subject: Safety With Chemical Tanks [print this page] Chemical tanks used by oil drilling companies are special carriers made of tough metal. The metal is treated for sea voyage as the tanks have to travel on sea to reach their destination at high seas. These carriers are used for transporting gasoline, hazardous chemicals used for cleaning machines, oil, fresh water and even mild for workers at the drilling site.
Ideally an oil company should use separate tanks for different fluids. For instance you simply cant use a gasoline bottle for water. This rule applies to the tanks used for carrying different kinds of fluids from land to sea. A metal container is an expensive product but oil firms must use separate containers for different products.
Chemical tanks as the name suggests should be used for carrying chemicals from land to the oil drilling sites on high seas. Oil drilling machines and tools require timely servicing and they are serviced with chemicals. Washing in fluid removes the dust from machines and tools. Also the machines need proper oiling for smooth functioning. Oil not only increases friction in the machine parts but also prevents the machine from coming into contact with saline water.
The used oil and mud produced at oil drilling site need to be taken away from the site otherwise it would fall into the sea and pollute the sea water. The debris and oil is taken back to land in containers. The containers filled with waste material are carried in ships and they are emptied on land. After complete a voyage, the containers are cleaned for second voyage.
Chemical tanks work silently and it is the containers that make a drilling site functional. Laborers and engineers at oil rigs wait for the containers to arrive as the containers bring the material they need most. The containers are always at work hence they need proper maintenance. Using aging containers could be harmful for the ship as well as the oil company.
A container carrying flammable liquid could catch fire, if it is not able to hold the liquid or the container is not up to the mark. Gasoline could catch fire with frictional force. There are instances to prove when lose containers spilled gasoline on the ship and the workers have to call help to clean the ship of gasoline.
Making chemical tanks for oil firms is a specialized job. Each container should be up to DNV2.7-1/EN12079 standard. Few companies follow the rule.
