Oct/Nov 2021 | Volume 17 | Issue 06 VOPAK GROWS IN INDIA GROWTH IN TAIWAN COVID-19 AFTER-SHOCK In partnership with Aegis, Vopak speaks exclusively about its latest investments in LPG Stolthaven tells all about its goal to provide high quality bulk liquid storage in Taiwan China’s economy weathered the COVID-19 storm but there are still pressures to face New thinking. New possibilities. Established 2005. Trusted. Valued. Influential. ACCESS AND MANAGE YOUR PROCESS DATA ANYTME, ANYWHERE 8810 RTU Key Features • Ethernet enabled, provides high-speed communications in near real time • Industry standated OPC UA • Modbus for host or field integration via Serial RTU, Modbus TCP, or Modbus over TCP • Channels can be configurred as Modbus Slave or Master • Supports up to 400 tanks • Supports up to 24 communication channels • Digital input/output for alarms, monitoring and control • • • • Intelligent scanning based on tank activity Offline configuration functionality Pre-configured dianostics built-in Interfaces with multiple different manufacturer’s tank gauging devices • Optional tank calculations based on the latest API standards • Supports remote firmware upgrades and file transfers • Includes the VeRTUe browser-based configuration application Add-on modules: Serial, GPU Bi-Phase Mark, Digital I/O, Mark/Space, Tankway, and Analog Input Other protocols supported: Veeder Root, Hectronic and Ronan COMING SOON All-in-One Inventory Management, Right at Your Fingertips For over 90 years, Varec has been the trusted leader in 8810 RTU customers can select an add-on-option, an Android Display, to have local visualization of process data. This data includesContact values such asus level, today! temperature, delivering quality and reliable solutions. density and calculated volumes to API 2004 standards. Visit our website for more information about the 8810 RTU. [email protected] • 866-698-2732 • www.varec.com UP FRONT CONTENTS CONTENTS Oct / Nov 2021 | Volume 17 | Issue 06 UP FRONT 04 Contributors 32 06 Comment TERMINAL NEWS 08 Europe 14 The Americas 17 Africa & the Middle East 20 Asia Pacific 28 Incident report 29 Tank terminal update 34 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 32 A long-term vision for India Vopak India managing director Deepak Dalvi discusses the company’s partnership with Aegis Logistics for LPG in India 34 Local knowledge meets global partners Stolthaven Terminals president Guy Bessant tells Tank Storage Magazine about the company’s planned new terminal with Revivegen in Taiwan MARKET ANALYSIS 37 COVID-19 in China – one year on China’s economy weathered the COVID-19 storm but there are still pressures to face 37 40 Asia to remain a growing sink for the crude market FGE’s Grayson Lim reports on the trends in Asia’s crude markets 42 The route to inclusion is not exclusion Allison Newell explains the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the tools and approaches needed for a truly diverse workplace 40 PAGE 01 UP FRONT CONTENTS 45 TECHNICAL FEATURES 48 44 Technical news 46 Centralising asset data management in the process industry CEA software can track, manage and visualise all integrated data sources 48 The broad consequences of a spill What are the legal and other implications of a spill? 50 Tank cleaning and inspection – performance through automation ATPL’s robots offer proven non-person entry cleaning and inspection of on-line aboveground storage tanks across Asia 52 Faster than ever Tank Storage Award winner Toptech Systems explains what it can offer to the whole petroleum supply chain 54 Streamlining tank inspections with visual feedback Optically activated pigments highlight areas in need of repair, explain Justin Hair and Michael Harrison from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine 63 56 HSE simplified Integrating HSE and maintenance into an enterprise asset management (EAM) system is the key to assured compliance, says Ultimo’s Chris van den Belt 58 W Energy software transforms Phillips 66 operations Michael Ferrante from W Energy Software discusses digital oilfield advancements in tank storage accounting and measurement 60 Helping fuel oil distributors to improve profitability Nick Hawkins from Kingspan on why companies shouldn’t miss out on new tank telemetry technology 62 Microbiological contamination – reducing risk in a pandemic Mark Busch at Conidia Bioscience looks at how single use immunoassay fuel test kits can help 64 64 Ransomware and industrial control systems Chris van den Hooven from Hudson Cybertec explains how organisations can protect themselves against ransomware attacks 67 Physical security in the blind spot Security professional Duane Jones on the importance of ensuring that physical and cyber security complement each other 70 Tank alarm monitoring to keep kenya fuelled Ian Loudon from tank monitoring alarm specialist Omniflex looks at how alarm systems are used for managing tank overfill conditions 73 Lightning risk mitigation – more needs to be done Dr Akihiro Wakabayashi, CTO of Critical Facility Group, looks at why tank fires and explosions are still happening and what can be done to reduce the risk AT THE BACK 76 Advertisers index 76 Social storage: Most liked posts this month PAGE 02 67 UP FRONT CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS Oct / Nov 2021 | Volume 17 | Issue 06 PUBLISHER CEO EASYFAIRS UK & GLOBAL Margaret Dunn +44 (0)20 3551 5721 [email protected] Matt Benyon +44 (0)20 3196 4310 [email protected] DEPUTY EDITOR Helen Tunnicliffe +44 (0)20 3196 4402 [email protected] HEAD OF SALES Sophie McKimm +44 (0)20 3196 4356 [email protected] Oct/Nov 2021 | Volume 17 | Issue 06 VOPAK GROWS IN INDIA GROWTH IN TAIWAN COVID-19 AFTER-SHOCK In partnership with Aegis, Vopak speaks exclusively about its latest investments in LPG Stolthaven tells all about its goal