Reducing the Risks of Crude Oil Tanks Operation by Means of Automating Bottom Water Drainage and Bottom Sediment Removal Processes

Tank batteries (TB) for storage of crude oil and petroleum products are hazardous production facilities (HPF). Almost half of the accidents occurring in the oil and gas industry takes place in TB. The most effective way to reduce risks of HPF operation is to implement additional functions of automated control systems (ACS) of technological processes (TP). During the TB operation two hours after oil intake and deposition bottom water drainage (BWD) from vertical steel tanks (VST) is performed by manual opening of a ball valve on a siphon crane located in the lower ring of VST. The manual opening of the valve increases possibility of an oil release into a sewerage system and a risk of personnel injury.