The procedures in crude oil storage tank cleaning, also known as Crude Oil Washing (COW), is a process of cleaning the storage using the fuel itself. Before environmental regulations were enacted, these tankers were cleaned by spraying seawater into the containers. Initially, water was also stored in these same tanks to level the ships and ensure that the propellers will be below sea level, until ballast tanks were introduced.
Overtime, multiple regulations were introduced to ensure proper disposal of waste from the process of cleansing the tanker after trips. Private institutions also found ways to take advantage of these changes by using readily available fluids and by lessening waste of their products, which equates to additional savings for the company. We will be covering the changes and improvements for the past decades that led to the regulations being followed today.
Thousands of tanker ships carry oil from rig platforms to refineries for processing every day. Thus, it is important to ensure the profitability of each delivery and to lower costs as much as possible. One easy way was to clean the tanks that were storing fuels regularly. If left unattended, the fuels will form a sticky layer on the walls that will not be transferred to the refinery and will be weight that the tanker would need to carry on its way back to the platform.
Initially, the cleaning method used was to pump in heated seawater and jet sprayed to remove the layer of oils from the surface, which were then pumped overboard. This method resulted in high amounts of fuel being discharged into the sea. Pollutants were highly concentrated on piers and docks where the ships were being cleaned.
In 1954, the Oil Pollution Convention (OILPOL) was adopted as a measure to lessen pollution through the prohibition of the release of waste within 50 miles from the nearest land. On some instances, this limit was extended to 100 miles on environmentally protected sites, where the spillage may have very grave impacts.
Due to the pollution that was still being produced by the OILPOL adaption, a new process was introduced where the tanks were still cleaned using pressurized heated water, but instead of disposing the waste, it is first placed into a special slop tank. While the ship is on its return voyage, the oil, which is lighter than water, would eventually float on top. The water, which settled at the bottom, will be returned to the sea. This process is called the Load on Top.
An estimated amount of 8 million tons of petroleum were prevented from being discharged back into the sea. The remaining fuel from this process can then be reused by mixing with a fresh batch of crude oil, which resulted in higher profit margins by cutting losses.
The crude oil storage tank cleaning process was once again improved by using pressurized crude oil and was sprayed onto the sediments sticking on the tank walls. This process, that eliminated the need for slop tanks, was named Crude Oil Washing. This resulted in a cleaning procedure that eliminated the possibility for waste water and only involved the fuels that were also being delivered.
Overtime, multiple regulations were introduced to ensure proper disposal of waste from the process of cleansing the tanker after trips. Private institutions also found ways to take advantage of these changes by using readily available fluids and by lessening waste of their products, which equates to additional savings for the company. We will be covering the changes and improvements for the past decades that led to the regulations being followed today.
Thousands of tanker ships carry oil from rig platforms to refineries for processing every day. Thus, it is important to ensure the profitability of each delivery and to lower costs as much as possible. One easy way was to clean the tanks that were storing fuels regularly. If left unattended, the fuels will form a sticky layer on the walls that will not be transferred to the refinery and will be weight that the tanker would need to carry on its way back to the platform.
Initially, the cleaning method used was to pump in heated seawater and jet sprayed to remove the layer of oils from the surface, which were then pumped overboard. This method resulted in high amounts of fuel being discharged into the sea. Pollutants were highly concentrated on piers and docks where the ships were being cleaned.
In 1954, the Oil Pollution Convention (OILPOL) was adopted as a measure to lessen pollution through the prohibition of the release of waste within 50 miles from the nearest land. On some instances, this limit was extended to 100 miles on environmentally protected sites, where the spillage may have very grave impacts.
Due to the pollution that was still being produced by the OILPOL adaption, a new process was introduced where the tanks were still cleaned using pressurized heated water, but instead of disposing the waste, it is first placed into a special slop tank. While the ship is on its return voyage, the oil, which is lighter than water, would eventually float on top. The water, which settled at the bottom, will be returned to the sea. This process is called the Load on Top.
An estimated amount of 8 million tons of petroleum were prevented from being discharged back into the sea. The remaining fuel from this process can then be reused by mixing with a fresh batch of crude oil, which resulted in higher profit margins by cutting losses.
The crude oil storage tank cleaning process was once again improved by using pressurized crude oil and was sprayed onto the sediments sticking on the tank walls. This process, that eliminated the need for slop tanks, was named Crude Oil Washing. This resulted in a cleaning procedure that eliminated the possibility for waste water and only involved the fuels that were also being delivered.
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