to provide high quality bulk liquid storage in Taiwan China’s economy weathered the COVID-19 storm but there are still pressures to face SUBSCRIPTION RATES A one-year, 7-issue subscription costs €250. Individual back issues can be purchased at a cost of €45 each. CONNECT WITH US INTERNATIONAL SALES MANAGER David Kelly +44 (0)20 3196 4401 [email protected] @tankstorageinfo Tank Storage Magazine MARKETING MANAGER Rikki Bhachu +44 (0)20 3196 4282 [email protected] DATABASE MANAGER Alison Church +44 (0)20 3196 4305 [email protected] Established 2005. Trusted. Valued. Influential. Tank Storage Magazine SENIOR SALES MANAGER Matthew Barlow +44 (0)20 3198 4380 [email protected] New thinking. New possibilities. CONTACT Front cover courtesy: Singapore-based Advance Technic. New Thinking, New Possibilities T +44 (0)20 3196 4300 F +44 (0)20 8892 1929 [email protected] www.tankstoragemag.com Easyfairs 2nd Floor, Regal House 70 London Road Twickenham TW1 3QS United Kingdom model in sub-saharan africa. introducing the independent storage Oiltanking matola explains how it is as it explores gas storage. is ensuring greater energy security The sharjah national oil corporation model in sub-saharan africa. introducing the independent storage Oiltanking matola explains how it is IN A CAPTIVE MARKET AN INTERNATIONAL CONCEPT NEW GAS CHAPTER SPEARHEADING THE UAE’S IN A CAPTIVE MARKET AN INTERNATIONAL CONCEPT ISSN 1750-841X Aug / Sep 2019 | Volume 15 | Issue 04 Tank Storage Magazine, (ISSN 1750-841X) is published seven times a year (in February, March, May, August, September, October and November) by Easyfairs UK Ltd, 2nd Floor, Regal House, 70 London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3QS, UK. The US annual subscription price is $243. 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PAGE 04 Reliable Fire Protection Products for the Toughest Challenges ® Externallyresettable DDV Diaphragm Deluge Valve— compact, epoxycoated, rated for up to 400 psi (27.6 bar) pressure Model MV Medium Velocity Spray Nozzle—fixed water spray nozzle available with corrosionresistant Electroless Nickel PTFE plating Backed by over 100 years of manufacturing experience Reliable’s Product Technology group has developed a comprehensive portfolio of fire protection equipment supported by an international Technical Services team with over 350 years of combined experience in fire protection. Reliable® delivers the industry’s highest quality fire protection equipment. Reliable® products are designed and assembled in a state-of-the-art engineering, testing, and manufacturing facility in Liberty, South Carolina, USA. Model F1-FTR Pilot Line Detector Learn more about our extensive portfolio of products and solutions including: remote resetting epoxy-coated diaphragm deluge valves, corrosion resistant nozzles and sprinklers, custom-designed and fabricated valve riser skids and weather-proof enclosed valve units. Visit us at reliablesprinkler.com/tankstorage Manufacturer and Distributor of Fire Protection Equipment UP FRONT COMMENT ARE YOU THE TERMINAL OF THE FUTURE? THE STORAGE industry is changing faster than ever. This issue is littered with news of new projects and investments surrounding the storage and handling of ammonia, hydrogen, biofuels, LNG, carbon dioxide and more besides. To recognise this shift, the Global Tank Storage Awards has introduced the ‘Terminal of the Future’ award. This award will be presented to the storage terminal that is demonstrating its dedication to preparing for the energy transition, in terms of research, investment and forward thinking. This terminal will be looking ahead to the integration of new future fuels as well as meeting the demands of the current supply chain and introducing sustainability initiatives to its existing infrastructure. The winner of this award will be chosen exclusively by the tank storage community, with voting opening in 2022. PAGE 06 The winner will be revealed during the gala dinner and ceremony on 8 March 2022 in Rotterdam. As well as the Terminal of the Future Award, the tank storage sector will also vote on the Safety Excellence Award and Terminal Innovation award – looking at terminals’ commitment to implementing new technologies and safety best practices. This is on top of a whole range of categories celebrating successes for terminal suppliers and ports, ranging from the Port of the Future Award to the Safety Technology Award. We urge you to be recognised for your achievements and enter today at www.tankstoragemag.com/awards. 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E-Mail: [email protected] Phone : +1 215 674-1234 Fax (Pbx) : +1 215 674-2731 www.drexelbrook.com AMETEK STC Drexelbrook Gydevang 32-34 DK-3450 Alleroed Denmark TERMINAL NEWS EUROPE TERMINAL NEWS: EUROPE Turkey STOLTHAVEN AND RÖNESANS TO BUILD TERMINAL IN TURKEY Stolthaven Terminals has formed a partnership with Turkish construction and real estate company Rönesans Holding to build a new greenfield terminal in Ceyhan, Adana, Turkey. who have expressed an interest in the import and storage of LPG. The company expects to make a final investment decision is expected in Q4 2021, subject to final internal and external approvals. ‘The terminal will initially focus on the safe and efficient handling and storage of industrial gases, but early market studies also indicate that there is potential to develop chemical storage capacity to service the eastern region of Turkey, which is currently serviced mainly by trucks from the west of the country. The investment in Turkey, a country with a growing economy and strong demand for chemicals, would be complimentary to our existing global network and increase the reach of the supply chain solutions that we are able to offer our customers,’ says Stolthaven president Guy Bessant. Rönesans is currently developing the Ceyhan Petrochemical Industrial Zone. The first facility being built onsite will be Ceyhan Polipropilen Uretim, which will produce 450,000 tpa of KTA polypropylene, using LyondellBasell’s Spheripol technology. Stolthaven’s new terminal will initially serve this facility. Stolthaven says that additional storage capacity will likely be added during the first phase of development customers LEAK PREVENTION TECHNOLOGY For a clean and protected environment 100 % safe and continuous monitoring of double-walled tanks and pipes at Refineries | Tank farms | Chemical plants SGB GmbH | Hofstr. 