.6 requirements. Due to the unique design parameters and complexity of storage tank repairs, each tank repair

should be treated separately. Even the exact same tank in one location is treated very differently in another location because of the differences in design metal temperature (DMT). A repair plan should be prepared for each repair by an engineer experienced in storage tanks. All design parameters should be considered by engineers when preparing the repair plans. Some of the design parameters include tank size, original construction code, existing tank materials, corroded thickness, DMT, product properties and design pressures. In the example below, the shell plate thickness is a design parameter that determines whether the installation of a 12 NPS nozzle is a major repair. If the nozzle is installed in existing shell plate less than 0.5” thick, no hydrotest is required because this is not a major repair per API 653, Section 3.19. On the other hand, if the

A door sheet installation

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

tank repairs qualified in accordance with ASME Section IX g. Review all WPS used for repair h. Review all material test report (MTR) i. Perform stress analysis for repair area j. Review tensile and toughness test report k. Perform calculations to determine critical crack size per API 579, Part 9 (Assessment of Crack-Like Flaws) l. Provide FFS report for hydro exemption. FFS evaluations will determine whether a tank with major repairs can be exempted from hydrotest. The exemption result depends on the calculated critical flaw size versus the

Manway with insert plate nozzle is installed in existing shell plate with unknown toughness and greater than 0.5” thick, a hydrotest is required. API 653, Section 9.8.6 requires this nozzle to be installed in an insert plate. This insert plate exceeds the 12” requirement for major repair per API 653, Section 3.19. Fitness-for-service Per API 653, Section 12.3.2.7, a fitness-for-service (FFS) evaluation may be performed to determine if a tank with major repairs can be exempted from hydrotest. FFS evaluation shall be performed by an engineer experienced in storage tank design and the evaluation methodologies used. API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 is the most accepted standard that can be used to perform FFS assessments. FFS assessment is a quantitative engineering/ inspection approach that is used to determine if the repaired tank is fit to continue operation. API 579 is currently recognised and referenced by API 653 for evaluating the structural integrity of storage

tanks. The introduction in API 579, Section 1.1.1 contains the following statement: The ASME and API new construction codes and standards for pressurised

the fact that equipment degrades while in service. A good FFS evaluation should include the following: a. Review of latest inspection report (including shell

API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 is the most accepted standard that can be used to perform fit for service assessments equipment provide rules for the design, fabrication, inspection and testing of new pressure vessels, piping systems and storage tanks. These codes do not provide rules to evaluate equipment that degrades while in-service and deficiencies due to degradation or from original fabrication that may be found during subsequent inspections. API 510, API 570, API 653, and NB-23 Codes/Standards for the inspection, repair, alteration, and rerating of in-service pressure vessels, piping systems, and storage tanks do address

and bottom inspections and evaluations) Detailed repair plan prepared by an experienced engineer Review and check repair design for compliance with API 653 Review and check NDE for compliance with API 653 and ASME Section V All welding performed

shall be in accordance with API 653 f. All Welding Procedure Specifications (WPSs) and welders and welding operators shall be

NDE detection criteria. If the critical flaw size is greater than the inspection criteria, then the repaired tank is exempt from hydrotest. For magnetic particle (MT) or liquid-penetrant (PT) inspection methods, ASME Section V states that no linear indications are acceptable and that rounded indications shall be no larger than 3/16”. Major repairs can be costly and can leave a tank susceptible to brittle fracture. If the repairs are made per API Standards and ASME Codes, then the tank owner/operator has the option of performing a hydrotest exemption to prove the integrity of a repaired tank. A repair plan prepared by an experienced engineer is an integral part of a hydro exemption evaluation. FFS-evaluation can be performed by an experienced engineer to determine if a tank with major repairs can be exempted from hydrotest. A competent hydro-exemption plan and evaluation can help reduce overall project costs while maintaining high integrity for tank repairs. For more information:

This article was written by Kah-Kan Chan, engineering manager at TCI Services, www. tank-consultants.com

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

header Asspage ess y our compliance needs with the API 2350 Readiness Kit and NEW Level Instrumentation Video.

dards 50 Stanet API RP 2s3no w to me

Take step prevention the new overfill guidelines. to download 0.magnetrol.com 35 i2 ap w. ww t si Vi t. 2350 Readiness Ki your free API RP standards. d by API RP 2350 re ve co s nk ta y Inventor fill risks. Assess your over

determine g categories and in at er op nk ta Identify n. levels of concer d an s me ti se on resp ion for vel instrumentat le l ro et gn Ma ct reliable Sele the first name in – on ti en ev pr overfill level control. . prevention system nt me ge na ma ll fi Define your over

ro l l ex pe rts at Ma gn et es Le t th e le ve l co nt ro tic ac pr d de re co m m en he lp yo u m ee t th e . h Ed iti on in AP I RP 23 50 4t r ag ne tro l.c om fo r ou Vi sit ww w. ap i23 50 .m th wi e let mp co ss Ki t, AP I RP 23 50 Re ad ine ss y, te rm ina l re ad ine ar mm su on iti w a 4t h ed ne d an r tio n wh ite pa pe au dit , ov erf ill pr ev en vid eo . lev el ins tru me nt ati on

ECHOTEL Ultrasound Switch PULSAR Radar Transmitter

Model A15 Displacer Switch

ol.com l.com • info@magnetr

w.api2350.magnetro 1-800-624-8765 • ww

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

terminal construction

Although approximately 85% of Ivens’ business is centred around Belgium and the Netherlands, the company is looking to expand further afield

g n i p e Ke it in the

The company has its own robotic welding and stamping machines

by Peter Patterson In today’s corporate environment it is getting harder and harder to find true 100% family run companies. Thankfully they still exist and Tank Storage magazine met with one such company shortly after this year’s StocExpo. Ivens Constructiebedrijf is situated in the heart of the Port of Antwerp, in close proximity

to its array of customers – refineries and tank terminal owners. Having started in 1930 the company has many years of experience in tank building and the founder’s son, Eduard Ivens, is still active in the company today at the sprightly age of 83. As he puts it, ‘It’s my hobby’. Although day-to-day operations

are now in the hands of his daughter, Greet, such knowledge and experience is invaluable in servicing and responding to the exacting needs of its clients. Ivens has expanded its business over the years and the group now has divisions covering logistics and transportation and, more recently, launched Ivens Civil Contracting. Explaining the logic behind this development Greet Ivens states: ‘We were being let down by a number of our partners, who were finding it difficult to stick to the timeframes imposed and whose work was not always up to the standards we would expect.’ Further outlining the move she continues: ‘We’re seeing

ourselves as becoming more of an EPC type company where we can offer our clients a complete service from the planning and engineering right through to the final phase of installation and maintenance.’ Tremendous investments in all parts of the business have been undertaken. Despite being present at its original location for a considerable length of time, in 2010 Ivens moved into new offices on the existing site. It has the largest profile steel bending machine in Belgium, has developed its own robotic welding machine and has its own stamping machine for shaping tank roofs. Work is also continuing on the expansion of the yard through the laying of concrete to accommodate

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

terminal construction

family more storage space for tanks prior to shipment to clients. Like many engineeringbased companies though, Ivens has also had to face up to the challenge of finding qualified personnel, especially in the form of welders. This led the company to establish its own welding school on-site, where employees can be taught the intricacies of the job, with the aim of continued progression within the organisation as each of the company’s divisions require a slightly different skill set. The investment is required as Greet Ivens sees no sign of a slowing down within the sector. As she explains: ‘I see the outlook as positive. While there are still new building projects taking place, we’re also seeing an increase in the

maintenance of tanks.’ Part of this can be put down to

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

ever more regulation within the tank storage sector, with the other part being down to an ageing infrastructure at many terminals. In some circumstances it is easier and cheaper to dismantle and rebuild the tanks.’ One of the more recently completed projects was the addition of tanks at Oiltanking’s facility in Terneuzen. Ivens took over the contract from another tank constructor that was unable to fulfil the order and, this February, completed the construction of two 6,000m3 and five 10,000m3 tanks. The biggest project Ivens was involved in was at Vopak’s Terminal Eemshaven in the Netherlands. At the beginning of 2011 Vopak and its partner NIBC European Infrastructure Fund reached an agreement to build and operate the new storage terminal primarily for strategic reserves. Ivens finished the expansion project in 18 months, building 61,000m³ of additional capacity. Unfortunately the plan to enlarge the capacity had to be put on hold with only 11 of the 48 projected tanks having been built. Last year also saw seven

shop fabricated tanks built for Stolt, which were delivered by pontoon to the terminal in Moerdijk, the Netherlands. It also has the contract for building the blending installation for Q8 Petroleum in south Antwerpen. For Vopak ACS in Antwerp, Ivens, together with a steel constructor, built a loading jetty. This was also delivered on-site by pontoon, along with self propelled platform trailers. The company is now working on its next job for Noord Natie Terminals building two tank pits. Although approximately 85% of its business is centred around Belgium and the Netherlands, Ivens is looking to expand further afield. But with further expansion in the ARA area expected over the next 12 months, the future is looking rather bright for Ivens.

This special creature is called Mathilda after Greet Ivens’ grandmother, who, with the help of Eduard Ivens, continued the company after her husband died at a young age

ILTA previews

33RD ANNUAL

International Operating Conference & Trade Show

JUNE 3-5, 2013 HOUSTON, TEXAS

Hilton Americas-Houston George R. Brown Convention Center

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Cal Ripken, Jr. • Baseball’s Iron Man and Hall of Famer

Retired from baseball in October 2001 after 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Cal Ripken, Jr. was entered in the record books as one of only seven players in history to achieve 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. Cherished by fans around the globe as baseball’s “Iron Man,” in 1995 he broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played, and voluntarily ended his streak in 1998 after playing 2,632 consecutive games. This is regarded as one of the single greatest accomplishments in sports history. Ripken’s name has become synonymous with strength, character, endurance, and integrity. His philosophy of working hard, playing with passion, and enjoying the game has made a tremendous impact on the sport and on fans everywhere. ★

Plus!

13 conference presentations will be conducted in Spanish

Develop your technical expertise in terminal operations by attending focused presentations and workshops. CONFERENCE SESSIONS INCLUDE:

Tank Overfill Protection: Evaluating the Revised API 2350 Standard Mechanical Integrity Programs: The Case for a Proactive Approach The Panama Canal Expansion and Other Critical Issues for U.S. Ports Chemical Manufacturing in the U.S.: The Latest Trends Mitigating Cyber Threats: Tools for Improving Computer and Network Security Ensuring Due Diligence in Dealing with Vacuum Truck Hazards

info@ilta.org | +1-703-875-2011 | www.ilta.org 78

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

ILTA previews

The returning The 17th annual ILTA conference will have experts from the terminal industry discuss increasing operational effectiveness, managing business issues and improving safety and environmental performance AC2 is a Houston, Texasbased supplier of terminal automation software. At ILTA AC2 will be showcasing TPVision, software technology which manages liquid transaction at up-, mid- or downstream sites including both inbound and outbound workflows. The transactional process is managed as information is collected and validated for authorisation or denial of loading or unloading based on each client’s requirements. The TPVision terminal management system assists companies with the processes and reporting required to manage, collect and ship crude oil, either in truck to

of choice for its clients. Visit Atec Steel at booth 552

Atec Steel builds tanks and tank roofs for the storage terminal industry rail (transloading), truck to storage or storage to truck. The technology manages

AC2’s TPVision main display

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

and provides authorisation for loading/unloading transactions, inventory control, and security. Visit AC2 at booth 642.

Blackmer will be exhibiting a range of its sliding vane pumps at this year’s ILTA show. Its ML Series of sliding vane pumps can be used in liquid terminal operations that require high-capacity product transfer, top or bottom loading/ unloading and blending at the rack, while its STX Series of sliding vane pumps are suitable for loading and unloading corrosive and non-corrosive liquids not compatible for use with cast iron pumps. These include sulphonic Blackmer’s ML Series of sliding vane pumps

Atec Steel is a provider of field-weld tank construction and steel fabrication services, focusing on cone, dome and umbrella roof tanks; internal and external floating roofs; double wall tanks; and sloped/ shovel bottom tanks. The company says its industry experience, reliability and commitment to projects make it the supplier

ILTA previews

Emerson’s technology helps optimise tank farm management as BP, Vopak, OilTanking, Total, Aramco, IOCL and Lukoil. Visit CarboVac at booth 843

CarboVac’s VRUs recover vapours from refinery products acids, specialty chemicals, solvents, latex paints, liquid sugars and vegetable oils. The company will also be showcasing its HD Series of reciprocating gas compressors. These have been designed to handle the vapour recovery of gases that are common in terminal applications by capturing them before they are released into the environment, allowing terminals to be more environmentally responsible. Visit Blackmer at booth 333

to safely carry out their job working at height, while the system’s mobility means the equipment can be moved where the job needs to be performed. It also addresses some other issues clients are challenged with, namely speed to market. Carbis says the equipment can be up and running within seight weeks. Visit Carbis at booth 801

CarboVac is a supplier of gaseous effluent Carbis will be exhibiting a treatment systems and mobile transloading skid with provides technologies integrated fall prevention, based on adsorption and used to gain access to the activated carbon. top of a rail car and/or tank The key feature of the truck to load and vent. company’s technology is The integrated system its low energy consumption allows terminal operators while maintaining operational flexibility. The systems are in use for the recovery of vapours from refinery products such as crude oil, petrol, diesel, platformate, light and heavy naphtha, as well as pure products such as benzene, toluene, paraxylene, alcohols and ethers. CarboVac has supplied its VRUs globally Marine loading arms from Emco Wheaton for clients such

Emco Wheaton is a supplier of solutions for the transfer and storage of bulk hazardous liquids and gases, including marine, road and rail loading arms, as well as a range of accessories. Its products include top and bottom loading of single or multi-compartment trailer trucks and rail cars to more complex marine loading systems capable of handling a variety of liquids. The company operates within the Engineered Products Group of Gardner Denver and is split into two operational segments: Fuel Systems and Loading Systems. In addition to representatives in over 80 countries, Emco also operates five manufacturing plants, one in each of the US, Canada, Sweden, Germany the UK. Visit Emco Wheaton at booth 401 Emerson Process Management supplies a range of automated technologies to measure, analyse, control, regulate, operate and manage assets. Senior consultants also provide optimisation, engineering, project management, training, maintenance and

lifecycle support services. The company’s innovative applications help optimise assets such as: • Marine receipt, handling and storage • Tank farm management • Overfill protection • Blending • Tank gauging • Fiscal measurement and custody transfer Its integrated solutions help achieve operational goals such as: • Business systems integration • Terminal automation • Logistics • Smart safety • Consulting services With Emerson’s network of more than 400 offices, factories, and service centres in 64 countries on six continents, its technologies, services and solutions are right around the corner, all around the world. Visit Emerson Process Management at stand 607 Fisher Tank designs, fabricates and builds storage tanks and also offers repair, maintenance and tank painting services. The company says it is able to adhere to quality standards as its engineering, fabrication, blasting, coatings and fitting services are all carried out in-house. Visit Fisher Tank at stand 725

