Storage tanks store a diverse variety of liquids used in the hydrocarbon processing industry at oil/gas fields, refineries, petrochemical plants, marine terminals, bulk storage, oil depots and marketing terminals. They are also part of the support facilities in other industries, such as fuel storage tanks at power plants. These tanks have gained importance and visibility in recent years due to failures that have resulted in hydrocarbon spills and environmental impact. Following these incidents, there has been a marked increase in governmental regulation and industry attention to tanks and tanks farms.

A tank maintenance and integrity evaluation programme can only be effective if it also considers tank design requirements. Recognizing the primary features of these tanks and understanding how they are designed provide the information needed to better understand their maintenance requirements. The first part of this course focuses on atmospheric storage tank design requirements in accordance with API 650. Once the basics of storage tank design have been established, the course will turn to maintenance requirements in accordance with API 653. The course includes slides of actual installations, sample problems, and classroom exercises to illustrate specific points and give course participants the opportunity to practice application of the topics discussed. It is recommended that participants bring copies of API 650 and API 653 to the course. ­Participants are asked to bring their laptops or hand-held calculators to the course.

This is a highly practical and unique course in Asia that is dedicated to achieving aging tank farm life prediction, tailoring the life extension strategies for existing storage facilities and employing advanced structural integrity approach that includes finite element analysis (BS codes, API, fitness for service, etc), stress analysis to supplement conventional methods to select and designing BEST FIT maintenance strategies.

This course is meant for providing the participants with the knowledge about types of conventional storage tanks, fixed and floating roof tanks, tank selection and product classification including cost awareness for new structures. The participants will learn the design aspects, codes and standards, tank shell design and tank foundations. Operational aspects like blending, tank mixers, floating roof movements, roof drains and roof seals are also covered under this course. During this course, the participants will also learn to develop pro active maintenance activities, develop tank inspection plans and intervals, design codes and operation of tanks, safety aspects and dominant failure modes.

• Apply the latest technology, tools and procedures on the design, installation, operation, inspection, maintenance and troubleshooting of tanks and tank farms in order to achieve the maximum performance and efficiency

• Extend life of the aging tanks and learn state of the art maintenance practices for tank terminal/farm operator to better cope with current challenges

• Master atmospheric storage tank design requirements in accordance with API 650 and maintenance requirements in accordance with API 653

• Learn the world’s best instruction on tank/tank farm lifetime integrity management

• Explore options such as tank repair, alteration and reconstruction

• Develop tank/tank farm inspection plans and intervals and set up inspection and maintenance programs/schedules

• Use State-of-the-Art finite element analysis to develop best fit maintenance program for storage tanks and perform Fitness-For-Service assessments using the rules of API and international codes.

• Develop and implement a cost effective tank maintenance strategy

• Master the most effective tank evaluation techniques and perform tank life prediction calculation with dominant failure modes

• Assess the configuration, operation and management practices of tank farms in terms of facility capacity, operational effectiveness, and the cost/benefit of feed, intermediate and product storage

• Appreciate the importance of codes, standards, regulations & recommended practices in terms of hazard and safety management

• Identify the different types and classifications of tanks and their applications

• Recognize considerations of materials-of-construction   and  various   corrosion protection  strategies  and  tactics  including  cleaning,  coating  and  cathodic protection

• Perform fire protection of tanks and tank farms: venting, frangible roofs, flame and detonation arrestors, protection from ignition by static electricity,  principles and practices of bonding and grounding, principles of inerting, electrical classification, selection criteria for fire suppression systems

• Apply tank emission control measures & procedures to satisfy regulatory requirements

• Carryout principles, preparations & practices associated with tank cleaning, entry, and inspection & repair

• Execute a system approach on tank/tank farm operations including tank entry, tank bottoms, sludge, source reduction, mitigation, vapor freeing, degassing and tank cleaning

• Distinguish function of structural parts of and fittings to conventional storage tanks

• Explain design and operational aspects of storage tanks, tank farm and tank terminals