10 | 57076 Siegen | Germany | +49 271 48964-0 | www.sgb.de PAGE 08 . gb de hop s B B2 e! w lin sh s ne on B‘ now SG . op s TERMINAL NEWS EUROPE The Netherlands GATE LNG TERMINAL TO EXPAND CAPACITY Gate Terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, is to expand its LNG capacity by a further 1 billion m3 per year as part of its longstanding collaboration with Uniper. Alongside a previously announced expansion of 0.5 billion m3, the total capacity of the Gate Terminal will be taken to 13.5 billion m3 per year, once the expansion work is complete. The new send-out capacity will be available from 1 October 2024. Andreas Gemballa, director LNG at Uniper, says that once the expansion is complete, Uniper will be the largest capacity holder at the Gate Terminal, with a capacity of 4 billion m3 per year under a long-term contract. Uniper has seen growth in its LNG portfolio on the commodity and shipping sides. It has seven LNG vessels under long- and mid-term charters. Gate is growing in importance to Uniper as a small scale LNG hub, and it expects to load 3 TWh onto trucks and barges by the end of 2021. ‘LNG trading activities have grown significantly from less than 30 cargoes in 2016 to more than 300 to date this year. 80% of our cargoes have been traded in the Pacific Basin. Our portfolio emphasises flexibility which is diversified across all dimensions including pricing indices, incoterms and geography,’ says Gemballa. The Netherlands HORISONT AND KOOLE SIGN MOU FOR AMMONIA TERMINAL Norwegian clean energy company Horisont and Dutch firm Koole Terminals have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a blue ammonia terminal at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The new terminal will support the distribution of blue ammonia produced from the Barents Blue project, Europe’s first large-scale blue ammonia production facility. Horisont recently signed a cooperation agreement with Barents Sea offshore oil and gas producers Equinor and Vår Energi to develop the When managing real pressure is your job… MIPC® helps experienced engineers stay on-site and on top of the latest industry developments and good practice in primary containment of hazardous substances. facility, in Hammerfest, Norway, which will make blue ammonia from natural gas and water, powered by renewable energy. More than 99% of the CO2 produced during ammonia manufacture will be captured and stored in the Polaris reservoir offshore northern Norway. Horisont and Koole will initially explore establishing a strategic arrangement for storing the ammonia. The MoU also includes developing technical and commercial conceptual models for storing ammonia products, and services solutions and technologies for further distribution, to meet forecast demand in Northwest Europe. MIPC® shortlisted for the Best E-learning/ Online Education Initiative memcom membership excellence awards 2020 Using a blend of live, online classes, one-to-one sessions with expert tutors, and e-learning, enhanced by a mentor’s support and guidance, EEMUA’s Mechanical Integrity Practitioner Certificate course delivers in-depth training to engineers where they work – to give professionals the flexibility to learn on-site or on-call. Appointments for induction to suit your schedule from November 2021. Learning starts in January 2022. Registration open now. For more information please contact EEMUA [email protected] +44 (0)20 7488 0801 www.eemua.org MIPCad (175x120mm)_Jan2022_1.indd 1 20/09/2021 12:43 PAGE 09 TERMINAL NEWS EUROPE Spain EXOLUM WIN4H2 ALLIANCE TO BUILD FIRST GREEN HYDROGEN PLANT Spanish diversified terminal company Exolum is to invest almost €2 million to build its first green hydrogen production plant next to its existing facility in San Fernando de Henares – Torrejón de Ardoz, near Madrid in Spain. PROTECT YOUR PRODUCT. PROTECT YOUR PROFIT. Tried and tested in a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, ONGUARD is the first seismic system designed to protect liquid storage tanks from earthquake damage. STOP YOUR LIQUID ASSETS FROM GOING DOWN THE DRAIN, CONTACT US TODAY. The hydrogen plant is the first project under the new WIN4H2 alliance set up by Exolum, Spanish electricity company Naturgy and Spanish gas company Enagás to study hydrogen mobility and transport schemes in Spain. The three companies aim to create renewable hydrogen supply corridors, with supply points at most 300 km apart across the whole of Spain, establishing national logistics routes with guaranteed supply. The plans include developing a network of 50 hydrogen stations for consumers. The companies expect that 4,000-7,000 tpa of green hydrogen will be available from generation facilities in the early stages of the scheme. The plant will initially product 60 tpa of green hydrogen, and will use propriety microelectrolysis technology from Fusion Fuel. Fusion Fuel’s process uses a specially designed concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar panel to harvest all available electrical and thermal energy from the sun. The CPV converts 40% of energy into electricity, which powers electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in Fusion Fuel’s miniaturised proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser. The