Fisher Tank paints tanks as well as builds and maintains them

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

ILTA previews

OPTIMIZE. For maximum effectiveness, tank inspections should be scheduled regularly. ROSEN’s risk-based integrity plan combined with our rugged, high-speed Tank Bottom Inspection Tool (TBIT) guarantees reliable, high-precision data and makes tank inspection planning simple and safe. www.roseninspection.net

EMPOWERED BY TECHNOLOGY

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

ILTA previews

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

ILTA previews specialises in combustion and pollution control technology, including flare systems, thermal oxidisers, incinerators, burners and ignition systems. Visit Jordan Technology and Flare Industries at booth 737

Fort Vale’s couplings

Fort Vale Engineering will be showcasing its API Safeload and Drytyt dry disconnect couplers at ILTA this year, both offering ways to transfer petrochemicals with minimal residual product loss. The Drytyt couplings are used in the process, petrochemical and oil and gas industries, suitable for a number of applications such as transferring odorous or hazardous liquids. The Safeload coupler includes extended triggers to improve connection, splined handles in place of handle pins and compression springs replacing wavey springs susceptible to breaking. It now comes with a three year warranty on all metal parts under Standard Environmental Conditions. Visit Fort Vale Engineering at booth 342 Established in 2003, Franklin Valve is a privately-held company located in Texas. On show at ILTA will be the company’s DuraSeal Double Block and Bleed, a plug valve that adheres to requirements under the ‘Buy American Act’ and is API 6D monogrammed, API 591 (destructive), API 622 (emissions), API 6FA (firesafe) and CE/PED certified. Additionally, Franklin Valve’s facility is ISO 9001-approved. The company says it has ‘experienced growth and market share expansion

during the last three years’. Visit Franklin Valve at booth 858 G.R. Birdwell Construction has been offering its full service construction services to the liquid storage terminal market for over 30 years. Birdwell’s specialty lies in the construction of tank foundations and associated site work and it says it is experienced

Liquid Controls Group, part of IDEX, will be displaying its latest products for the terminalling industry at this year’s ILTA exhibition. The group offers technology designed to move, measure and manage high-value fluids and gases. Liquid Controls Group is composed of six business units: Toptech Systems, Liquid Control, Corken, Faure

Herman, Sampi and Sponsler. Toptech Systems, a supplier of terminal automation products and services, will be featuring its newest hosted automation solution, the Unified Automation Platform, in addition to the latest improvements to existing products such as Toptech Data Services, TMS6, and MultiLoad II. Liquid Controls, a manufacturer of positive displacement flowmeters, accessories and electronics, will display its M, MA and high pressure MS Series flowmeters. Corken will showcase its line of premium compressors, pumps and accessories,

Jordan Technologies and Flare Industries both deal with emissions

while Faure Herman will be displaying its helical turbine and ultrasonic flowmeters. Sponsler will showcase its precision turbine flowmeter and Sampi will feature its latest custom designed and ‘plug and play’ skids. Visit Liquid Controls Group at booth 831

Tank foundations from G.R. Birdwell

PetroChem Inspection Services, daughter company of TÜV SÜD America, has served the refining

in sourcing soil improvement techniques and performing specialised concrete pours. It is able to carry out projects either working as a full-service general contractor or a specialty subcontractor. Visit G.R. Birdwell at booth 1040 Kentucky-based Jordan Technologies and Texas-based Flare Industries are sharing a booth at this year’s ILTA; Jordan manufactures vapour recovery and control systems and Flare

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

Six businesses under Liquid Controls Group are exhibiting at ILTA

ILTA previews and petrochemical industries for over 30 years and describes itself as a ‘one-stop resource for safe, reliable, and affordable inspection and testing services’. It provides clients with a number of inspection services, including advanced, onstream, turnaround, quality assurance and capital projects. In addition to on-stream and turnaround API inspection capabilities, PetroChem offers traditional non-destructive testing such as ultrasonic, magnetic particle, radiographic and eddy current. Services include: • Mechanical integrity programmes • On-stream resident inspectors • Turnaround inspectors • NDE Services • Tank inspection and calibration • Computerised radiography • Guided wave ultrasonic inspection • Helium mass spectrometer

leak testing • ACFM • API 510, 570, and 653 certified inspectors • NACE coating inspectors • Vendor quality assurance and QA/QC inspectors Visit Petrochem Inspection Services at booth 859 Texas-based PortVision is a division of Airsis, an energy and transportation solution company which provides products, services and support

within the maritime industry. The company says it helps clients enhance their business processes, analytics and reporting capabilities by delivering instant and continuous access to vessel and terminal-related activities. Its customers include oil majors, inland marine fleets, petrochemical refiners and thirdparty tank storage operators. At ILTA PortVision will be on hand to discuss its webbased business intelligence

PortVision’s TerminalSmart management solution

platform which gives maritime users new levels of information and knowledge about vessel and terminal activities. It also provides enterprise software solutions and tools that automate a variety of collaborative scheduling, reporting, analytics and decision-making functions. These enterprise solutions combine real-time vessel tracking with collaborative dock scheduling, web-based activity logging and comprehensive performance reporting. The solutions include TerminalSmart, a vessel-tracking dock management and analytics platform; and Dock Management System, which automates job scheduling, real-time operations, activity logging, demurrage analysis and performance reporting. Visit PortVision at booth 1042 Precision Filtration Products (PFP) has been providing solutions for fuel quality problems at

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

ILTA previews

PFP helps improve fuel quality refineries and pipeline terminals since 1994. Its product offering includes EI manufacturers and an emergency rental fleet comprising pre-filters, coalesce separators, clay treaters and horizontal high flow filter vessels. Contamination can come in many forms, including surfactants, colour bodies, water or particulate. PFP can provide solutions to improve fuel quality, decrease downtime and increase throughput. It solutions are suitable for jet fuel, ethanol,

diesel, hydraulic and lube oil. Fuel contamination can seriously hinder a company’s ability to maintain fuel throughput and deliver on-spec fuel. Visit Precision Filtration Products at booth 234 ProAct Services works in environmental treatment for industrial degassing, vapour/ odour control, on-site water and remediation services. The company’s vapour

The principle of water removal

ProAct supplies vapour treatment services to the tank storage industry treatment services utilise a variety of treatment options, including thermal/catalytic oxidation, internal combustion engines, carbon adsorption and scrubber systems for aboveground storage tanks, pipeline and metering stations, flare drums, frac

tanks, pressurised vessels and pipelines, and API separators. ProAct Services provides tank-bottom water treatment, tank hydrotest and construction dewatering services, among others. It has completed hundreds of treatment projects across the US, including

Rainwater Secondary Seals for Floating Roof Tanks The efficiency of rain water removal from inner tank walls is close to 100%. • Water sensitive storage products like gasoline, alcohol, ether, jet fuel, etc. will stay safely within specification. • Corrosion of tank bottoms is drastically reduced. • Tank drainage and waste water treatment are minimised.

Phone: Fax: E-Mail: Web:

0049 6108 60999 0049 6108 78455 info@imhof-tanktechnik.de www.imhof-tanktechnik.de

Ingenieurbüro Imhof GmbH Otto-Hahn-Straße12 63165 Mühlheim, Germany

Our water seals with water absorbent contact elements made from polyester fibres successfully drain kilometers of tank walls for 30 years. TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

ILTA previews

Looking to the future

and working capital for operators. As an operator, if you can use automation to increase throughput of the product, cut times to get product to its destination, free up staff and all the time improve safety, then it gives you a clear competitive edge.

In preparation for ILTA Richard Thompson, general manager at Honeywell Enraf, takes a look at why the storage sector is staying strong Fundamentally oil and gas still needs to get from A to B, even in a downturn, so to a large extent the market has weathered the financial crisis well. The profile of new private ownership means it is more business-minded and the continued high price of oil, and more importantly the speculation around oil, means

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing operators? Richard Thompson, general manager at Honeywell Enraf there are good opportunities for trading activities keeping the market attractive to invest in. All this is putting the discussion around automation into sharp focus, as it is an area that can drive efficiency and improve both the bottom line

The nature of the products stored and transported in our industry mean safety and regulation are always the overriding issues. Particularly in the high growth regions, such as India, dozens of terminals are being revamped quarter after quarter to meet more stringent

national safety regulations. At the same time, environmental regulation is driving demand for higher quality fuels; for instance biofuels blended into petrol and additives to reduce emissions. How important is a global footprint in that respect? Half of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population is now under the age of 30 and 90% of under 30s are in high growth regions. Looking ahead 95% of global population growth for the next 40 years is going to come from high growth regions. This means weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see huge demand for oil and derivatives there. If as either an operator or supplier you have an established global footprint, you are going to have the infrastructure to respond quickly, whether mobilising to execute a project, servicing

Technology-enabled inspection from Quest

The QFin features a patent-pending design emulsions, high-solids, PCBs, heavy metals, dyes, iron and algae at flow rates of up to 10,000 gallons per minute and water volumes as high as 100 million gallons. Visit ProAct Services at booth 903 QMax Industries designs and manufactures specialised process heating systems for industrial piping, vessels and equipment. For asphalt tanks, its

QFin with patent-pending design helps improve the heat input of internal heating coils and it is fully removable and replaceable. It features conductive aluminium which increases the heating surface area by 1,000%, allowing for greater heating capabilities or decreased total footage of the internal coil. QFin is specifically designed for high viscosity fluids such as asphalt, bitumen and heavy crude

to allow for easy removal and reinstallation of fins if the product cokes on them. Visit QMax Industries at booth 352 Quest Integrity Group develops and delivers asset integrity management and reliability solutions for clients in the refining and chemical, pipeline, syngas and power industries. Its services include in-line inspection for the pipeline industry and furnace tube inspection for the refining and chemical industries, in

addition to fitness-for-service assessment, remaining life assessment, structural integrity, failure analysis and materials consulting for various industries including the power industry. The application of fitness-for-service means that common damage mechanisms such as corrosion, shell bulging, cracking and edge settlement no longer automatically require costly repairs. These assessment methods, combined with advanced engineering analysis, make the most of the standard data collected

May/June 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ TANK STORAGE

ILTA previews a maintenance contract or carrying out an expansion. In this respect size matters and bigger companies can have an advantage. What do you see as the key technological trends? I think it links to my prior point about population growth. We’re seeing most demand from high growth regions and new recruits into the industry are younger. There’s a tremendous opportunity for technology right there. The younger generation in these regions is perfectly at home with new technology and our innovation and ‘technology DNA’ needs to reflect that. We are going to make all our devices intuitive for our installed base but more importantly for that new

workforce. That means mobile, touchscreen, intuitive icon and app-based products similar to the phones, tablets and other technology they all use at home. There’s really no reason you can’t have that type of technology even in hazardous areas. The Fusion4 MSC-A we’re launching at ILTA (MultiStream Controller – Additive) is an example of that. It’s the only dedicated hazardous area, 24 stream additive controller available, but what really makes it stand out is the user interface. The focus on human factors has been built in at the outset in the Fusion4 range, and you will see this thread increasingly characterising all our technology. This is because human factors do more than just make devices easier to interact with; they

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

make it easier for users to integrate devices into their system infrastructure, easier for them to reconcile and distribute information, and therefore easier for them to get operational efficiency benefiting their profits. How important is customers’ input? Very. A focus on human factors means taking it further than an interview with the terminal manager sitting in the control room. Actually climbing tanks or witnessing load rack workflows and prover runs in the field is what counts. This walking through the day-to-day processes with staff helps us understand how we can improve them and make it easier and more efficient. We also have regular ‘voice

of the customer’ sessions to get feedback, and you see that in our new Small Volume Prover Controller, for example. I would estimate half the features on the controller are the direct result of customer feedback. Communication is vital, and it’s about communication in different settings as well. Events like the ILTA are also valuable because it’s an opportunity for customers to come and play with the kit and give us feedback. We also want customers to come and see our assembly and test plants. There’s a lot of drive to increase and extend warranties in the industry, but ultimately it is my belief to aim for a situation where there is no need for a warranty claim in the first place. Visit Honeywell at booth 616

ILTA previews during required inspections and help define new requirements when additional inspection is necessary. Tank integrity assessment capabilities include: • Analysis of excessive floor settlement of aboveground storage tanks • Fitness-for-service including remaining life predictions considering damage mechanisms

• Fixed roof design validation • Earthquake risk, corrosion damage and leak-beforebreak assessments • Edge settlement analysis • Recommendations for maintenance and inspection • Identification of critical areas. Quest’s solutions of technology-enabled inspection and engineering assessment services

help companies reduce operational and safety risks, improve operational planning and increase profitability. Visit Quest Integrity Group at booth 236 regAction is an online environmental information and safety management compliance system developed to provide access to information and support tools for regulatory

compliance, stewardship and reporting efforts. Equipped with a set of interactive applications, key modules within regAction include carbon management, air emissions management, waste and wastewater management, sustainability metrics, auditing/corrective action, incident management and health/safety statistics. regAction’s emission inventory module, webEI, is a data application with collection and reporting capabilities; its online application enables it to collect, maintain, store and report emissions inventory data. webEI enables users to: • Generate air emission inventories • Handle changing stream, calculations and emissions factors • Demonstrate compliance with air permit emissions limitations • Maintain historical emissions data • Electronically submit data to state agencies. Visit regAction at booth 1054

Guaranteed safety for the next 3 years The MK3 Safeload semi-automatic bottom loading coupler is the first and only coupler on the market to have an extended “wrap around” trigger design. This unique feature ensures maximum safety and security of connection between the adaptor and coupler, drastically reducing the risk of product leakage. Maybe that’s why it’s the only coupler on the market with a 3 year warranty?

