The process of Crude Oil Storage Tank Cleaning is somewhat a challenge to many. It is a comprehensive activity involving the removal of the bottom crude oil sludge, treating the oil sludge and washing the receptacle . There is the conventional method of washing it and several scientific methods that come up every day as research goes on.
Starting with the conventional method, the sludge is manually removed from the tank bottom. It may take about 100 days depending on the number of personnel working on it and the machines being used. With more operators it can even take 2 months. At times tank cleaning machines that are remotely operated are used; this can take double the time taken above.
The second step in the conventional method is to treat the oil sludge. This involves separating the sludge into three components; recovered oil, solids and waste water. This is done inside the receptacle.
After removing and separating the sludge the tank will then be washed in the third stage. It involves the use of high pressure cleaners that washes the walls, roof and floors of the storage chamber. This process includes de-rusting by the use of sand blasting and may take between 40 to 60days. For two teams working concurrently, this may take around 30 days to complete. The external walls of the storage chamber also require another thirty (30) to sixty (60) days to de-ruts and de-paint. However if ultra-high pressure cleaner is used, this process can take very few days though it is more expensive.
There is a one step cleaning method that has been developed and used by some companies. In this process, diesel is pumped through nozzles in a jet fixed on the receptacle's roof. This washes the sludge dissolving it after which the sludge/diesel mixture is pumped out of the storage chamber.
Using this method may be efficient but some solid sludge may take time to dissolve. For a 100,000KL tank this may take up to 4 months to dissolve. Temporary storage of the diesel/sludge mixture should be made as it is planned how to separate them into oil, solid and water. Another receptacle is required to contain the pumped out mixture when a receptacle is being cleaned.
Other than these methods, there is a two step procedure. It is quite advanced and cleans tanks in a matter of weeks compared to the months it takes to clean with the other methods. In the first step, a submerged rotary jet mixer violently and thoroughly mixes the sludge dissolving it into a suspended mixture, a process referred to as re-suspension. Here, about 90% of the oil is recovered for recycling and use. This only requires 7 days to set up the machine and 3 days to do the mixing.
The second stage involves removing the remaining 10% sludge if the client requires. Since the mixing was so thorough, this residual sludge is soft and easily to remove as compared to the other methods. Crude Oil Storage Tank Cleaning is not an easy job but it eventually has to be done in spite of the time and money it takes to perform it.
Starting with the conventional method, the sludge is manually removed from the tank bottom. It may take about 100 days depending on the number of personnel working on it and the machines being used. With more operators it can even take 2 months. At times tank cleaning machines that are remotely operated are used; this can take double the time taken above.
The second step in the conventional method is to treat the oil sludge. This involves separating the sludge into three components; recovered oil, solids and waste water. This is done inside the receptacle.
After removing and separating the sludge the tank will then be washed in the third stage. It involves the use of high pressure cleaners that washes the walls, roof and floors of the storage chamber. This process includes de-rusting by the use of sand blasting and may take between 40 to 60days. For two teams working concurrently, this may take around 30 days to complete. The external walls of the storage chamber also require another thirty (30) to sixty (60) days to de-ruts and de-paint. However if ultra-high pressure cleaner is used, this process can take very few days though it is more expensive.
There is a one step cleaning method that has been developed and used by some companies. In this process, diesel is pumped through nozzles in a jet fixed on the receptacle's roof. This washes the sludge dissolving it after which the sludge/diesel mixture is pumped out of the storage chamber.
Using this method may be efficient but some solid sludge may take time to dissolve. For a 100,000KL tank this may take up to 4 months to dissolve. Temporary storage of the diesel/sludge mixture should be made as it is planned how to separate them into oil, solid and water. Another receptacle is required to contain the pumped out mixture when a receptacle is being cleaned.
Other than these methods, there is a two step procedure. It is quite advanced and cleans tanks in a matter of weeks compared to the months it takes to clean with the other methods. In the first step, a submerged rotary jet mixer violently and thoroughly mixes the sludge dissolving it into a suspended mixture, a process referred to as re-suspension. Here, about 90% of the oil is recovered for recycling and use. This only requires 7 days to set up the machine and 3 days to do the mixing.
The second stage involves removing the remaining 10% sludge if the client requires. Since the mixing was so thorough, this residual sludge is soft and easily to remove as compared to the other methods. Crude Oil Storage Tank Cleaning is not an easy job but it eventually has to be done in spite of the time and money it takes to perform it.
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