remaining 60% of heat energy pre-heats the feed water and reduces the electrical energy required to split the water. The plant, which is expected to be operational by the second half of 2022, will also serve as a demonstration of 877 475 3653 ONGUARDSEISMIC.COM PAGE 10 TERMINAL NEWS EUROPE the technology. It is the first sale Fusion Fuel has made of its technology to a third party. The hydrogen is intended for hydrogen refuelling stations. If demand increases, the plant’s output will also increase. Norway ODFJELL WINS TWO SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS AWARDS ‘Conversations are already being held with potential hydrogen users, who have expressed their interest in accessing a fixed facility for the supply of green hydrogen in the region, thus supporting their plans to incorporate such vector into their heavy vehicle fleets, both buses and lorries,’ says Andrés Suarez, global strategy and innovation lead of Exolum. Russia RUSSIAN SEA TERMINALS TO FACE NEW INSPECTIONS The Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostechnadzor) will carry out unscheduled inspections of 73 seaport terminals handling oil and petroleum products. Rostechnadzor’s press service told Russian state news agency TASS that Russian deputy prime minister Victoria Norwegian terminal and shipping company Odfjell has been award the EcoVadis gold sustainability rating and has been ranked as number one among its industry peers by Sustainalytics, Abramchenko had ordered the new field audits in the wake of an oil spill at a marine terminal owned by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium on the Black Sea in August 2021. Rostechnadzor inspectors will assess compliance with mandatory safety requirements for the throughput and storage of oil and petroleum products, including the facility’s ability to deal with accidents. EcoVadis rates global supply chains on sustainability in more than 75,000 companies across more than 200 industries in more than 160 countries, monitoring how a company performs on 21 corporate social responsibility (CSR) criteria in four main areas – environment, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. The regulator passed the list of 73 facilities to be inspected to the Russian government office on 20 August 2021, and it was signed by the head of the service Alexander Trembitsky on 27 September 2021. Specialist Training for the Storage Tank Industry Live online, classroom or e-learning • • • • Gain or renew your 5-year Certificates of Competence* Courses based on EEMUA 159 English, Dutch, German and French language options Select from courses throughout 2021 and 2022, including: TankAssessor courses* 22-26 November 2021 – in German – live online 24-28 January 2022 – in English – live online 7-11 February 2022 – in Dutch – live online 28 March – 1 April 2022 – in French – classroom – Près de Paris, FR 4-8 April 2022 – in German – classroom – near Hanover, DE 25-29 April 2022 – in English – classroom – near London, UK TankInspector courses* 14-17 March 2022 – in English – live online 16-19 May 2022 – in English – classroom – near London, UK Above ground flat bottomed storage tanks A guide to inspection, maintenance and repair Publication 159 Edition 5 TankIntro courses 21-23 February 2022 – in English – live online 20-22 June 2022 – in English – classroom – near London, UK Storage Tanks e-learning On-demand – in English and in Dutch More choices, information and registration at www.eemua.org PAGE 11 TERMINAL NEWS EUROPE UK NAVIGATOR TERMINALS, 8 RIVERS COLLABORATE ON CO2 AND H2 HANDLING UK bulk liquid firm Navigator Terminals is to work with US company 8 Rivers Capital to assess opportunities for the transport, storage and handling of carbon dioxide, hydrogen and ammonia. Navigator is looking towards the energy transition is exploring how to facilitate the ship transfer of CO2 emissions and handling low carbon fuels. 8 Rivers, meanwhile, is a key participant in the proposed Whitetail Clean Energy Net Zero power station at the Wilton International site in Teesside, UK, which will make use of a semi-closed loop technology with oxycombustion to burn gas cleanly and, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. 8 Rivers’ UK group is a clean energy and clean fuels technology developer, including the 8RH2 process which produces clean hydrogen and ammonia with full carbon capture. The project team will look at Navigator’s existing network of assets, which includes more than 1.28 million m3 of storage, a deepwater jetty and rail handling facilities, to assess its potential for handling CO2, hydrogen and ammonia. Navigator’s own Teesside terminal is fully integrated into the UK’s largest chemical cluster in Teesside, which includes the Wilton site, and can rapidly scale to support the industry’s decarbonisation efforts. Due to the chemical cluster, its proximity to the depleted gas fields of the North Sea, and existing pipeline connections, Teesside is being touted as an ideal CCS hub for the UK. Navigator’s terminals could be used to store produced CO2, hydrogen, or ammonia, before transport via ship or pipeline. Germany CHEMPARK BLAST LIKELY CAUSED BY CHEMICAL REACTION The first interim report into two explosions and a subsequent tank farm fire at Currenta’s waste disposal centre at the Chempark site in Leverkusen, Germany, which killed seven people, has found that the incident was probably caused by a runaway chemical reaction. Tank three, which contained liquid chemical waste, exploded at 9.37am on 27 July 2021, leading to a second PAGE 12 explosion, which sparked a fire in a neighbouring tank farm containing chlorinated solvents. Seven workers were killed and 31 injured. Local residents were told to stay inside with windows closed. The blasts were heard more than 40 km away. Around 300 firefighters