Find out more at www.fortvale.com

Tel: +44 (0)1282 687100 sales@fortvale.com

Flow control group Rotork Controls will be exhibiting a selection of valve actuation, control and instrumentation product ranges for the liquid terminals industry at this year’s event. Its actuation products include the IQ3 range of heavy duty electric valve actuators which feature new levels of functionality and asset management abilities. Also on display will be the Skilmatic SI-3 range of self-contained electro-hydraulic actuators. Further electric products include Schischek explosionproof rotary and linear actuators and control systems, providing on-off and positional control for 2 and 3-way valves and dampers, including springreturn options. Schischek products also include transmitting and switching sensors for differential pressure,

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

ILTA previews

Rotork IQ and Skilmatic actuators on isolating and emerging shutdown valve duties at the Botlek Tank Terminal in Rotterdam temperature and humidity. For pneumatic actuation, the K-Tork range of vane actuators and damper drives feature a ‘no moving parts’ design, providing for accurate modulating control for quarter turn applications and an extended life in high-cycle applications. Visit Rotork Controls at booth 516

devices and can be used with fresh, salt or brackish water. The concentrates are designed to replace

Loading platforms from SafeRack traditional AFFF and AR-AFFF foam concentrates and older fluoroprotein foams. They are available in 1, 3, 6%

and 3x6 ATC formulations. Solberg’s foam technologies serve a number of industries, including

SafeRack Loading Rack Technologies has over 250 years of combined experience in the petroleum loading industry. With an understanding of the challenges associated with developmental and operational phases of petroleum loading projects, the company offers complete design/build and manufacturing capabilities. It works with its clients from the turnkey design and construction to follow up maintenance and spare parts. Visit SafeRack Loading Rack Technologies at booth 1030 Solberg, an Amerex company, manufactures firefighting foam concentrates and custom-designed foam suppression systems hardware. The company’s Re-Healing foam concentrates are a sustainable fluorosurfactant and fluoropolymer-free firefighting foam used to extinguish Class B fuels with no environmental concerns for persistence, bioaccumulation or toxic breakdown. They require no special discharge

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

ILTA previews

Solberg Re-Healing foam concentrate storage, petrochemical, pipeline and oil and gas. Visit Solberg at booth 119

Defining the limit as standard Safe, fast, explosion-proof AUMA offer a comprehensive range of actuator and gearbox types combined with suitable actuator controls backed by global approval and certiﬁcation for use in potentially explosive atmospheres or areas subject to ﬁre hazards. ■

AUMA’s modular concept ensures perfect integration

■

Corrosion protection and maximum resistance

■

Suitable for all conventional ﬁeldbus systems

■

Approved by leading oil companies worldwide

Solidification Products International has developed new ways to apply its oil containment products, through updates and modifications. The company has also added new accessories which help its customers reduce liability and comply with SPCC regulations. The use of pumps with the Solidification’s Petro-Barrier allows oil to be removed from water when passive (gravity) filtering is not possible. Contaminated water is pumped from a sump in the containment area to the top of an external Petro-Barrier and the treated discharge is directed through a pipe to an area where it can flow freely. In case of a spill, the PetroBarrier forms a plug in the

unit that is impenetrable and when the unit is unattended the contaminated water is recycled back into the containment area. Additionally, the company says its Petro-Pipes are able to extend the time between maintenance and filter replacements. New materials in the pre-filter baskets better prevent dirt and debris from entering the Petro-Pipes, reducing maintenance. The new pipe sleeve material is heat and UV resistant in order to protect the Petro-Pipes from harsh temperatures and intense sunlight. Visit Solidification Products International at booth 233 STV Energy Services has been serving the pipeline transportation and bulk liquid storage terminal industry for the past 25 years, providing

Actuators for the oil and gas industry

AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG P.O. Box 1362 • 79373 Muellheim, Germany Tel. +49 7631 809-0 • riester@auma.com

www.auma.com

SPI’s Petro-Pipes are shielded from heat with a new pipe sleeve

90 anzeige_halbe_Seite.indd 1

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE 21.12.2012 10:14:10

ILTA previews planning, environmental, design and construction support to projects that transport, distribute and store crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas liquids, chemicals and renewable fuels. Some of STV’s projects include complete lifecycle assistance, from conceptual engineering, permitting and surveys to detailed engineering design, as built documentation and construction management. The company has much history in the planning and design of pump stations, terminals, tank farms, process plants, receiving and delivery stations, rail and truck loading, administrative and maintenance facilities, and associated infrastructure improvements, along with instrumentation and control systems, automation and integration, custody transfer metering and blending facility projects. It also offers

hose and hose assemblies, braided and rubber covered fluoropolymer (PTFE) hoses and the range of Willcox Hose and TIFT-Compoflex petrochemical composite hoses. The company has two manufacturing facilities in the US, along with sister operations under the AmniTec name in Europe. Custom hose assemblies range from specific materials or alloys to time sensitive deliveries.

STV’s crude oil delivery system support with new plant piping, cross-country pipelines, IMP programme support and pipeline relocations. Visit STV Energy Services at stand 326 Ultraflote has been engineering and installing aluminium and stainless steel cover solutions for the petroleum and petrochemical industries since 1972. These solutions help control emissions and

ensure product quality attainment and security. The company’s floating roof, geodesic dome and flat panel product lines offer a range of cover options, with installations meeting API and international design standards and codes. Visit Ultraflote at booth 731 ISO 9000: 2008 certified US Hose Corp manufactures a range of hose technologies including flexible metallic

Visit US Hose Corp at booth 334 XOS is a global provider of materials analysis equipment for industries and regulators where material quality and performance control is vital. The company supplies application-specific analysers that measure environmental and product contaminants such as chlorine, silicon and sulphur, and deliver elemental analysis solutions for the petroleum industry with its line of

Engineered Safety Solutions Global engineering and application support by PROTEGO® provide best solutions for reliable tank protection Flame Arresters

ILTA

Pressure/Vacuum Relief Valves

Houston, Texas

Tank Equipment

June 3rd - 5th Booth No: 927

11 Daughter Companies: Austria, Brasil, China, France, Hungary, India, Middle East, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA 120 Sales & Service Partners

www.protego.com

ad_PROTEGO_tankstoragemag_1-2-page_april2013.indd 1

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

PROTEGO® Head Office Germany phone: +49 (0) 5307 / 809-0 fax: +49 (0) 5307 / 78 24 e-mail: office@protego.de

26.04.13 20:27

ILTA previews

Think Tank Craftsmanship and safety. Quality and flexibility. Innovation and progress. Many claim it, we deliver it.

Noorderlaan 710, Haven 540 B-2040 Antwerp T +32 3 568 81 28 ivens@ivens-cb.be www.ivens-cb.be

Ivens a name renowned in the port of Antwerp and far abroad. Ivens builds storage tanks for chemicals and fuels. We are a family run business with a rich tradition and an excellent reputation.

Apart from its impeccable range of services, Ivens also takes care of pipelines, steel constructions and floating roofs for tanks. Our huge range comprises, among others, engineering, special transports and crane activities. All this is executed from A to Z by an internal and experienced team which always disposes over the latest systems and equipment.

Sindie analysers. corrosive The Sindie environment 2622 is suitable from the for use in a metallic number of tough surfaces that environments, contact the including vapour space. refineries and The system pipeline terminals, extends tank able to handle a service life, range of liquids protects from ultra-low exposed sulphur diesel surfaces The Sindie 2622 from XOS and petrol to from corrosion heavy fuel oil and crudes. and minimises environmental It is a bench-top analyser contamination, reduces which complies with ASTM maintenance costs and methods D2622, D7039 prevents acid gas corrosion and ISO 20884 methods. in vapour spaces of Visit XOS at booth 804 aboveground storage tanks. Another one of Zerust’s Zerust Oil and Gas provides products, the ReCast-SSB, is a corrosion mitigation solutions to corrosion inhibitor designed clients in the oil and gas and to protect soil side bottoms process chemical industries. of aboveground storage Its ReCast-R corrosion tanks and can protect single management system can or double bottom tanks. Its be installed and deployed three-way action provides in internally corrosive three forms of protection: environments. Dispensers fast acting VCIs protect weld attached to the tank roof joints; phased released VCIs deliver vapour corrosion and soluble corrosion inhibitors inhibitors (VCIs) automatically which mitigate corrosion from into the tank vapour space moisture accumulation. forming a protective barrier Visit Zerust Oil and Gas layer. This layer isolates the at booth 113

In short, Ivens offers every customer a total package tailored to their needs.

TANK AND STEELCONTRACTORS

Zerust’s ReCast-R Dispenser forms a protective barrier layer

92 275 x 90 E.indd 1

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE 16/01/13 10:38

ILTA previews

First flush Batten Dome in the US

FlowDome by BTE

Storage Tank Products, LLC. • Geodesic Domes

• Floating Roof Seals

• Full Contact IFRs

• Drain Systems

• Pontoon IFRs

• Floating Suction/Skimmer Systems

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

www.stpllc.com • (225) 490-0539

page header

Three steps to measuring, identifying, and managing the gain/loss through your terminal Level Up! First, understand your terminal’s requirements for physical inventory measurement, and then identify and install a system that can deliver. Take into account a balanced view of accuracy versus lifetime cost of ownership, including installation, calibration, user acceptance, and servicing.

Keep it Moving! Secondly, integrate the hardware on your rack into your inventory system so that every transaction is managed and recorded without compromising the efficiency of your loading operations. To keep things moving, ensure driver interfaces are simple and responsive, TWIC compliance is standard, and BOLs are automated.

Find the Truth! Lastly, combine your throughput into a single system so that your real-time physical measurements can be reconciled against your actual transactions at a moment’s notice. Demand a system that will allow you to identify and manage the daily gain or loss, as well as track, report, and manage inventories down to the individual customer level, so that you allocate appropriately.

Realize the Difference! If you want to learn more about how Varec’s range of tank gauging technologies and FuelsManager® Oil & Gas software offer a single solution for inventory management and terminal automation, visit our website, or stop by our booth at this year’s International Liquid Terminals Association International Operating Conference and Trade Show.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

In a world of GAINS and ...do you always lose?

page header

LOSSES,

Varec.com Corporate Headquarters +1 (770) 447-9202 Houston +1 (281) 498-9202 Asia Pacific - varec.com.au +61 3 8623 6400 Europe - varec.co.uk +0800 044 5704

TANK STORAGE â&#x20AC;˘ May/June 2013

tank gauging

Limited sponsorship packages available

Ramada Plaza, Antwerp, Belgium

11-12 September 2013 As biofuel producers, regulators and experts come together in Antwerp to discuss the industry’s transition to advanced biofuels, where will you be?

Be part of the industry’s future. Don’t miss your chance to appear next to the industry’s most influential figures, including: Bernd Kuepker, Policy Officer at DG Energy, European Commission Ilmari Lastikka, Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Neste Oil Lars Gaustad, Senior Vice President, Transport Fuel, Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA Guido Ghisolfi, CEO, Beta RenewablesAlejandro Mora, Bioethanol Business Development, Abengoa Bioenergy Corporation Marie-Hélène Labrie, VP of Government Affairs and Communications, Enerkem Ortwin Costenoble, Senior Standardisation Consultant, NEN Energy Resources

Daniel Oh, CEO, Renewable Energy Group Daan Peters, Senior consultant, Bioenergy, Ecofys Chris van Niekerk, Associate Director, NIBC Hendrik-Jan van Engelen, Commercial Director, Port of Ghent James Challinor, Senior Analyst – Downstream Oil Research, Wood Mackenzie Hendrik Lemahieu, Secretary-General, Belgian Bio-Ethanol Association Henrik Maimann, Vice President, Dong Energy Christian Koolloos, Business Manager Bio-ethanol, DSM

There are only a limited number of sponsorship packages available, for details contact: Shemin Juma +44 (0) 203 551 5751 Brought to you by the publishers of the leading international industry magazine Biofuels International, this is one event you can’t afford to miss. For full details visit www.biofuels-news.com/conference 92

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

tank gauging

SIOT introduces wireless radar for custody transfer of crude for

the heart of Europe By converting to a wireless measurement system, SIOT improved custody transfer efficiency for its oil movement business, realised cost savings in its communication infrastructure and increased flexibility for future modifications In 2012, Società Italiana per l’Oleodotto Transalpino S.p.A. (SIOT) faced a problem with its aging tank gauging system. SIOT is part of the TAL Group which operates the Transalpine Pipeline, connecting the Port of Trieste with several central European countries to help meet their energy needs. The TAL pipeline system plays a strategic economic role, covering 100% of Bavaria’s oil supply needs, more than 50% for Baden-Württemberg, 90% for Austria and more than 30% for Germany and the Czech Republic. Located close to the

Adriatic harbour of Trieste and several mid-European countries, SIOT handles custody transfer of crude oil through the pipeline, using level and temperature measurements for volume calculations. These readings are used to calculate official values for fiscal transfers. Online blending operations are facilitated via level rate measurements from the same system. In other words, its tank gauging system is critical to SIOT’s business. The problem was that the existing system was getting old and replacement parts were not

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

easily available. With the volume of crude oil passing through SIOT serving large portions of central Europe, the company could not afford any potential slowdowns or delays.

‘Since oil movement is the core business of our company, we want the most reliable and safe system for just-in-time delivery to refineries,’ says Massimo Diminich, technical assets manager, SIOT

Supplying energy to the central European region Every year more than 400 vessels bring an average of 35 million tons of crude oil – worth approximately €13-14 billion – to the SIOT Marine Terminal, mostly from Africa, the Middle East, Russia and Venezuela. The marine terminal is located in the bay of Muggia and can receive tankers with a maximum displacement of 280,000 tonnes. Each of the four moorings is connected to storage tanks 5km away by

tank gauging

SIOT installations comprise a tank farm and port facilities able to receive four tankers at the same time. The oil storage deposit includes 32 tanks with 2.03 million m3 in total capacity (20,000-100,000m3 per tank). It connects to a pipeline that supplies oil products to eight refineries and depots throughout Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic both a 36” and a 42” pipe. The 100 different grades of crude oil are stored in 32 floating roof tanks and then pumped pure, or in-line blended, to be transported through a 753km pipeline to any of eight refineries in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Reliable operation in tough conditions

Challenges faced during upgrade project SIOT had a good experience with its existing Saab (now Emerson) radar-based tank gauging system installed in 1993. The system’s components, however, were reaching the end of their lifetime, necessitating an upgrade. The existing cabling to the tanks dated back to the 1960s, when there were no regulations regarding installation within cable trays. The cabling was in a location with a high risk of communication crosstalk, and its shielding had worn out. The cost of new signal cabling, however, was estimated at about €1 million, so the customer looked for a reliable, cost effective alternative. Wireless system improved the efficiency of custody transfers Since SIOT was satisfied with the reliability of its old radar system over the past two

temperature sensor through a Data Acquisition Unit. This nine-spot temperature sensor was installed diagonally in a pipe in order to move together with the floating roof. The new gauge uses a Smart Wireless THUM Adapter to send tank level and temperature data over the wireless network to a pair of redundant Smart Wireless Gateways located indoors in the control centre. The gateway antennas were installed at the control centre roof via a 15m cable. Communication between each gateway and the DCS system is handled by the Modbus protocol. Each individual wireless device communicates with the host system through the Smart Wireless Gateway. A tank gauging system from Emerson can consist of both wired and wireless networks.

