DIAGNOSIS OF VERTICAL STEEL TANKS AS A TOOL TO IMPROVE SAFETY OPERATION OF OIL AND GAS FACILITIES

Abstract

The relevance of the research is related to increasing number of tank farms that have developed a standard operating life. It inevitably leads to equipment failure and accidents at oil and gas facilities, including irreparable harm to the environment and workers lives. Under limited economic frameworks conditions and due to difficulties of repair and restoration work without decommissioning equipment, the only way to prevent emergencies is technical diagnostics and continuous remote monitoring analysis of the tanks state. The aim of the research is to develop and propose non-destructive testing method of a reservoir, which allows determining the possibility of its further operation without shutdown of planned work and allows planning the further repair work and safe service remaining period. Objects: vertical steel tank, acoustic emission control method, infrastructure of the enterprise’s tank farm. Methods: analysis of regulatory-technical documents, forecasting hazardous areas allocation on vertical steel tanks, modeling of a wireless data transmission system. Results. It was established that the use of a low-temperature mode of tank loading with addition of a wireless GSM monitoring system during acoustic emission controlling allows increasing significantly the safety of tank farms operation. Conclusions. Acoustic emission monitoring with low-temperature loading of reservoirs local sections, as well as constant remote monitoring of the tank farm and using the real-time wireless transmission of information by GSM technology can significantly reduce the probability of emergencies.

Keywords

• industrial safety
• vertical steel tank
• acoustic emission monitoring method
• remote monitoring
• gsm system
• document-oriented database management system