attended the incident and took several hours to extinguish the fire. The initial report was released by the Cologne district government. Its experts concluded that the waste liquid in tank three was held at too high a temperature, which led to a chemical reaction and an exponential increase in temperature and pressure that was too rapid to be dissipated by the tank’s safety devices. The pressure exceeded the design pressure of the tank, which exploded. This initial explosion caused the waste liquid and heating oil previously pumped around the tank to mix with air, igniting and causing the second explosion that led to the tank farm fire. Customised tank mixing solutions Currenta managing director Hans Gennen says the results match the company’s own findings. Currenta is carrying out internal investigations and monitoring. The public prosecutor’s office and the Cologne police have opened a manslaughter investigation. Spain EXOLUM APPOINTS ROSA GARCÍA AS CHAIRWOMAN Spanish terminal company Exolum has appointed Rosa García as its new chairwoman, replacing José Luis López de Silanes, who is retiring and will now become honorary chairman. García is the first woman to hold the chair in almost 100 years of the company’s history. She has more than 30 years of experience in industries such as energy, infrastructures and IT, including as director of corporate strategic projects at Microsoft in the US, and as president of Microsoft Iberia for eight years. García was chairwoman of Siemens from 20112018 and has over a decade of experience in non-executive management positions in IBEX-listed companies such as Banesto, Acerinox and Bankinter. She is currently also a board member at Mapfre, EDPR and Sener. Essential advantages with Körting tank mixing systems: • • • • • • • • low energy input no sealing problems low investment costs no unmixed dead zones wear-resistant operation no maintenance in the tank complete mixing of tank content optimisation with (CFD) Computational Fluid Dynamics López de Silanes joined the company, then called CAMPSA, in 1971. He will retire when he turns 75. In his 16 years as chairman, he oversaw the company’s various modernisation and internationalisation plans and changes in the shareholding structure. He then led CLH’s transformation into today’s Exolum. +49 511 2129-221 | [email protected] | koerting.de TERMINAL NEWS THE AMERICAS TERMINAL NEWS: THE AMERICAS 66 is seeking to reducing its refining footprint and boost investment in renewable diesel, hydrogen and electric vehicle battery materials. US PHILLIPS 66’S LOUISIANA REFINERY COULD BECOME A TERMINAL Neither Phillips 66 nor Hilcorp has commented on the rumour. US oil company Hilcorp is considering buying Phillips 66’s 255,600 bpd refinery in Alliance, Louisiana, US, to convert it into an oil terminal, according to reports. Four anonymous sources told Reuters that a buyer from Hilcorp would visit the facility. Phillips 66 put the refinery up for sale in August 2021. The refinery was damaged by flooding during Hurricane Ida, after a protected wall collapsed. A Phillips 66 spokesperson told Reuters that the company plans to repair the damage and restart the refinery. Phillips US SHELL EXITS PERMIAN WITH US$9.5 BILLION CONOCOPHILLIPS DEAL Shell Enterprises has sold its business in the Permian basin in the US to ConocoPhillips for US$9.5 billion (€8.1 billion) in cash. Shell’s Permian assets cover around 225,000 acres (91,000 ha), which produce 175,000 boe per day. The transaction also includes more than 600 miles (966 km) of operated crude, gas and water pipelines and infrastructure. The company is seeking to create a more focussed portfolio through its Powering Progress strategy to take the company through the energy transition. It says it will use the proceeds of the sale to fund US$7 billion in shareholder distributions. ConocoPhillips chairman and CEO Ryan Lance describes its purchase as ‘highly accretive’, and consistent with the company’s ‘Triple Mandate’ energy transition plan to responsibly produce energy to meet transition demand, generate compelling returns on and of capital, and achieve Paris-aligned targets and 2050 net zero ambition. The deal is expected to close in Q4 2021, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. Control Fills & Eliminate Spills Protect Your Operation with Industry-leading Safe Fluid Transfer Solutions • Overrll Prevention www.scully.com PAGE 14 • Static Ground Veriication ©2021 Scully Signal Company TERMINAL NEWS THE AMERICAS British Virgin Islands FURTHER WOE AT LIMETREE BAY WITH STAFF CUTS Limetree Bay Terminals on St. Croix in the British Virgin Islands has announced that it will cut its workforce by 28% as it seeks to remain competitive following the closure of Limetree Bay Refinery. The company says that 35 staff members will lose their jobs, and their last day will be 12 December 2021. It has met with the affected employees. ‘Reorganising Limetree Terminals will allow us to streamline operations and better position us to achieve the company’s business objectives,’ says Jeff Rinker, Limetree Bay CEO. ‘This will enable us to continue to serve the St Croix community as a provider of good jobs as well as work for local business partners.’ The terminal recently reached a financing agreement with AMP Capital to ensure its continued operations. Brazil BRAZIL TO AUCTION TERMINAL LEASES ON 19 NOVEMBER Brazil’s National Waterway Transport Agency (ANTAQ) is to auction the leases for two bulk liquid terminals in the Port of Santos on 19 November 2021. Brazil’s Ministry of Infrastructure says that it will be the biggest port lease for 20 years. The Port of Santos requires expansion to meet growing demand. Both lease contracts will last for 25 years, and the terminals are expected to focus on liquid and gaseous bulk, especially fuel. Terminal STS08 covers an area of 168,324m². ANTAQ says that site will require an investment of around BRL 260.6 million (€42.4 million), and will generate BRL 3.152 billion in gross revenue over the contract period. SAFE VALVE OPERATION Electric actuators for all types of industrial valves AUMA actuators excel by their premium reliability. Their capability for overall host system integration is of crucial importance for safe and economical operation in process technology. For highest safety requirements Q SIL 3 capability (1oo2) Q Certification according to IEC 61508 Q Patented fail safe functionality Terminal STS08A covers an area of 297,349m². ANTAQ says that site will require an investment of around BRL 678.3 million (€42.4 million), and will generate BRL 7.207 billion in gross revenue over the contract period. Both terminals are currently operated by Transpetro, a subsidiary of state oil company Petrobras. However, the Brazilian government is seeking to reduce the influence of Petrobras to create more competition and to lower costs. Discover our comprehensive automation solutions www.auma.com anzeige_halbe_Seite_tsm.indd 1 PAGE 15 12.10.2021 10:54:00 TERMINAL NEWS THE AMERICAS US HONEYWELL AND UNITED INVEST IN ALDER, UNITED SIGNS HUGE SAF DEAL US firm United Airlines and US technology company Honeywell have made a joint multimillion-dollar investment in cleantech company Alder Fuels, which produces sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). As part of the investment, United is to buy 1.5 billion gallons (5.68 billion L) of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) over 20 years, the largest SAF purchase deal ever announced by an airline. United says that it is one and a half times the size of the rest of the world’s airlines’ publicly announced SAF commitments combined. Its investment in Alder will company from United Airlines Ventures, a venture fund it set up to invest in start-ups, new technologies and sustainability concepts to help United meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2050, without relying on traditional carbon offsets. Alder converts abundant biomass such as forest and agricultural waste into sustainable low-carbon, drop-in replacement crude oil. Alder’s technology will be combined with Honeywell UOP’s Ecofining process to produce SAF. The technology is traditional hydroprocessing technology, adding hydrogen to remove oxygen from the feedstock then refining it into a bio-synthetic paraffinic kerosene (bio-SPK), called Green Jet Fuel by UOP. It can currently be blended at levels up to 50% as a drop-in replacement for conventional jet fuel, and meets all necessary jet fuel specifications. The partners’ goal is to produce bio-based SAF that can be used as a 100% drop-in replacement for conventional petroleumbased jet fuel. The partners hope to commercialise the technology by 2025. The use of waste biomass enables Alder’s production process to be carbon negative over the fuel’s lifecycle. ‘Aviation poses one of the greatest technology challenges for addressing climate change and SAF has demonstrated the greatest potential. However, there is insufficient raw material to meet demand,’ says Bryan Sherbacow, CEO of Alder Fuels. ‘Alder’s technology revolutionises SAF production by enabling use of widely available, low-cost and low-carbon feedstock. The industry is now a major step closer to using 100% SAF with our drop-in fuel that accelerates the global transition to a zero-carbon economy.’ PAGE 16 TERMINAL NEWS THE MIDDLE EAST & ARRICA TERMINAL NEWS: THE MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA Ghana BOST KUMASI TERMINAL FINDS PETROLEUM ADULTERATION Ghana’s Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) has discovered adulteration in petroleum products being distributed via truck from its 87,000 m3 Kumasi storage facility in Ashanti, Ghana. Anomalies have been discovered in recent days during routine tests on the chemical composition of products. Tests are carried out prior to loading the trucks, and upon arrival at destination. However, on one truck, the product composition at discharge was found to be different to that at loading. The difference was initially discovered on a standard simple test, and confirmed by further testing. Subsequent testing found differences on eight further trucks. The nine trucks have been impounded while investigations continue. The driver of the first truck was taken into custody while the other eight drivers were sought. ‘BOST wishes to assure the public that, with the current robust standard operating procedures (SOPs), no adulterated product will find its way into our tanks much less get to the market,’ says BOST in a statement. ‘The company wishes to further assure the public that, the reported incident has not affected our operations in any way and our fuel safety and security as a country is assured.’ international investment, by ADNOC and Masdar, in BP’s 1 GW H2Teesside facility in the UK, which will produce blue hydrogen and is expected to be operational by 2030. The first agreement also includes the development of decarbonised air travel between the UAE and UK, although no further details have been released on how the companies plan to achieve this. Under the second agreement, BP and Masdar will explore opportunities to provide sustainable energy and mobility solutions for cities. The companies will consider storage, energy efficiency, cleaner fuels, and distributed renewables generation. which will employ digital technology and artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency. ‘The UK and UAE governments have bold plans for decarbonisation. The UK is our home and we have worked in the UAE for nearly a century. By partnering with the visionary leaders of ADNOC and Masdar, we see massive business opportunity to generate the clean energy