The Transalpine Pipeline runs from Trieste by the Italian Adriatic Sea over the Alps to Ingolstadt in southern Germany, where it branches off to Karlsruhe and Neustadt. The total pipeline route covers 753km with a maximum altitude of 1,572m decades, Emerson suggested the company stay with the technology, but with a modern wireless upgrade. The high cost for investing in new signal cabling made Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology economically attractive and, because of the robust and simple onelayer network architecture, SIOT eventually selected this technology. For each tank, the existing level gauge was replaced by a wireless Rosemount TankRadar Rex gauge equipped with a 12” still-pipe array antenna positioned using the same nozzle. The new level gauge was then connected to the existing

Four tanks were included in a pilot test network installed in October 2011. Before putting the system into full operation, the company wanted to make sure the new wireless system would be as accurate, fast and reliable as the old wired system. SIOT also wanted to

The TankRadar Rex gauge from Emerson is connected to a Smart Wireless THUM Adapter antenna unit (mounted on the vertical pipe above the tank)

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

tank gauging

The self-organising field network automatically finds the best way around fixed or temporary obstacles analyse the network with the following considerations: • The region is prone to extreme weather conditions, including heavy rain and strong bora winds that create cold, dangerous conditions. In February 2012, Bora wind speeds reached 150km/h and dropped temperatures to -14°C. • Tank sizes range between 20-80m in diameter, and distances between tanks can reach up to 300m. • SIOT had a bad experience with a

previous wireless system at its marine terminal. ‘Installation was quick and easy,’ says Massimo Diminich, technical assets manager, SIOT. ‘The test turned out as well as expected despite the worst bora in years stressing the system during commissioning.’ Diminich stressed the importance of being able to rely on the vendor, having day-to-day-communication with a representative, and an open dialogue when difficulties arose. SIOT is now confident

about Emerson’s wireless capabilities and will expand the network to the other 28 tanks. Smart Wireless increases flexibility for future modification Diminich says SIOT appreciates the flexibility of the open system, which is based on the IEC 62591 (WirelessHART) standard. The network can be expanded to other tanks by adding new equipment. Additionally, the wireless system enabled each tank to be connected to a fire

Compared to other means of transportation (waterways, rail/road), pipelines are particularly ecological since they neither create noise nor affect the atmosphere through exhaust gas. The landscape remains intact since pipes are generally laid underground. The capacity of the pipeline is 7,200m3/h, which equals about 8,000 tank cars driving across the Alpine roads every day

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

alarm system that utilises the wireless network. With Smart Wireless, data from nearby equipment – such as gas detectors and switches, which are powered but have no signal lines – can be integrated into the network, opening up numerous possibilities for future modifications. Emerson Smart Wireless Solution Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology is based on IEC 62591 (WirelessHART), the industry standard for wireless field networks. A WirelessHART device can transmit its own data, as well as relay information from other devices in the network. The self-organising mesh network automatically finds the best way around fixed or temporary obstacles. Nodes can identify a network, join it, and self-organise into communication paths. Reliability actually increases when the network expands – the more devices, the more communication paths nodes will have access to.

For more information

For more information about Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology, visit www. EmersonProcess.com/SmartWireless.

construction

NLMK Clabecq (Belgium), NLMK Verona (Italy) and NLMK DanSteel (Denmark) have come together to form NLMK Europe, a special division designed to produce quenched and tempered steel for use in the storage sector. Since the end of last year this division can produce both wider and thicker plates as well as thin rolled plates. From its side, the Italian plant in Verona completes the triangle by producing plates and blocks up to 1,000mm. The group can offer plates from 1,500 to 4,000mm in width and from 3mm up to 150mm thickness. ‘We have taken part in oil and gas storage tank

100

projects all over the world,’ says NLMK storage tanks sales manager David Petit. ‘We are able to supply the entire plate requirement from the floor to the roof, including shell plates, all shot-blasted and primed if required, for atmospheric tanks as well as for pressure tanks.’ Project ‘savoir-faire’ NLMK Europe has undertaken a remodelling of its approach in order to offer a ‘one stop shop solution’. ‘Our customers have taken advantage of the complete coordination, like when they want to avoid unnecessary transit or when they want to receive the steel ready to use,’

adds Petit. ‘We are in a position to take care of the beveling, the rolling or the dishing operations thanks to cooperation with long-term partners.’ Its recent investments and developments have confirmed NLMK Europe’s position as a major player on the storage tank market. Since 2012 the company has supplied quenched and tempered steel grades like the ASTM A537 class 2 in a range starting from 6mm. Behind the steel curtain NLMK is a global, vertically integrated company that controls the entire steel production from the extraction of raw materials to delivering

finished products to end-users. Steel output in 2012 totalled 14.9 million tonnes and the business believes that total will rise to 15.5 million tonnes this year. NLMK Europe includes six production sites which can handle hot and cold rolling, plus steel coating. It has also a network focusing on transforming and distributing steel products to clients. Its two business units, Strip Products and Plate, focus on value added products across various industries. The Plate unit includes the three companies mentioned above. The Strip Product side includes plants in Belgium and France, all of which possess services and distribution centres.

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

page header

FEELING LUCKY?

The

voice

of th e sto rag

e ter min

Everyone is a winner with the Tank Storage magazine scratchcard giveaway TSM

Gift Certificate

$25.00

al in du

Subs crib the 2 e now to 013 ge Term Indepen t inal W dent a ll M Don’t ap. forge t up fo r our to sign MAT App! See r CH 3 SY ever se fo MBOLS r rule T s and O WIN ww pr ize li w.tan st kstor agem ag.co m

StocE

xpo S

cratch

card.i

ndd

b = ipod Touch 32g ucher vo = €20 Amazon

stry

x10

x1 advert in Tank = free full page e Storage magazin nner advert x5 = free 1 month ba x 120) 15/02 on TSM website (60 /2013 x10 ion ipt scr sub al = free annu x10 tory = free TSM direc x10 TSM wall map . TSM = free t be over 18 to play

TSM TSM business card. Mus upon deposit of per person only One scratchcard

15/02/2013 13:17 ard.indd 2

tchc TSM StocExpo Scra

Come by our stand (booth 1011) and pick up your FREE scratchcard. You could win a number of prizes, from the top gift of an iPod Touch to a $25 gift voucher. No-one goes away empty handed. Please note: one scratchcard per person and numbers limited TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

13:17

lightning protection page header

How to survive

the storm New recommendations require the use of by-pass conductors, so what are they and why are they needed?

Typical shunt and secondary seal

102

In 2009, API 545, ‘Recommended Practice for Lightning Protection of Aboveground Storage Tanks for Flammable or Combustible Liquids’, First Edition, replaced the lightning protection portion of API 2003, ‘Protection Against Ignitions Arising Out of Static, Lightning, and Stray Currents’. With the new recommended practice (RP) came the requirement for bypass conductors between a tank floating roof and tank shell. This is in addition to, and supplements the, historical requirement for shunts. API 2003 has historically recommended the use of shunts (section 5.4.2.2), which are simply metallic straps, usually stainless steel, installed at intervals not to exceed 10” around the perimeter of the roof. These shunts are mechanically attached and electrically bonded to the perimeter of the roof, and are spring-loaded to press up against the inside of the tank shell. As the roof rides up and down on the stored product, the shunts ride up and down against the tank shell providing an electrical bond between the two. Shunts should be installed above the secondary seal. API 2003 discouraged placing the shunts below the liquid because of inspection considerations, but that is grist for another discussion. Shunts were envisioned to permit any lightning-related current to propagate from the floating roof to the tank shell to ground without generating a spark in an area likely to contain flammable vapours. How they perform in actual

service is somewhat different. By-pass conductors are simply conductors run between the perimeter of the floating roof and the tank shell at intervals not to exceed 100”. These provide the low-resistance path between the floating roof and the tank shell. Why are additional conductors necessary? Although shunts provide a lowimpedance path, they also provide a high-resistance path and, as a result, may actually produce arcing in an area likely to contain flammable vapours. As the name implies, a floating roof floats on the stored product. Primary and secondary seals separate the roof from the tank wall, keeping the product in and foreign objects out. As these seals are constructed of insulating material, by its nature a floating roof is electrically insulated from the shell of its tank. Problems arise when either the roof or tank shell change electrical potential. Under normal conditions, the tank shell is at the potential of the earth upon which it rests, and the floating roof is at the same potential. However, if lightning attaches to the tank shell, it changes potential immediately and dramatically. If the floating roof is not electrically bonded to the tank shell, it does not change potential as quickly. That difference may trigger a potential equalising arc. As the arc takes place immediately above the seals, it occurs in the space where there may be flammable vapours. If these vapours ignite, it may cause a rim fire and that is why many external floating roof (EFR) tanks are

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

lightning protection page header

Current

25,000 - 45,000 an average in US

200 - 300 amps

1/4 - 1 second

Not to scale

Time

Lightning energy is actually a multiple stage event depicted by this graph permanently equipped with foam fire suppression systems. This phenomenon occurs with a direct strike to the tank shell, a direct strike to the floating roof, or to a nearby strike. The event begins with a short-duration, high amperage discharge, followed by a lower amperage, longer duration tail. Even though the short duration transient appears more impressive, it turns out that ignition can be more directly attributable to the second portion of the event. Due to the fast rise-time of the initial front, it behaves like a highfrequency discharge, tending to follow the lowest impedance path. The tail, looking more like a direct current event, tends to follow low-resistance paths. It is important to note that actual lightning strikes are comprised of a series of strokes. The number of strokes per event is typically three to four, but, according to Martin Uman in All About Lightning, may range from one to 30. The shunts, being a short and direct path from the floating roof to the tank shell, offer a low-impedance path favourable for conducting the fast rise time, high energy transient. However, with the tank in service, after the tank roof makes a few trips up and down, instead of riding on bare metal, the shunts are now riding on a layer of non-conductive coating technically known as ‘gunk’, raising the electrical resistance between the shunt and tank shell. Current

flow over a high resistance generates heat, producing sparking and potential ignition; although originally envisioned to prevent arcing, shunts often emit a shower of sparks as the energy travels through the resistance of the gunk. Therefore, the committee recognised the need to supplement the shunts with lowresistance by-bass conductors. By-pass conductors provide the low-resistance path necessary to conduct the lower amperage, longer duration energy from the floating roof to the tank shell without arcing. They may take many forms, the simplest being a wire attached to the tank rim and to the edge of the floating roof, and allowed to pile up on and straighten out from the roof as it rises and falls. The problem with this approach is that the conductor will tend to become entangled with edge seals, hatches, legs, and other appurtenances. Other approaches include reel systems or movable arm systems. The benefit of the movable arm system is its simplicity and durability. By-pass conductor technology is not a new approach. Richard King, of tank solutions provider HMT, recalls the days years ago when he was performing contract maintenance work for a major tank operator in Port Arthur, Texas. The operator had experienced multiple incidents of rim fires from lightning strikes. To address that problem, King’s

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

crews installed 8-10 lengths of 2/0 welding cable around the perimeter of each tank. The top ends of the welding cable were supported by davit arms on the tank rim extending out over the roof, with the bottom ends terminating on lugs welded to the tank roof. This approach reduced

for by-pass conductors, such as the Movable Arm Grounding System design. Because of their lower impedance, the shunts tend to conduct the initial, high frequency-like portion of the strike. When the high resistance of the shunt to the tank shell renders them unable to conduct without excessive heating and arcing, the by-pass conductors, because they are lower resistance, take over and conduct the longer-duration, lower amperage tail. The combination of shunts and bypass conductors are also better suited to handle the subsequent return strokes that comprise a typical lightning event. Based on our present understanding of the phenomenon, the combination of shunts and by-pass conductors offer the optimum application of

The patent-pending Movable Arm Grounding System lightning related ignitions by 98%. Unfortunately, these conductors had to be replaced often, as they became fouled on legs, hatches and other objects on the tank roof, and bent or pulled loose from the davit arms. Hence the need for an improved design

known technology to control the ignition phenomenon as we presently understand it by accommodating all components of current flow from a lightning strike. For more information:

This article was written by Bruce Kaiser, president of Lightning Master Corporation www.lightningmaster.com

103

fire protection foams for hydrocarbonbased risks to specialised foams for polar solvents or other water miscible risks. Bund protection For all tanks, the first line of defence is to protect the bund. Spills, no matter how they are caused or how big, mean a potentially flammable liquid is in the open waiting for an ignition source. The liquid will often be spread over a wide area with a corresponding large vapour cloud. Medium or low expansion foam pourers (high expansion

Fire safety: make the right choice Fire in a storage tank, or in the surrounding bund, is a challenge to both fire fighters and tank operators. The value of the contents makes the provision of fire protection commercially viable, while the risk to life makes it essential The fire protection options available to tank operators and designers are wider than ever before and the selection of the right combination can mean the difference between safe operation and disaster. Both BS 5306 Section 6.1 and in the US, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) publish guidelines for tank fire protection. These classify the product stored by fire hazard and specify the foam delivery rates, layout and spacing of foam delivery systems. Foam flow rates depend on the tank

Fixed roof tank

104

contents and start at 4 litres/m2/ min typically rising to 6.5l/m2/min for foam destructive products such as polar solvents, where fixed foam systems are installed Which foam? Fire fighting foam is an essential component of all tank protection systems. Most reputable fire equipment manufacturers offer a range of foam concentrates to suit differing application systems and tank content. These range from general purpose

solvents). However, while the run time for medium expansion pourers is 10 minutes (15 for larger bunds), the run time for low expansion pourers is increased to 60 minutes. Ideally, bund pourers should be hard piped into a ring main carrying water pre-mixed with foam concentrate (foam solution) to avoid personnel having to approach the risk. But where a water main is not available, portable, low or medium foam pourers, such as the Angus Mex Medium Expansion range, can be fed by fire hoses supplied with foam concentrate using a portable

Medium expansion bund pourer foam can be subject to wind effects) placed around the bund normally form a first line of defence. Low expansion branch pipes should provide foam with an expansion ratio of around 10:1 while medium foam pourers should aim for expansion ratios in the range of 40:1. In both cases the spill is blanketed in foam reducing the vapour cloud. BS 5306 Section 6.1, and its corresponding NFPA publication, lay down the minimum foam coverage rates for bunds which should be followed. Typical flow rates for the unexpanded water-foam mixture are 4l/m2/min, increasing to 6.5l/m2/min, when protection foam destructive liquids (polar

Floating roof tank

inductor. Most pourers can operate at pressures down to 1.5bar at the inlet, and can be fed from a fire hose taking water at 7bar, (typically losing 3bar in the line and a further 1.5bar through the inductor), leaving 2.5bar at the pourer inlet which will still provide a good quality medium expansion finished foam. Top pourers for fixed roof tanks Top pourers, as the name suggests, generate foam, typically with an expansion ratio between 5:1 and 7:1, which is directed through the wall of a fixed roof tank on to the surface of the product in the tank. In the case of Angus pourers, an integral deflector is mounted on the end of the foam pipe projecting into the tank to direct the foam flow down the tank wall, where it flows across the burning liquid without splashing or sinking. As the top pourer directs the foam through a pipe in the tank wall it must be fitted with a vapour seal to contain

May/June 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ TANK STORAGE

fire protection Top pourer for fixed roof tank

around the top of the tank. Base injection for fixed roof tanks

the evaporated contents of the tank. The seal must stop vapour escaping while at the same time be fragile enough to burst when fire fighting foam is generated in the pourer. Modern top pourers use compressed impregnated graphite discs to make them gas tight. Top pourers require periodic maintenance to ensure they are functional, clean and fit for purpose. As they are normally mounted high up on the tank walls, (typically at heights of up to 18m) it is important to choose a pourer design that allows easy access to the inside without the need for undue lifting, or the risk of dropping the lid or other small parts. The Angus Mk5 top pourer uses a captive lid which makes both maintenance and system testing simple and relatively risk free. Where the pressures inside the tank may rise, due to the use of an inerting gas, or for operational reasons, top pourers with stronger glass bursting discs are available. The Angus Mk4 top pourer, for

example, uses a glass vapour seal capable of withstanding internal tank pressures up to 0.34bar. A flap valve design on the pourer air inlet initially causes the full water pressure to be available to burst the disc. Once the disc has burst the pressure on the valves is released and air is drawn into the water and foam stream, allowing expanded foam to be generated. NFPA 11 and BS 5306 Section 6.1 both lay down guidelines for minimum foam flow rates. A typical system will be designed to deliver 4.1l/m2/min (rising to 6.5l/m2/ min for polar solvents) on to the surface of the liquid inside the tank with a run time between 30 and 55 minutes, depending on the product in the tank. The total flow required per minute (and also the number of pourers needed) can be calculated by dividing the tank surface area by the required foam flow rate. Both standards lay down rules covering the number and positioning of pourers

