Crude oil storage tank cleaning, or commonly called Crude Oil Washing (COW), is mainly the process of cleaning the storage using the oil itself. Prior to strict environmental regulations, tankers were cleaned using jets that sprayed seawater inside the containers. Also, before ballast tanks were introduced in ship design, water had to be stored in order for the propeller to be properly immersed at sea.
Many regulations have been in effect after concerns were raised in the wastes produced in the cleaning process after every trip of tankers. Companies themselves have used these changes to their benefit, as it also decreases the oil that is thrown away and reused on their next trip. Many of these advancements will be discussed to understand how these processes changed in a few decades time.
Petroleum is delivered by tanker vessels every day from oil platforms to refineries to be processed. With this line of business, cost efficiency is very important to ensure the profitability of each trip. One of the easiest ways to decrease cost is to have regular cleansing of these containers. Once a container is left without this procedure, the oil will form a sticky layer on the walls and will add unnecessary weight to the ship when it is returning to the platform for another delivery.
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.
The introduction of Oil Pollution Convention (OILPOL) in 1954 mandated that discharged wastes should only be done when beyond 50 miles from the nearest land. In cases where that specific land raised great concerns on irreparable environmental impact, the distance was extended for up to 100 miles.
The OILPOL measure did not really eliminate the waste produced and only moved to different areas, which was the main reason why a new process called Load on Top was introduced where pressurized heated water was still used, but instead of simply discharging the mix back at sea, they store it in specialized slop tanks. While the vessel is on its way back to the platform, the lighter oil would float on top of this mixture, while the heavier water would settle at the bottom and then be returned to the sea.
The Load on Top was very successful that an approximate of 8 million tons of fuel per year was saved from being dumped into the sea. It also made significant savings for the companies that owned the ships as the oil that remained after removing the sea water was simply topped with fresh new crude oil.
The latest enhancement in the process of crude oil storage tank cleaning was introduced and was called the Crude Oil Washing, where the removal of sediments and layers from the walls were done by using only pressurized fuel. The removal of water from the whole process meant that there was practically no waste due to any mixtures with oil.
Many regulations have been in effect after concerns were raised in the wastes produced in the cleaning process after every trip of tankers. Companies themselves have used these changes to their benefit, as it also decreases the oil that is thrown away and reused on their next trip. Many of these advancements will be discussed to understand how these processes changed in a few decades time.
Petroleum is delivered by tanker vessels every day from oil platforms to refineries to be processed. With this line of business, cost efficiency is very important to ensure the profitability of each trip. One of the easiest ways to decrease cost is to have regular cleansing of these containers. Once a container is left without this procedure, the oil will form a sticky layer on the walls and will add unnecessary weight to the ship when it is returning to the platform for another delivery.
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.
The introduction of Oil Pollution Convention (OILPOL) in 1954 mandated that discharged wastes should only be done when beyond 50 miles from the nearest land. In cases where that specific land raised great concerns on irreparable environmental impact, the distance was extended for up to 100 miles.
The OILPOL measure did not really eliminate the waste produced and only moved to different areas, which was the main reason why a new process called Load on Top was introduced where pressurized heated water was still used, but instead of simply discharging the mix back at sea, they store it in specialized slop tanks. While the vessel is on its way back to the platform, the lighter oil would float on top of this mixture, while the heavier water would settle at the bottom and then be returned to the sea.
The Load on Top was very successful that an approximate of 8 million tons of fuel per year was saved from being dumped into the sea. It also made significant savings for the companies that owned the ships as the oil that remained after removing the sea water was simply topped with fresh new crude oil.
The latest enhancement in the process of crude oil storage tank cleaning was introduced and was called the Crude Oil Washing, where the removal of sediments and layers from the walls were done by using only pressurized fuel. The removal of water from the whole process meant that there was practically no waste due to any mixtures with oil.
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