the world wants and needs – and at the same time revitalise local economies and create the jobs of the future,’ says Bernard Looney, BP CEO. The third agreement is between BP and ADNOC and will see the companies work together to decarbonise oil and gas operation in Abu Dhabi, including carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) hubs. They also plan to use advanced methane emission detection and reduction technologies and create smart decision centres in the UAE, Where do you want to store next? Call us for storage of petroleum products and chemicals in Europe. Our experience is your guarantee. UAE BP, ADNOC AND MASDAR IN CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE BP, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and UAE renewable energy company Masdar have signed three agreements to collaborate in the development of clean and low-carbon energy. The first agreement, between all three companies. covers the development of 2 GW of low carbon hydrogen hubs in the UK and UAE. It could lead to the first Phone HQ: +46-31 53 45 00 Phone Operations: +46-31 764 96 00 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nordicstorage.com PAGE 17 TERMINAL NEWS THE MIDDLE EAST & ARRICA UAE BROOGE PHASE II RECEIVES FIRST CARGO Brooge Petroleum and Gas Investment Company (BPGIC), a subsidiary of Brooge Energy, has officially commenced operations at its phase II storage facility in the Port of Fujairah, UAE, which has now received its first cargo. The site, which stores clean petroleum products and crude oil, successfully completed all testing and commissioning and received all regulatory approvals. It is fully contracted. With the opening of Phase II, BPGIC is the second largest independent storage operator in the region, with a capacity of approximately 1 million m3 (6.3 million bbl). BPGIC has built the facility to the same standards as its phase I facility, using the latest technology to minimise operating costs and maximise performance. The company says that the design of its automated storage solutions reduces product losses as well as offering heating and blending. ‘This is a major milestone for Brooge Energy and follows months of careful planning, construction, contract negotiations and testing,’ says Nicolaas L Paardenkooper, CEO of Brooge Energy and BPGIC, adding: ‘Oil storage in the port of Fujairah in the Middle East is in high demand, which has enabled us to fully contract the entire capacity with multi-year take-or-pay contracts.’ Mozambique MONTFORT GROUP BUYS STAKE IN MOZAMBIQUE TERMINAL Global commodity trading company Montfort Group has bought a stake in Matola Terminal de Armazenamento de Petróleos, an oil products terminal in the Port of Matola in Mozambique. The 59,600 m3 import terminal was formerly known as Oiltanking Matola, until it was purchased in June 2021 by a consortium of Energi Asia DMCC and Al Braik Investments. It handles mostly gasoline, gasoil and kerosene. According to a story from Business Times that Montfort posted on its LinkedIn page, Montfort will develop the terminal in partnership with Energi Asia. The terminal was commissioned in December 2017 and being so new, has superior infrastructural capabilities, safety procedures, equipment and systems, with minimal maintenance downtime required. Acquiring the terminal stake (the size of which has not been revealed) forms part of Montfort’s African expansion plans, and will allow the company to trade its products in six countries neighbouring Mozambique. The company hopes that the combined experience in its partnership with Energi Asia will contribute to Mozambique’s commercial activities and benefit the local and regional energy sectors. Angola OEC WINS CONTRACT FOR MAJOR ANGOLAN TERMINAL Angolan state oil company Sonangol has awarded the contract to build its planned Barra do Dande Ocean Terminal (TOBD) to OEC, a subsidiary of Brazilian company Novonor. TOBD, located 60 km north of the Angolan capital Luanda, will store 580,000 m3 of gasoline and diesel, and 102,000 m3 of Specialist fuel infrastructure solutions to reduce risk, cost and operational downtime Design and build Design and build • Fabrication of bespoke-build steel oil tanks • Automatic pump, gauge, valve, bulk meter and alarm servicing • Installation of oil tanks and pipework • Extend asset life with AdlerCoat™ polyurea coating and cathodic corrosion protection • Bulk Fuel Installations (BFI’s) Maintain and refurbish • 24/7 365 planned preventative maintenance (PPM) • Interceptor / Separator installation and maintenance • Oil storage surveys and maintenance • Fuel filtration systems, compliance testing, uplifts and transfers • Tank testing including EEMUA accredited non-destructive testing (NDT) Respond • 24/7 365 emergency fuel deliveries • Emergency response for fuel, oil and chemical spills on land and in the marine environment • Hazardous waste / contaminated land disposal • Accredited spill response training and spill kits 0800 592 827 adlerandallan.co.uk * Specialists in hazardous area and electrical installs: VAREC and NICEIC approved, DNV and CompEx accredited PAGE 18 TERMINAL NEWS THE MIDDLE EAST & ARRICA LPG. It will cost US$499 million (€421 million) and will be Angola’s largest refined products terminal. OEC will complete the storage terminal, marine dock and associated infrastructure for the import and export of oil products. The work will generate 3,500 jobs. ENGINEERED EXCELLENCE Select Control Valves, Regulators, & Storage Tank Products We are a leading manufacturer and worldwide marketer of control valves, regulators, controllers, pressure/vacuum relief vents, and flame and detonation arrestors. OEC Superintendent Director for Africa, Marcus Azeredo says that OEC’s bid was the most competitive of eight submitted, due to the company’s expertise. According to Angolan