Safety lid mechanism on Angus Fire Mk5 top pourer

TANK STORAGE â&#x20AC;˘ May/June 2013

Aspirated foam is pushed through the bottom of the tank in a base injection system and allowed to float to the surface of the contents, where it spreads out and smothers any fire. Water and foam concentrate are pumped into the base of the tank via a special injection device which can aspirate (mix with air) the liquid water and foam against the back pressure of the fuel in the tank. A bursting disc is installed in the pipework leading to the tank to stop the contents running back into the aspirator during normal operations. For

eddies in the tank content to bring cold fuel to the surface. The disadvantages of base injection are that a healthy water pressure is required to overcome pressure losses from both a foam inductor and the base aspiration unit and still leave enough pressure to overcome the back pressure from the tank contents. At least 7bar is normally needed at the base injector inlet which often requires an initial water pressure of 13bar or more to overcome losses in the pipework and any foam inductor upstream. Typically, base injection systems operate with foam at 3% concentration and expansion rates between 2:1 and 4:1. The minimum application rate is 4.1l/min/

Base injection system

aspirated foam to float to the surface, the viscosity of the fuel should be below 440 centistokes or there is a risk that the foam may not rise in a timely manner. The development of base injection systems was made more effective by the development of FluroProtein foams which have good resistance to fuel contamination. The advantage of base injection systems is that they can be retrofitted to most tanks by simply piping the base injection system into an existing tank entry point near the base. The system is also simple, will respond with little need for manual activation and is usually resistant to damage from the fire or other activities. In addition the rising foam causes

m2, and the surface to be protected is the total area of the tank interior surface. As with other systems, there are rules governing the number and size of inlets to the tank base. Rim seal protection for floating roof tanks Floating roof tanks (without fixed covers) are prone to fires in the rim seal where product and vapours can become trapped and ignited, often by lightning. To prevent these small incidents growing into full-scale tank fires, most floating roof tanks containing flammable liquids are fitted with foam pourers designed to direct foam into the rim seal. Most rim seal pourers consist of a

105

fire protection Rim seal pourer

foam generator which is fed with mixed water and foam concentrate under pressure. The liquid is then aerated in the pourer or foam maker and turned into low expansion foam, normally expanded by between 4:1 and 8:1. The final stage consists of a hood which directs the foam down the tank wall into the rim seal, shielding it from the effects of wind and allowing it to travel around the rim seal smothering the fire. European and US standards specify the foam flow rate (typically 12.2 l/m2/ min for 20 minutes) depending on the tank contents. The standards also specify the spacing and positioning of the pourers to ensure foam is quickly and evenly spread around the rim seal. In order for rim seal foam systems to work effectively, the seal area of the floating roof tank has to be fitted with a foam dam to contain the foam application in the risk area.

tanks with conventional rim seal pourers as a backup. While these devices offer a rapid and automatic response they are a ‘one shot’ device. If they do not suppress the fire there must be a manual back-up system available. However, the actuation of the system can also be used as a warning that there is a possible fire and will serve to keep it under control until help arrives. Angus Fire offers a standalone system that stores the foam concentrate and water in separate containers until such time that the unit is fired into action. The advantage of this is that, unlike premix foam solutions,

by both rim seal pourers and special full surface pourers. Cooling systems Where there are multiple tanks close together it is important to install cooling systems to stop a fire in one tank damaging, or even spreading, to an adjacent tank. While this can be provided by mobile systems, such as portable monitors or hose lines, it is common practice to install fire water pipework and spray nozzles on tanks which can be turned on in an emergency to cool the tank walls. As with other systems, there are standards which give the minimum flow rates to achieve adequate

Rimseal Pourers in action

which have a limited storage life of 12 months in high heat environments, the Floatafoam system requires much less frequent maintenance. As stand-alone systems need to be matched to the tank size and rim seal layout, they are usually bespoke and need to be designed on a case by case basis.

Stand-alone rim seal protection devices

Total flooding systems for floating roof tanks with or without fixed roofs

Stand-alone systems usually consist of premixed foam held in tanks. When a fire is detected pressurised gas, normally nitrogen, is used to push the foam through a network of pipes and nozzles to flood the rim seal. These systems have the advantage that they can be completely automatic and will react without manual intervention. Generally these systems are used as a first line of defence on large storage

While rim seal protection is important, consideration must be given to the possibility that, if a rim seal fire is not extinguished quickly, it can damage the roof, which may sink or allow fuel from the tank to feed the fire. Once this happens a fire will multiply rapidly and only top pourers, designed to flood the total roof area, will protect the tank and contents. For this reason tanks containing valuable product are often protected

cooling. Typically, a network of pipes and spray nozzles designed to deliver a known flow rate over a given area is installed approximately 0.6m from the tank wall to allow the nozzle to cover a wide area. The advantage of a fixed, pre-calculated system is that sufficient water will be applied to the tank side to keep it safely cooled without the need to put personnel at risk by having to attend the site. Mobile systems

106

Where fixed pipework is either not available or not practical it is possible to protect tanks using mobile fire fighting equipment. This can range from hose lines and medium expansion pourers to trailer-mounted monitors. However, the use of mobile equipment still requires a source of pressurised water and the availability of trained personnel 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to be effective.

In many systems mobile equipment is deployed in addition to fixed fire protection as a backup and to add security. For example, when foam top pourers are activated for an internal fire, monitors can be used to cool the exterior of the tank. Approved product is essential In most cases the insurer of tanks and contents will need to be satisfied that the fire protection design and installation is fit for purpose. Designing the system to comply with either the European or US rules will, in most cases, be the first step in satisfying insurers. However, the system design is no good if the equipment connected to it (top pourers, rim seal pourers etc.) does not perform to specification. To overcome this, many insurers and operators insist that the equipment is approved by an independent body. Most reputable offer product certified by international organisations such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and Factory Mutual in the US, and in Europe certified test houses such as Loss Prevention Certification Board. UL is the only independent testing authority that tests both the foam concentrate together with the delivery equipment that it will be used with, making it a true ‘systems’ approval. The cost to manufacturers of independent approval is considerable, which adds to the cost of the product. However, purchasing approved product is often essential to satisfy insurance requirements, to protect the operator from future claims, and to be sure the system will operate as designed in an emergency. For more information:

This article was written by Michael Mills who, prior to his retirement, was the technical manager at Angus Fire in the UK. He is now a freelance chartered engineer specialising in the design and marketing of industrial fire fighting equipment. Contact Brian Keeble, marketing services coordinator at Angus Fire, Tel: +44 (0)1844 265127, brian.keeble@angusuk.co.uk

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

lightning protection

ADNOC’s Takreer takes low-impedance path to complete tank safety protection

Lightning Eliminator’s RGA For tank storage firms, the risk of a lightning-induced fire event is too potentially damaging to bear. Floating tank storage facilities that have millions of dollars worth of product can be destroyed with a single spark. Even worse is the downtime such an event will cause, like a possibly lengthy period of investigation and reconstruction that impacts a storage facility’s ability to deliver product to market and generate revenue. Last year Takreer, a storage and refinery subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil (ADNOC), completed a thorough lightning protection analysis and began transforming its

profile for floating roof tank storage. Dozens of tanks, while operating efficiently, had potentially faulty lightning protection systems in place; metal shunt and wire systems that are meant to direct charge in the case of a lightning event but are prone to fall into disrepair over time. To protect these tanks Consilium Middle East, which sells and installs fire protection solutions to many of the major oil and natural gas companies throughout the region, supplied LEC’s Retractable Grounding Assembly

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

(RGA) lightning

floating roof tanks are

protection solution. Last year, Consilium and LEC services outfitted 84 tanks at Takreer’s Ruwais refinery with 450 RGA assemblies. The company is also installing RGAs on another eight Takreer storage tanks in Abu Dhabi. While those installations are retrofits to existing tanks that have less effective lightning protection systems, Takreer has also begun including RGAs in its specifications for new tank constructions. Takreer, and other oil storage and refinery companies worldwide, choose the RGA because

notoriously difficult to protect from lightning. Other floating roof tank grounding solutions often fail because they require a great deal of maintenance and upkeep: Metal shunts used for grounding on floating roof tanks regularly break, and wires used for the same purpose often tangle, compromising the low-impedance path they are supposed to create for safe operation. The RGA replaces these metal shunts and wires which, although require routine maintenance and inspection like any other piece of hardware, are not

107

lightning protection easily compromised and require a fraction of the repair and replacement work seen with other systems. Takreer’s stance with enhanced lightning protection using RGA solutions is progressive as the company operates in a part of the world that is not known for excessive lightning. While lightning activity in Abu Dhabi is in fact low, the company is now better protected from

a global trend: incrementally higher lightning activity that scientists believe is the result of climate change. Higher temperatures worldwide are increasing the warm-weather patterns that lead to severe thunderstorm activity. Even without the global increase in lightning, floating roof tanks need adequate protection. Large storage operations such as Takreer’s Ruwais facility, for instance,

houses millions of dollars worth of product which means a single lightning-induced spark can result in a tremendous financial hit. It is a common and unfortunate challenge that storage firms face worldwide. In fact, some studies have indicated that a majority of fires that occur with petroleum storage tanks are caused by lightning. Part of the difficultly is the fact that tanks are susceptible

Angus Fire storage tank safety systems are trusted the world over

Angus Fire has many years’ experience supplying fire protection, fire fighting equipment and fire fighting foams to the petrochemical sector, safeguarding flammable liquid hazards both on and offshore. The combination of highly volatile flammable liquids and high temperatures involved in petrochemical processes, presents a unique challenge to fire fighters. Angus fire fighting equipment is designed for long and reliable service in the hostile conditions and environments encountered in this industry, from desert heat to arctic cold; and our fire fighting foams are specially formulated to maximise performance, whilst minimising environmental impact. Thame Park Road, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3RT UK Tel: +44 (0)1844 265000 • Fax: +44 (0)1844 265156 Email: general.enquiries@angusuk.co.uk Web: www.angusfire.co.uk

006 Petrochem Ad 137.5x200.indd 108

not only to direct lightning, but also to nearby strikes. ‘When lightning is about to strike nearby, electrons in the area nearby rush over to the point of a strike, and good grounding systems allow that to happen without incident,’ explains Kirk Chynoweth, systems engineering manager for LEC. ‘Unfortunately, when the roof of a floating roof tank is not properly grounded, the electrons on the top of the tank will move at a different rate than electrons on the side of a tank, and that difference in charge balance can create a spark on the edge of the floating roof.’ Those sparks occur in just about the worst place possible, the empty space above a stored petroleum product that is full of flammable fumes. For that reason, tank fires are often very damaging. A July, 2012, strike that happened at a US company in Kentucky is not all that unusual: it destroyed at least two tanks, set additional tanks on fire, and damaged on-site power lines, subsequently creating power outages in the surrounding areas. The floating roof from one of the tanks was blown off and landed in the middle of a nearby highway. Fortunately for Takreer, those types of lightningrelated incidents are less and less likely. The reduced maintenance that the RGA requires compared to older lightning protection systems has led Consilum to begin conversations about lightning protection with some of Takreer’s sister companies in the energy sector.

For more information:

This article was written by Avram Saunders, Lightning Eliminators & Consultants, CEO. Email: avrams@lecglobal.com 26/04/2013 11:35

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

automation

Wireless communication around tank farms and refineries is becoming more apparent – but why?

Next communication step Storage tanks and tank farms in process industries like oil, gas and petrochemicals, and also in distribution depots, require a wide range of field measurements. Among the most important are tank gauging systems (TGS) and overfill prevention systems (OPS). Both solutions can be found installed in almost every tank as TGS will assist terminal managers to improve facility efficiency through better inventory management, while OPS will make sure that storage tanks operate safely. Wireless solutions are becoming more popular in the process industry for monitoring applications where the field measurement is not part of a control or safety loop. In storage tanks, particularly existing ones, where cables are not available or too difficult to install, then wireless solutions are the ideal alternative. Wireless communications like Wireless Hart and Wireless Modbus provide users with more information for less cost. A Modbus-based network is an infrastructure that satisfies requirements for transmitting multiple tank parameters on weight and measures (W&M) approved. When only slow proprietary communication busses over short distances were possible in the past, Modbus combines the benefits of standard protocol and off-the-shelf components. Although the distances from one station to the next are

limited, they can be combined to work over several kilometres to be suitable for big refineries. It is also built to handle many types of information, like temperature, profile data or multiple densities, at the same speed that it can transmit one parameter. Thus wireless solutions can provide more information at a lower cost and help users make informed decisions in shorter times. Important process and diagnostic information from field instruments in many installations are not always communicated to operators or maintenance personnel. Wireless solutions can provide ways that everyone can be kept up to date. For many tank farm operators it is important to

only have a system that provides a real-time view of custody transfer approved and inventory tanks. It is therefore important that the inventory tanks can be seamlessly connected to the system, which handles the W&M approved tanks. This gives operators an option to view the total volume available in all the diesel tanks, or just the totals on the custody transfer tanks. ‘In today’s world of “globalisation” we cannot argue that some parts of the world are more advanced when it comes to the use of latest technology. Multinational companies will try to standardise operations anywhere in the world,’ Endress+Hauser says. ‘Our clients know that

the only way to sustain the business is to constantly improve their operations.’ Some trends lean toward total inventory management solutions and applications that measure and monitor transmissions, plus integrate data inventories for the optimisation of storage and delivery processes, including: • Collaboration of business partners along the supply chain • Online inventory information from anywhere at anytime • Business models like vendor managed inventory • Shorter lead times, higher availability. For more information:

www.tank-gauging.endress.com

page header

take control

Oil is big business, and precision is everything. Additive faults can be expensive, but not all control systems are made equal. With 35 years of additive control experience, having sold over 100,000 additive injectors worldwide, industry leader Honeywell Enraf has created the most advanced additive controller on the market. The Fusion4 MSC-A features the greatest I/O density available – which combines to offer exceptional functionality and unrivalled stream control. With enhanced information, precision and integration capabilities, Fusion4 MSC-A is part of an extensive portfolio of products which combine seamlessly. Turning a blind eye could cost you more than you think. Fusion4 MSC-A - don’t take the risk.

106

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

coatings

Major shift approaching for tank coatings An applicator inspecting the Ecodur 201 coating for a global oil and gas company

The Castagra Spray Rig in front of a large tank coated in Montana

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

Not much has changed over the past few decades in basic corrosion prevention techniques for bulk storage tanks until the advent of fieldproven vegetable oil-based coatings. Conventional epoxies, polyurethane and polyurea products offer cold weather application performance, chemical resistance, overall durability and many are solvent free. But they all have one thing in common - they are petroleum based. Polyurea is created by the chemical reaction between a di-isocyanate and a polyamine without the aid of a catalyst. It is usually applied using a spray coating system in a 1:1 mix ratio. Polyurethanes, and so-called hybrids, (a mix of urea and urethane groups) are also 1:1 spray systems, but these contain a third component (a catalyst) to reduce reaction time. Epoxies, which are, in strict technical terms, the uncured resin component with hardener (usually an amine), have become a generic name for many two part coatings and glues. Similarly,

polyurethane is the generic term for the resulting chemical reaction between a polyol resin and a polyisocyanate hardener. 20 year pedigree The big change that is taking place is the advent of plasticised gypsum coatings called ‘veggie plastic’. These are fire retardant and resistant to acids, salts and mechanical abuse. First developed over 20 years ago as baseboard moldings and shingles, they have been proven on ship decks and road surfaces, demonstrating longevity particularly when in contact with steel and wood because of their grip in the range of 98% for metals and a 100% chemical bond with cellulosic materials (wood, straw). Over the past few years US-based coating provider Castagra Products has taken its veggie plastic coatings into the oil and gas fields for coating storage tanks, pipes and even settling ponds. With cold weather performance down to -25°C, the winter months are no bar to tank coating maintenance. Being VOC-free, only standard protection is required during spray operations with no risk in absorbing noxious fumes as the basic formulation consists almost entirely of castor oil and inert gypsum. Cold weather performance Peter Mueller, senior VP for Norwegian oil company Saga Petroleum, knows about the apparent effects of extreme cold on conventional epoxies. ‘Epoxies appear to be unable to cope so it was with some desperation that we decided to try out Ecodur. Its application in low temperatures was a revelation.

111

coatings Close examination revealed no microcracking or failures of adhesion, for example. ‘I recommend the product be applied to heights beyond base level protection.’ Castagra CEO Peter Roosen, a mechanical engineer by education, who first developed the plasticised gypsum as the result of a friendly challenge from a finishing carpenter to create a bendable synthetic wooden molding, says: ‘When we came to address the oil and gas industries with their challenges of protecting storage tanks large and small, as well as pipes, we realised that not only were protective qualities of major concern with regards to chemicals, but also the physical aspects of robustness against mechanical and thermal effects. ‘Most epoxies do not stand up well to stress caused by torqueing and temperature variations. You only have to examine a large ship deck which has been epoxy coated to see how, in a matter of months, cracking forms along welds and rust stains emerge.’ The cost of corrosion The total cost of corrosion for the storage tanks is $7 billion (€5.4 billion) a year. ‘Oil tanks are notorious for collecting water that has run down as condensation from chilly steel walls, as well as that trapped in the oil when it was stored. The water absorbs the acids from the oil which then immediately start attacking unprotected steel. With epoxy coatings micro cracks quickly start forming and the acids reach the steel.’ Roosen comments: ‘Noone has a coating-fits-all but, we believe, we have extended effectiveness with our Ecodur and Terapoxy products, a suite of coatings that have the versatility edge and certainly longevity and robustness required particularly

112

in the fracking industry.’

plastic ones, which are suitable in the drive for sustainability.

‘Cocktail’ storage Renewable contents The US fracking industry, which has exploded on the scene of late despite having been around in more primitive forms since the 1860s, has brought onto the highly exotic fracking mixtures. ‘Most are pretty tough on steel storage tanks, both mobile and static, with failures being measured in weeks and months as opposed to decades with conventional oil storage,’ Roosen says. The average life expectancy of frack tanks is around eight months, causing considerable expense in maintenance and eventual replacement costs. Roosen continues: ‘Some chemicals have proven exceptionally tough on steel with formic acid being perhaps one of the major challenges in storage for the fracking industry.’ Fracking companies in the US do not have to reveal the chemical composition of their solutions. They fear the loss of competitive advantage after investing millions of dollars in research to come up with the right ‘cocktail’. They are also under some pressure from environmentalists who are gravely concerned about the potential threat to water tables.

Castagra’s Ecodur contains renewable castor oil and cheap, recyclable gypsum. Even the waste product is 100% recyclable and biologically totally inert. A reflection of that being it even has an ANSI/NSF61 rating for potable water storage. The company is actively taking the renewability of castor oil to the next step in the US. It works with and supports a castor bean development programme with Texas A&M. The aim is to produce a mechanically harvestable, low height, bean

fibre source. Plasterboard disposal is a major headache throughout the world as, in many instances, straight dumping in waste tips is prohibited,’ Roosen explains. NACE standards Storage tank corrosion is a multi-billion dollar problem. However the country fortunately has an excellent source of knowledge interchange in the form of NACE International which has worked since the 1940s to bring about real progress in corrosion control. ‘All our surface preparation is done to NACE standards because it is well recognised that you can make a

Key differentiation

Peter Roosen, Castagra’s CEO in a castor field (the coating’s main ingredient) in Texas

‘Whatever your perspective on this, the bottom line is the solutions have to be stored safely and our twopart coatings have drawn favourable attention and approval from three of the biggest companies in oil field services,’ says Roosen. Sustainability has become a key policy of the major players in the oil and gas industry and Roosen sees a strong differentiation now between conventional coatings for tanks and veggie

crop with an exceptionally low ricin content in the bean skin. Texas used to have a thriving castor bean growing industry a century ago. The plant thrives in poor soils and has the potential to renew vast agricultural acreages that have fallen into disuse due to salt invasion from artesian well over use. ‘Our coatings are also capable of using waste Gyproc board as the paper backing makes for an excellent reinforcing

poor coating perform with excellent pretreatment, but you cannot make an excellent coating perform with poor pretreatment,’ Roosen concludes. ‘By combining NACE surface preparation standards with the appropriate veggie plastic coatings, you have a solution that also answers the demands for meeting sustainability needs while being cost-competitive.’ For more information: www.castagra.com

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

page header

Europe - Plate

www.eu.nlmk.com

TAILOR MADE STEEL PLATES WITH PROJECT MANAGEMENT

up to 4000 mm width from 3 to 150* mm thickness * higher thickness upon request

THREE ROLLING MILLS AT YOUR SERVICE

Clabecq

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

DanSteel

Verona

1113

page header

Small Big siz e

c a pacity

Introducing the T205B, specifically designed to meet the latest tank blanketing standards. The world leader in tank management technology debuts its new Fisher® T200 Series with the release of the Best In Class* T205B regulator. The T205B is grace under pressure, outperforming regulators much larger in size. And its patent-pending design represents a quantum leap for small size tank blanketing regulators. Get superior ﬂow and pressure management in even the most extreme environments. Blanket your small storage tanks to exacting standards with the T205B. The Fisher T200 Series debut: Asia-Paciﬁc – Spring 2013, North America – Summer 2013, Europe – Fall 2013.

www.fisherregulators.com *Best in Class ﬂow capacity based on published data of leading competitors.

D352024X012 © 2013 Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Fisher, Emerson Process Management, and the Emerson Process Management design are marks of the Emerson Process Management group of companies.

110

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

vapour control

How to ensure incident-free pipeline maintenance Proper planning for pipeline maintenance projects is the key to ensuring that safety, environmental compliance and scheduling do not become costly problems

To discharge contaminated hydrotest water operators need to be sure they have the correct permits

In the US alone, there are more than 2.5 million miles of petroleum and chemical pipelines. Of these, the largest segment consists of natural gas pipelines that account for more than 2 million miles. The next largest segment, estimated at about 95,000 miles, are the refined product pipelines, such as petrol, diesel and jet fuel, ranging in size from 8-42” in diameter. Thirdly, there are a combination of small crude oil gathering lines estimated at about 40,000 miles, ranging from 2-8” in diameter, and crude oil trunk lines estimated at over 55,000 miles. The majority of these pipelines were installed during the 1950s and 1960s. It is therefore of no coincidence that, at present, blow outs, releases and spills do occur. These occurrences are expected as wear and tear

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

and the mere passage of time takes its toll on the infrastructure. Remember, these systems are under pressure and contain hazardous materials. As a result, regulators including local, state and federal have focused their microscope on proper pipeline maintenance and, as a consequence, on the environmental impact of conducting this newly required maintenance. How safe are all these pipelines? It is an undisputed fact that transporting by way of pipelines is the safest and most economical method of transporting vast quantities of oil, refined products and chemicals from production fields to refiners, or processing plants, and finally to consumers. Unfortunately, accidents do happen from time to time, despite all the precautions and preventions. When accidents occur, it can result in unwanted media attention. In 1999, an explosion of a pipeline in the state of Washington triggered regulators to enact the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement and Safety Act of 2006, otherwise known as PIPES Act of 2006. This statutory regulation

requires each operator to test its lines every five years either by using a Smart Pig, Hydrostatic Testing (Hydrotest) or both. The 2010 explosion of a natural gas pipeline in San Bruno, California triggered regulators in that state to require the inspection or replacement of every mile of pipe not recently hydrotested. As a result, more than 11,000 miles of pipe ranging from 6-42” in diameter were being bled down, purged and then hydrostatically tested by this carrier and others in the state. All these activities resulted in the need to control the gases and vapours bled from the lines and the subsequent treatment of the hydrostatic test water. In the case of natural gas pipelines, the maintenance and purging and hydrotest water discharges can take place just about anywhere, from an office parking lot, barren farmland or remote pigging stations. With petrol and crude oil lines, the tests are often initiated at the end of the line, which is typically at a tank storage terminal or pipeline station. Regardless, operators need to apply for permits for purging the vapours or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and disposing of large volumes of water. Both air and water discharge permits must be applied for in advance, or alternatively some specialty contractors carry mobile locations permits. To discharge the

115

vapour control contaminated hydrotest water, the operator will need a disposal permit. In the event that it will be discharged to the sewer, a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) permit is needed. If it will be discharged to a waterway or storm sewer, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit will be needed. Air emission permits can vary from county to county and state to state. After the proper permits are obtained, the pipeline operator can go to work – pushing the product out of the line and then bleeding the pressurise down from as high as 350 psig to zero. In California, regulators dictate that pipeline emissions that contain VOCs be controlled, i.e., destroyed using a permitted control device that meets Best Available Control Technology (BACT). New greenhouse gas initiatives require that this venting be quantified and reported. This drives some to look at the cost effectiveness of controlling rather than venting direct to the atmosphere. Either way, operators must report their emissions. From a longer-term perspective, there is some cost benefit to keeping your company name towards the bottom of that list of emitters from a PR perspective. Regulations such as South Coast AQMD Rule 1149 have strict control and reporting requirements. What the South Coast AQMD does generally sets the trend for increasing state and local regulations. Making sure that environmental permits and systems are in place prior to starting the maintenance work is the job of the pipeline project engineer and his environmental manager. More and more, the pipeline operator wants direct control of the environmental specialty contractor rather than the pipeline maintenance contractor. The pipeline maintenance contractor is focused on one thing: getting the pipeline tested and repaired. He does not know or

116

want to manage the proper recording and reporting of environmental regulatory data, whether that is ensuring the monitoring device is calibrated to meet EPA Method 21 or whether the wastewater has been properly tested for NPDES discharge limits. He knows that one minor mistake like forgetting to calibrate the flame ionisation detector or not testing for benzene in the NPDES permit will result in a Notice of Violation (NOV). Well before the project commences, the team is assembled, with the project manager, the environmental manager, the pipeline maintenance contractor and the specialty environmental contractor. These will work closely together to determine the full scope and lay out a master plan and schedule which will address the most cost effective and safe method to manage the purged vapours. For petrol, chemicals and crude pipelines, nitrogen is typically used to push the pig down the line removing the product in front of it. Once the pig is landed at the end of the pipe, the vapour laden nitrogen is then addressed either by controlling it with an emission control device or blowing down to atmosphere. The control device might be a flare, an enclosed mobile thermal oxidiser, a scrubber or a combination of these devices. Some thermal oxidisers meet BACT, are very quiet and do not have a visible flame. They maintain a low profile and can handle a high volume, resulting in the most cost effective means of controlling these vapours. Environmental agencies, especially in metropolitan areas, have increasingly looked at the mass (lbs or tonnes) of greenhouse gases and toxic vapours being emitted by some pipeline maintenance activities. The quantities of gas emissions can be substantial considering that the pipelines are pressured – sometimes to 20 times greater

A specialist checking the purged emissions than atmospheric conditions. Take this scenario: the volume of nitrogen blow-down of 500 miles involving a 12” petrol (gasoline) pipeline pressured to 250 psig will emit roughly 425,000 lbs of VOCs. Of these vapours, more than 7,000 lbs of it will constitute benzene, a highly regulated carcinogenic chemical. In regions where the agencies do not limit vapours, odour complaints can be something to consider. Odour complaints will bring unwanted press. The specialty environmental contactor should ensure that plans are in place so that the project is seamless and neighbourhood-friendly. Once the vapours are purged, the line is hydrotested. Hydrotesting is done by filling the line with water and then applying pressure, approximately 125% of the maximum operating pressure, and holding that pressure in for four continuous hours. Once the hydrotest is complete, the contaminated water can either be hauled to an offsite facility for an average of $0.15-0.75 (€0.10-0.60) per gallon, or the water can be treated and discharged to a sewer, land or waterway for $0.2-$0.16 per gallon. The water will be treated to meet permit limits using an NPDES permit which allows discharges to navigable water or a sewer system using a POTW permit. In some cases, a permit can be authorised to treat and discharge the water to land or use for dust control. Contaminants are removed in a variety of ways. Any method can be used as long as it results in full compliance with the discharge limits in the permit. The most effective means of treating

crude contaminated waters is often with the use of a mobile Dissolved Air Flotation unit, which brakes the oil emulsion and allows recovery of the residual oil. In some cases, this procedure will be followed up by a carbon or zeolite polishing filter. In the case of benzene or petrol pipelines, an air stripper followed by carbon polishing may be the most cost effective method for both small and large volumes. Other contaminants do find their way in to the hydrotest water. One unusual example is mercury, which is found in some hydrotest wastewater presumably from the past practice of dumping old mercury monometers in to the lines. Another example is arsenic and lead in crude oil which makes its way into hydrotest water. NPDES permits are often much more stringent than a POTW permit and can require removal of toxic constituents down to parts per billion levels or less. The proper planning for pipeline maintenance projects is the key to ensuring that safety, environmental compliance and scheduling do not become costly problems. Every hour a pipeline is offline can cost many thousands of dollars. And every safety and environmental incident can cost even more. As the CEOs of most major oil companies would agree, prioritising safety and environmental compliance results in lower costs in the long run. Safety and compliance pays for itself. For more information:

This article was written by Brian Miller, environmental and safety director, Envent, www.enventcorporation.com

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

page header

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

113

page header

CarboVac Company is the most innovative supplier of Vapour Recovery Units. The CarboVac VRU is based on the very efficient dry vacuum technology and is recognised worldwide as the best technology available on the market by the major oil companies and storage companies.

CARBOVAC Vapour Recovery Unit for • Truck loading • Marine loading • Rail car loading • Crude Oil • Petroleum Products • Aromatics • Solvants CarboVac offices: • Paris • Moscow • Philadelphia • Singapore

Visit us at ILTA Houston booth 843

114

banners

promotional material

logos creative services advertising

social media management

campaign management consultancy

websites

storage industry marketing specialists full company rebrands video production

signage

Carbovac main office 38 rue de Paris • 94470 Boissy Saint Leger • France Tel: +33 1 45 98 00 17 Fax: +33 1 43 82 68 84 info@carbovac.com www.carbovac.com

direct e:marketing

CRESCO Marketing is a marketing agency specialising in, and dedicated to, the tank terminal industry. We provide a wide variety of services that can be used individually, or mixed and matched for a bespoke package. We aim to provide great value for money, not only with our own services but also externally, by making use of our excellent industry contacts.

www.crescomarketing.com Tel: +44 (0) 7779 636048 Email: joe@crescomarketing.com May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

tank inspection

Getting the full picture Steel is inherently unstable over time; the challenge to any tank terminal operator is catching structural and corrosive failure before it occurs

nzene Ta

Aging Be

Point cloud

data captu

red

ap of an

erity m Bulge sev

Viewer for

aging tan

tank surfac

e 3D data

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

Tank inspection techniques for determining integrity, remaining life and fitness for service are evolving every day. New technologies and workflows allow for safer, more complete inspections to help operators be proactive in mitigating risk and avoiding corrosive failures. A benzene tank terminal operator in Texas was concerned about structural integrity, so he contacted US-based Meridian Associates to look into their 3D laser scanning and survey techniques, which are capable of providing complete surface documentation of aging tanks. This information can then be used to produce a Bulge Severity Map and a Surface Quality Map for deformation analysis and corrosion inspection. These maps are developed in conjunction with Meridian’s partner, US-based Stress Engineering Services. Scan data was collected by Meridian from the periphery of the tank using a phase-based laser scanner and methodology which ensured a high level of quality control. The scans, in this case, were collected using a Z+F 5010 laser scanner. This measurement instrument records the distance to all visible surfaces using a laser that is sent out and reflected back to the instrument and analyses the shift in the wavelength of the return beam to determine distance. Meridian’s 3D laser scanning produced a cloud of data points, called a point cloud, reported in X, Y and Z coordinates. The coordinate values were processed using a programme to calculate the deviation from the as-measured centre line. The point cloud, which is essentially a database of 3D surface documentation, was used to interpolate a nominal radius despite the tank being irregularly shaped. The results (left) are a product of this analysis, shown in a colour scale using a Meridian/Stress Engineering collaborative application. The Bulge Severity Map depicts the tank in an ‘unwrapped’ format. Red indicates areas of most extreme outward bulging, and blue indicates areas of most extreme inward bulging. The colour scale is shown in inches and is calibrated using the two extremes as limits. The X-axis designates the azimuth in degrees around the tank from Plant North. Plant North was established

using features on the tank and is accurate to a tolerance of +/- 1°. The Y-axis designates the length of the tank in inches from the foundation ring (bottom of the tank) to the top of the tank. An apparent centreline was created using circles best-fit to a sampling of the point cloud data collected on the tank walls just above the foundation ring to the top of the tank. The radial distance was reported in inches from the apparent centerline along the length of the tank walls. Non-dimensional Surface Quality Maps were produced by converting point cloud data to an unwrapped mesh surface. This information was particularly useful for identifying vertical weld seams and areas of probable scanning anomalies. Corrosion and areas of concern were detected by these reports above the foundation ring and supporting concrete to the top of the tank. It could not be determined, however, if the low-lying terrain below the 2,500 pilings supporting the tank were contributing to the tank’s instability, or if the integrity of the tank’s steel walls was the sole issue. In either case, tank failure was not an option, as any amount of benzene leakage would cost the owner untold sums, as well as pose a threat to the environment, terminal and personnel. Traditionally, 3D data has been difficult to work with due to file size limitations and the complexity of required hardware, software and tools. But recent developments in software viewers have made it possible for owners and their consultants to view this accurate, data from their desktops. Measure and markup can be done in this interface, along with plotting for publication and print. 3D laser scanning methodology for tank inspection allows for nearly 100% coverage on a tank surface for accurate measurement and thorough analysis. Access to 3D data sets and reports on aging tanks puts power in the hands of owner/ operators to make better decisions about the integrity and fitness for service of their assets, making terminals safer to operate. Emerging technologies like these across the industry are helping owners work smarter and faster while reducing overall risk. For more information:

This article was written by Denise Greaves and Andrew Titcomb at Meridian Associates, Inc, dgreaves@meridianassoc.com and atitcomb@meridianassoc.com www.meridian-3d.com

119

inspection

Tank floor monitoring using ultrasonic guided waves Leaking fluids from aboveground atmospheric storage tanks is a major issue. Most countries have stringent regulatory requirements for the avoidance of potential pollutant leaks from tanks, so that there is considerable pressure on tank and terminal operators to ensure that leaks do not occur. A new type of monitoring technology involves the use of low frequency ultrasound to examine a whole tank floor from permanently attached sensors around the perimeter on the outside of the tank. The long distance propagation characteristics of the ultrasonic guided waves used allow signals from one side of the tank to be received by a sensor on the other side (up to 30m diameter). By using combinations of transmit and receive among the set of sensors, it is possible to cover the whole floor area. By taking readings from the sensors regularly, long-term trends in the condition of the floor can be determined. The circular geometry of these tanks allows a tomographic method to be used to reconstruct an image of the tank floor from the transmitted ultrasonic signals. The image is formed by collecting information at many angular positions around the tank circumference. A number of sensors are placed around the edge of the tank floor. The transmitted signal from a single

120

transducer is captured by a number of similar sensors on the opposite side of the tank. This process is repeated for each sensor transmitting. Each ray path contains information about the ultrasonic propagation along its length, so that the effects of any welds, attachments or other features are all captured within the reconstructed image. This is the same process as is used for medical tomography using X-rays or magnetic resonance effects. Such an image therefore becomes a baseline of the tank floor condition at the start of monitoring. If the test system is stable, the baseline signal from the floor should not change over time. (There will be short-term

developer TWIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s site in the UK. An array of 48 equally-spaced sensors was installed around the circumference of the tank floor. Baseline data was collected to establish the test system was stable. A circular defect was introduced and the tests repeated. Further studies examined the effect of multiple defects on the images produced. TWI is now launching a joint Tomogram showing the response from a industry project to 50mm diameter circular defect in the 4m validate the technique diameter tank developed can be fluctuations in the signals applied to tanks in the arising from factors, such as field and the assessment meets temperature or level of fluid in the needs of the industry and the tank, and these need to for sufficient operational data be accounted for. However, if to be gathered in a controlled a change occurs in manner in order to demonstrate the condition of the to tank operators and regulators floor, for example if that the approach is valid. a patch of corrosion Organisations are sought to is initiated, then this support this innovative method will be reflected of reducing tank operating in the signals. and inspection costs. The capability of the technique has been demonstrated For more information: The authors would like to thank on an 8.5m diameter the UK Technology Strategy Board tank floor provided for funding this investigation and NuStar, Shell and Vopak for their by Vopak at its site Image of a tank floor containing two support with the project. Contact in Thurrock, UK and 70mm-diameter defects and a 20mm Plant Integrity at info@plantintegrity. defect towards the outside com or +44 (0) 1223 893 994. on a 4m tank at the

May/June 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ TANK STORAGE

page header

intelligence behind fire fighting

the One And OnlY ElEctric & DiEsEl FirE PumPs - GasEous ExtinGuishinG systEms - intErnEt rEmotE survEillancE automatic surPrEssion systEms - FirE DEtEction camEra systEms - Foam EquiPmEnts - monitorinG PrEFabricatED PumP rooms For all your onshorE & oFFshorE ProjEcts u n l i m i t E D

P o w E r

www.little-horse.com 230 Avenue du garlaban, 13420 geMenOS, frAnce / Parkstraße 1a, 66450 beXbAch, gerMAnY Phone : +33 (0) 4 42 32 02 40 / Mail : info@little-horse.com

TANK STORAGE • March/April 2013

pumps

Matching the pump to its purpose Over the last few years the Port of Fujairah in the UAE has been establishing itself as a major storage hub. Germany-based screw pump manufacturer Leistritz has been involved with supplying equipment to several of the new installations. The company has provided single and double volute twin screw pumps and triple screw pumps. Pressure ranges up to almost 20bar and capacities from 50m³/h up to 2,500m³/h are usual operating conditions for its twin screw pumps within such terminal operations. Screw pumps are rotary positive displacement pumps, which have certain advantages over other pump designs including, but not exhaustive to, a capability of handling low and high viscous liquids, pump flow rate of several pump types almost independent of back pressure and almost pulsation free operation with low noise levels.

The pumped product is carried in cavities formed between the three screws and the casing from the suction to the discharge side of the pump. A hydrodynamic liquid film between the drive screw and the idlers prevents contact between the screws and ensures friction-free operation without wear. Internal hydraulically balancing guarantees low load on the bearing. A mechanical seal is provided for the drive shaft. Triple screw pumps handle liquids with good lubricating properties and flow rates up to 700m³/h at differential pressures up to 250bar with viscosities from 3-15,000mm²/s. The majority of triple

screw pumps in upstream applications are used for the lube oil supply of combustion engines, turbines, compressors and large gear units. The pumps are either directly attached to the equipment or part of lube oil systems. For crude oil with a low API gravity and differential pressures up to 130bar, triple screw pumps can also be employed as pipeline or booster pumps.

Leistritz triple screw pump in use at a pipeline Single volute twin screw pumps

How triple screw pumps work A set of three screws are installed in a pump casing. The centre screw drives the idler screws located on either side.

122

Cutaway of a Leistritz TripleScrew Pump - L3 Series

A Leistritz L2-series twin screw pump is of single volute design. The pumped product is carried in cavities formed between the two screws and the casing from the suction to the discharge side of the pump. A hydrodynamic liquid film between the drive screw and the idler prevents contact between the screws and ensures operation without wear. Internal hydraulically balancing guarantees low load on the bearing. One of the key features is only one mechanical seal for the drive shaft is required, resulting in easier

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

pumps Cutaway of a side view of a Leistritz L2-Series pump

maintenance. Operating conditions of up to 16bar, flow rates up to 900m³/h and viscosities of up to 100,000mm²/s are available. The pump casings are casted or welded with options for various port positions and the screws are cut from single piece bar stock for maximum stiffness and minimum shaft deflection. Each screw is carried in heavy duty bearings.

For upstream applications, twin screw pumps are used as pipeline pumps for crude oil, pipeline start-up pumps, produced water pumps or for gathering and transfer duties either onshore, on offshore platforms or on floating production storage and offloading units. Flow rates up to 5,000m³/h at differential pressures, up to 150bar, can be handled.

Double volute twin

Multiphase pumps

to a central treatment facility through only one pipeline. Multiphase pumps have been designed to handle oil, water and gas mixtures

and pressure capabilities. The gas volume fraction handled by multiphase pumps can be as high as 100%. A liquid management system

L4 crude oil booster pump on an oilfield in Kazakhstan with gas fractions as high as 100%. They are based on the double volute twin

is provided to overcome longer gas slugs. The system is located upstream the

screw pumps Leistritz L4-series twin screw pumps are of double volute design. The flow splits after entering the pump suction and is pressurised within the screw packages with opposed helix, which are installed in a replaceable casing insert. The pumps are hydraulically balanced with no thrust loads on the bearings. The torque from the drive screw is transmitted to the idler screw by oil lubricated timing gears, so they are not in contact with each other. This makes twin screw pumps suitable for handling nonlubricating, contaminated and high viscous liquids (up to 150,000mm²/s). The pump casings are welded with options for various port positions. The screws are cut from single piece bar stock for high stiffness and low shaft deflection. The pump shafts are sealed by mechanical seals as a standard and each screw is carried in heavy duty bearings.

The decreasing oil reserves and thus increasing prices accelerated the acceptance of multiphase pump technology over the past two decades. They offer the possibility to recover oil and gas from matured fields with low well pressure, increasing water cut and high GORs. Conventional equipment like separators, compressors, liquid pumps, heaters or individual flow lines are replaced by economical multiphase units which also boost the well flow

Leistritz multiphase pump system screw pump technology of the L4 series with similar flow

Cutaway of a Leistritz L4-Series pump

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

pump discharge and within the skid limits. Constant liquid injection provides an internal seal between screws and liner during the compression of the gas. The systems are offered in a wide range of construction materials. Beside the pump and electric motor, lube and/or seal oil systems, piping with valves and strainers, and extensive instrumentation is provided on the skids. Engine driven pumps can be offered for locations like wellhead platforms with no electric power supply.

123

page header

LEISTRITZ PUMPEN GMBH The Screw of Archimedes

Leistritz Screw Pumps 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-Spindle

Oil & Gas - On- and Offshore

Oil & Gas - Refﬁnery

Tradition meets Innovation

Leistritz Screw Pumps and Systems

Leistritz Pumpen GmbH, with its headquarters in Nuremberg/Germany, has been producing Screw Pumps since 1924. Leistritz Screw Pumps are serving todayʼs state of the art Oil & Gas processes. Leistritz runs both, upstream and downstream application in the oil and gas sector. Terminal operations are using Leistritz Twin Screw, Triple Screw and Five Screw Pumps for loading, unloading, stripping, circulation, transfer, tank cleaning and transport of slops and drains. Oil & Gas - Distribution & Storage

Cargo & Liquid Handling - FPSO

Capacity max.: up to 22,000 GPM (up to 5,000 m3/h) Differential Pressure max.: up to 4,060 psi (up to 280 bar)

Leistritz Pumpen GmbH Markgrafenstrasse 29-39 | D-90459 Nuremberg Phone: +49 (0)911/4306 - 0 | Fax: +49 (0)911/4306 - 490 E-Mail: pumps@leistritz.com | www.leistritz.com 120 leistritz_2013_oil_gas_tankstorage_1.indd

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE 26.04.13 12:50

pumps

Making smart energy

choices

As utility costs rise, sliding vane pump technology may become the choice for energy efficient operations in all types of liquid storage terminal applications A liquid storage terminal, as recently as 10 years ago, was considered to be operating at maximum efficiency and profitability if it could turn its tanks once a month. Faced, however, with increasingly razor-thin operating margins, terminal operators began to realise that the more they turn their tanks, the higher rate of return on their investment. Today’s liquid storage terminals are now aiming for a minimum tank turn rate of three to four times per month, with some successful operations able to achieve a rate of 20 turns per tank a month. These eye-opening turn rates must be combined with operating the terminal at peak energy efficiency and one way of achieving that is to look at the design and operation of sliding vane pump technology, which can not only optimise terminal throughput and turn rates, but trim the energy- and profitwasting fat from bottom lines. Priming the pump Liquid storage terminals come in all shapes and sizes, from one or two tanks to sprawling complexes dotted with 50,000 gallon storage tanks. The commodities that pass through and are stored also run the gamut, for example mainstream and niche chemicals to

petroleum products, alternative fuels, vegetable oils, animal fats, LPG and LNG. While the size of a liquid terminal and the products that it handles can vary, all of them, in order to operate at the throughput rates demanded, are heavy energy consumers. That high energy usage, coupled with consistently rising energy prices, creates a potentially profit- robbing threat to all terminal operators. Among the biggest consumers of energy at a liquid storage terminal are the transfer pumps that play a key role in the terminal’s supply chain. In fact, studies have shown that pumps account for nearly 27% of total electricity use in the industrial sector. So it is safe to say that, no matter the size of the facility or the commodities being handled, a terminal’s operation would falter with unreliable transfer pumps. Pumps are used to unload the barges, railcars and trucks that bring in raw materials, and transfer those materials to storage tanks. They are also used to transload materials from one mode of transportation to another, and into transport vessels for delivery to end users. This reliance on pumps, coupled with their high energy usage, can create a catch-22 for the operator. Throughputs

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

Demands put on liquid-storage terminals appear to be at cross-purposes: maximise throughput while minimising energy consumption. Nevertheless, sliding vane pumps provide a transfer technology that offer streamlined, reliable operation while consuming low amounts of energy must be maintained and maximised but as energyefficiently as possible. To combat this, terminal operators around the globe are beginning to implement energy-management processes and procedures that are designed to: • Drive throughput improvements that can increase financial performance • Control energy expenses by reducing power consumption, without compromising throughput performance or increasing throughput levels

• Increase operational reliability and process integrity by emphasising the use of energyefficient technologies that support enhanced mechanical efficiency • Reduce vulnerability to energy-price volatility. In many cases, the implementation of sliding vane pump technology provides a solution in meeting these imperatives. Systems approach Many terminal operators are becoming aware that taking

125

pumps a systems approach is a way to improve the overall energy efficiency of their facilities. Operators strive to improve the reliability, performance and efficiency of their overall pumping system in this manner. The foundation of a successful systems approach is indentifying and then implementing the best pumping technology in a system setup that is properly

The use of a centrifugal pump will however, on average, result in higher operating, energy, maintenance, downtime and environmental costs incurred by the facility operator when compared to the pump that operates via sliding vane technology. Centrifugal conundrum Centrifugal pump technology is

The energy- and mechanicallyefficient design of sliding vane pumps allow them to offer terminal operators advantages in energy-saving initiatives sized and has an appropriate piping design, control-valve configuration and motors. There is a specific ‘best use’ for all pumping technologies; understanding how energyefficiency is measured and affected by the type of pump being used and the overall system configuration is vital to creating an energy optimised pumping system. To aid in this process, the use of lifecycle cost (LC) analysis allows the terminal operator to compare operations, maintenance and energy consumption costs between different pump technologies that could be used for the same application. LC can identify the total cost of ownership, from initial equipment, installation, energy, maintenance/repair and downtime costs to a final decommissioning price. Used wisely, an LC analysis will reduce waste and deliver efficiency. For instance, a positive displacement sliding vane pump may have a higher initial cost than a centrifugal pump.

126

Blackmer HXL series sliding vane pumps

the most common technology for many industrial and terminal operations, with some estimates indicating that centrifugals are used in 75% of industrial process pump applications. It seems, however, that centrifugal pump technology may not be the most energy-efficient choice in terminal applications. The sweet spot in a centrifugal pumps’ operation is known as the best efficiency

point (BEP). When operating at its BEP, a centrifugal pump is working at its highest point. Unfortunately, centrifugal pumps rarely operate directly on the BEP because ideal pumping conditions are hard to fabricate. Still, the centrifugal design allows them to function as they move away from the BEP, generally within 80-110% of the BEP though the farther removed from the BEP, the less efficient the operation. It is when the operation of the pump is removed from the BEP that bad things begin to happen. Most critical is there will be uneven pressure on the impeller, which will result in increased radial thrust that causes the pump shaft to deflect. When shaft deflection occurs there will be excess load on the radial bearings and excess deflection of the mechanical seal. Operating too far outside of the BEP can also lead to cavitation, which is essentially the formation and implosion of bubbles within the liquid during the pumping process which can destroy the pump and possibly other system components. In addition to the harm that can result when operating too far off the BEP, there are other drawbacks to the use of centrifugal pumps in liquid terminal operations, including: • Due to pump selection complexity, over-sized pumps are often chosen, resulting in increased operating and maintenance costs, inefficient operation, increased chance of cavitation and unnecessary energy consumption • As pump differential pressure increases, the flow rate decreases. Lowflow centrifugal pumps

consume more energy and require more pressure • The performance of a centrifugal pump will be adversely affected if pumping a fluid that has a viscosity higher than 400 cSt. Sliding vane solution As liquid terminal operators look for ways to maximise overall facility efficiency, many are replacing centrifugal pumps with positive displacement sliding vane pumps like the ones produced by US-based pump manufacturer Blackmer. The energy-saving features and benefits that sliding vane pump technology can provide in liquid terminal transfer applications include: • Ability to handle both thin liquids (like petrol, ammonia, LPG and solvents) and those with viscosities up to 50,000 cSt • Flow rates up to 2,000 gallons per minute • Flow rates directly proportional to the pumps’ speed • Effectively generate high pressure in lowflow applications • Lower overall cost of ownership when compared to centrifugal pumps • Rotary design minimises energy-robbing pulsation • Dry-run and selfpriming capabilities • Suction lift and linestripping capabilities • High volumetric efficiency due to self-adjusting vanes that eliminate energy waste. The current day demands that are put on liquid storage terminals can appear to be at cross purposes; maximise turn rates and throughputs while minimising energy consumption. While this balancing act may be daunting, there are readily available solutions for terminal operators out there. For more information:

This article was written by Tom Stone, Blackmer director of marketing at Pump Solutions Group www. blackmer.com +1 (616) 241-1611

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

page header

Want to score business in Brazil? Tank Storage magazine’s July/August edition is the official media partner for Tank Storage Forum, Sao Paulo. Reach your clients by advertising in the industry’s only true global publication. Featured topics in the next edition of Tank Storage magazine l Valves l Terminal Security and anti terrorism l Tank inspection, certification and safe entry l Vapour recovery l Training l Chemical storage supplement – new for 2013!

To get advertising prices or to request a copy of the media pack for 2013 please contact: David Kelly on +44 (0) 203 551 5754 or david@tankstoragemag.com

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

For editorial information please contact: Margaret Dunn on +44 (0) 208 687 4126 or margaret@tankstoragemag.com 123

stocexpo conference review

Networking on a full tank

Tank Storage magazine brings you all the discussion from the halls of this year’s of StocExpo in Antwerp, Belgium

Prime real estate Day one of the conference was kicked off by RoseMarie Pype, who admirably stood in for the poorly Xavier Vanrolleghem and treated visitors to a comprehensive overview of the current standing and future aspirations of the Port of Antwerp. The port was second only to Rotterdam last year in terms of product volume handled – almost 185 million tonnes in total, just over half of which was made up of container shipments. Liquid bulk was the next biggest contributor

128

at 45 million tonnes, with dry and break bulk categories making up the difference. ‘The port supports the largest cluster of chemical companies in Europe, currently at 15, and is home to three major refineries,’ Pype said. ‘Over the past 10 years, until the end of 2012, we have seen our tank storage sector grow 151%.’ She put this growth down to reasons like major producers outsourcing certain amounts of storage to independent providers: ‘Total are partnered with Seatank Terminal, for example, for their international trading storage.’ Of the 11 major tank

storage terminals on-site in Antwerp, four deal mainly in oil products and Pype pointed to the ratification by the European Commission to allow Chinabased Sinopec to purchase 50% of Vesta Terminals as another example of the sector growing in new directions. As for the port itself, there are to be new developments as part of a €1.6 billion project in the run up to 2025. ‘We completed a project to deepen our river in 2010,’ Pype said. ‘In the shortterm we are now looking at adding a rail tunnel that will connect across our left and right banks and investing in more pipelines, capable

of handling approximately 83 million tonnes, between us and Rotterdam.’ Other areas of investment will see additional tugboats, dredgers and pusher boats brought online while, longerterm, the construction of what Pype called ‘the world’s largest lock’ and the development of over 1,000 hectares of land are on the agenda. In response to a question about the port running out of physical space in which to grow, Pype compared the situation to that of the real estate industry: ‘When a house has a seaview, its price may triple. The same could be said of port land

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

stocexpo conference review

so we have a valuable commodity. However all ports have to optimise and work with what they have – there will always be opportunities to be had, not everything is limited to just available land.’

Lightning quick The morning conference session continued apace after a coffee break as Chris Hastings, market specialist at Philadelphia Mixing Solutions, looked at how companies could reduce the risk while increasing the performance of operating facilities within tanks. Hastings impressed on the gathering that ‘good housekeeping and good mixing’ is all that is basically required to avoid any catastrophes. ‘There are many global case studies where having the wrong mixer, by virtue of not being sized properly for example, has led to collapsed tanks,’ he said, choosing a disaster from Belgium as representative of the problem. ‘This is not a history lesson however, this problem could happen at any facility in the world today.’ In 2005 a tank storage

facility sprung a major leak and lost 37,000m3 of crude oil in just 15 minutes. It had been built in 1971 and had a full inspection upon being sold to new owners in 1990. However, within those 15 years, an undetected problem led to the unfortunate accident. ‘The mixers were directly opposite where the fault in the tank structure occurred,’ explained Hastings. ‘When the tank was emptied for inspection, one year before the failure, the flooring appeared to be flat. Hastings revealed that once the oil was put back in, the floor followed the contours of the sand and sedimentary underneath it, increasing the risk of additional water entering the space. As the motion from the mixers was so far

TANK STORAGE • May/June 2013

away from where the fault happened, they were not powerful enough to work the entire oil volume and thus zonal disposition became unknowingly apparent. To avoid this type of thing happening Hastings said owners/operators need to limit or avoid the presence of corrosive products, which can potentially settle by removing water from the oil even before it is stored. ‘They can also remove any products that have settled out of the tank, although any caught in a gutter will be difficult to get rid of,’ he added. ‘If a good mixing system is in place then oil movement can continue unhindered; tank volume will always be maximised and the tank’s structural integrity is optimised.’

Two sessions that were split over the lunchtime break dealt with research and development into two important safety concerns involving lightning and ethanol. First up Joe Lanzoni, VP of operations at Lightning Eliminators, discussed the movements within the tank storage industry in regards to lightning strikes hitting storage tanks. He revealed that the American Petroleum Institute (API) had recently spent €200,000 on R&D of the API recommended practice (RP) 545 initiative as ‘15 to 20 tank fires a year around the world are caused by lightning strikes, which amounts to almost one-third of the overall total’. Lanzoni also documented research by the National Lightning Safety Institute

129

stocexpo conference review which stated, back in 2008, business losses stemming from lightning interference amounted to $5 billion (€3.8 billion) overall, including a facility in Oaklahoma that lost $10 million and is still feeling that pinch to this day. ’In a country like the UK for example, that figure could double by 2050 during a socalled “normal weather” year,’ he added. ‘As the sizes of tanks have got bigger, so the risk of them being struck has too. Over 80% of strikes occur when the tanks are almost full which, in turn, increases the risk of fire spreading across the surrounding areas too.’

The API RP 545 applies to all external floating roof tanks and Lanzoni said, despite not yet being recognised as an official standard, ‘it could be in the near future’. Lanzoni believes shunts are one popular way to combat the threat from the skies, but they are fallible: ‘The API recommends that a shunt every 3m around the roof could effectively work but that is a costly exercise for both established or new build tanks. Plus, no matter if the shunts are new, old, clean or dirty, they can arc themselves and not always work properly.’ Bypass conductors are another avenue facility owners/operators could explore in terms of prevention: ‘The installation of these

130

every 30m can work well, either as plain cabling or on a spring loaded reel.’ The session after lunch, looking at fire safety issues involving ethanol, was presented by fire technology project manager of the SP Technical Research Institute Henry Persson. He outlined the ambitions of the Etankfire project currently being developed in Sweden, where the institute is based. ‘Global ethanol handling is increasing no doubt, but fire protection recommendations are lacking,’ he explained. ‘There has been limited access to practical experience of

tank fires in this particular field, so it is difficult to know how to deal with them when they do occur.’ The flammability of ethanol is different to petrol – it burns brighter due to a higher surface emission power (SEP) and there is less smoke generated compared to its more well-known cousin. Etankfire is set up to determine the behavourial patterns of ethanol fires on a large scale, plus develop and validate a fire fighting methodology for tanks which contain ethanol fuel. ‘Normal fire fighting foam is no good to combat ethanol fires, so there is potential for big improvements in this area – both for the fire fighting industry and in the

development of fireman training,’ Persson added. Phase one of the Etankfire structure concentrated on studies and tests before the next three phases delve into small-, mediumand large-scale tank fire tests. The fifth phase will look into heat radiation and burning rate tests. ‘Two full-scale tests took place in August over an area of 254m2 – one with 20,000 litres of E97 and one with the same amount of E85,’ he said. ‘The lower the ethanol blend in petrol, for example E85 or E50, the higher the smoke content becomes and the flames are less intense.’ Persson says the results from these tests are due soon and more literature on tests and studies will be forthcoming, including information from other sources like ‘fires that occur in real life as it is expensive to recreate such things’. The institute will also begin looking into various extinguishing techniques to build an arsenal for the fire fighting and tank storage industries to arm themselves with in the future. ‘Options like solid form foam, rather than water-based, and liquid nitrogen could be possibilities,’ he concluded.

Going wireless The advantages of wireless valve monitoring technology were discussed in the next session. ‘A typical 250,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery has around 60,000 valves within its make-up,’ said global market manager at Pentair Valves and Controls Tito Sequira. He added that around 70 to 80% of those will not be monitored on a regular basis, only when a manual check of the facilities is being undertaken, so there is a need to give operators a way of reducing that

percentage to increasing safety, environmental and efficiency stakes. ‘From incidents at a refinery, around 30% end in injury or fatality and over 60% cause incurred fines or slow down operational times,’ Sequira went on. ‘Small matters like knowing if a valve is closed when it should be open, or vice versa, are key to a safe and smooth running.’ Valves have been traditionally monitored by wired systems at an average cost of between $2,000 and $5,000 per unit, or when a person is physically sent to go look at them. ‘The trouble with the wired system, aside from the expense, is that wires can depreciate through wear and tear, connections can become loose and a knowledgeable person is needed to overlook the network,’ he added. With new wireless technologies coming onto the market, Sequira believes cost savings could be anywhere between ’25 to 60% compared to wired systems’, plus it eliminates the potential risks associated with sending personnel to look at a potentially faulty valve which, upon arrival, is working fine. He added that wireless technology is not perfect, however, and considerations would have to be put in place concerning the non-obstruction of signal movement before installation goes ahead. ‘The weather can sometimes interfere with signals too but the system is sophisticated enough to keep fighting through rain, snow and sleet until it gets genuine feedback from the transmitter on the valve,’ he explained. ‘A wireless system can give an operator a complete understanding of what is happening with their valves while helping to reduce overheads,’ Sequira continued. ‘It can also help operations move towards a more autonomous status if required.’

May/June 2013 • TANK STORAGE

TAnk STorAge

SINGAPORE EXPO 10 - 11 DECEMBER 2013

page header

ASIA

Join the StocExpo and Tank Storage Events group on LinkedIn Like our StocExpo and Tank Storage Events Facebook page

SAVE THE DATE!

Join us at Tank Storage Asia 10-11 December 2013 Official Publication

2012 Media Partners & Supporters