new agency ANGOP Sonagol has also signed two a contact with Angolan consultancy firm SOAPRO to carry out the environmental impact study. The signing of the contracts was witnessed by Angola’s Secretary of State for Petroleum, José Alexandre Barroso. MODEL 3100 PRESSURE VACUUM VENT Nigeria DISPUTED TANK FARMS REOPENED IN NIGERIA MODEL 8900 TANK EMERGENCY VENT The Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has reopened eight tank farms in Lagos that were closed on 13 September 2021 by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) after a planning dispute. LASPPPA had claimed that the eight tank farms – Wosbab Energy Solutions, Emadeb Energy Services, Mao Petroleum, Menj Oil, Oceanpride Energy Services, AA Rano Nigeria, AIPEC Oil and Gas, and First Royal Oil – did not have the correct planning permits. All the tank farms are located in Ijegun-Egba, Satellite Town, Lagos. The area has 13 tank farms which receive 35-40% of all petroleum ports coming into Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city and the second largest city in Africa. MODEL 6A00 FLAME ARRESTOR Ayorinde Cardoso, the DPR’s zonal operations controller for Lagos says in a statement that LASPPPA did not have the constitutional power to close the tank farms, as the industry falls under the Nigerian federal government’s ‘Exclusive List’, which gives the government exclusive jurisdiction. The industry is also protected by constitutional powers under the Petroleum Act. Cardoso says that as a result of the Act, all persons engaging in the importation, handling, storage and distribution of petroleum, petroleum products and other flammable oils, are licenced by the petroleum resources minister through the DPR. MODEL 1078 VACU-GARD ’These people are providing service to the nation and if you disrupt that service there will be fuel scarcity everywhere,’ says Cardoso. ‘This is why we are taking proactive action to immediately reopen the tank farms and if LASPPPA have any issue with the operators they should come to us to see how it can be resolved.’ Cashco, Inc. P.O. Box 6 · Ellsworth, KS 67439-0006 Ph. (785) 472-4461 · Fax: (785) 472-3539 CAS-264.indd 1 1/21/20 PAGE 19 3:51 PM TERMINAL NEWS ASIA PACIFIC TERMINAL NEWS: ASIA PACIFIC India Tawain HPCL RAJASTHAN REFINERY ADDING FOUR NEW TANKS STOLTHAVEN AND REVIVEGEN TO BUILD TAIWAN TERMINAL HPCL Rajasthan Refinery in Pachpadra, India, has awarded the contract for four new cryogenic double wall storage tanks (DWST) to Chemie-Tech. Stolthaven Terminals, a division of Stolt-Nielsen, has signed a letter of intent with Taiwanese company Revivegen Environmental Technology to build a greenfield terminal in Kaohsiung Port, Taiwan. The 45 m diameter tanks will have a comibined capacity of 96,000 m3 and will store refrigerated ethylene and propylene. The outer tank will have an RCC post tension wall and the inner tank will be made from 9% nickel steel. Under the terms of the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contract, ChemieTech will also construct the associated facilities such as the vaporisation system, BOG compressors, heating packages, cold-blowdown system and in-tank pumps. It will also be responsible for the tanks’ pile foundations, piping, electrical works, cathodic protection, instrumentation, firefighting system and associated accessories with statutory approvals. The contract scope covers project management, residual process design, detailed design and engineering, procurement, construction, precommissioning and commissioning with single point responsibility of above ground, flat bottom, vertical, full containment type double wall storage tank. Revivegen has recently been granted a land lease at the port. The companies will now conduct a feasibility study into the terminal. There is growing customer demand for bulk liquid storage in the region, which has driven Stolthaven’s interest. The companies expect to make a final investment decision in Q4 2021, subject to internal and external approvals. Japan SUMA, the leading innovator in advancing mixing technology. Looking for longterm digester efficiency? ■ 60 years of experience in mixing of various substrates ■ Tailored solutions ■ Long-term reliability ■ High operational safety ■ User friendly application SUMA Rührtechnik GmbH Martinszeller Str. 21 | 87477 Sulzberg/Germany E-Mail: [email protected] | www.suma.de/en SUMA America Inc. (USA) | www.gosuma.com BRASUMA Ltda. (Brasil) | www.brasuma.com PAGE 20 YARA, JERA, IDEMITSU KOSAN TO STUDY JAPAN AMMONIA DISTRIBUTION Norwegian chemical firm Yara, Japanese power company JERA and Japanese petroleum company Idemitsu Kosan have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore clean ammonia bunkering and distribution in Japan. Since May 2021, Yara and JERA have been studying the possibilities of creating demand for clean ammonia in Japan, and under the new MoU, will also look at the potential of ammonia bunkering and distribution to the industrial sector. Bringing in Idemitsu Kosan will give the partners to additional expertise and an extensive distribution network for petroleum products, bunkering capabilities and import terminals. Under the terms of the MoU, the three partners have committed to investigate establishing a domestic ammonia distribution network at Idemitsu Kosan’s Tokuyama Complex in Shunan City, establishing an ammonia bunkering business at the Tokuyama Complex and cultivating demand, and optimising the ammonia fuel shipping supply chain TERMINAL NEWS ASIA PACIFIC for domestic use. The partners will also discuss cooperation with other major players in power generation, agriculture and oil refining. There is increasing interest in the use of ammonia as a carbon-free fuel for the energy transition, particularly in Japan, where the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is looking to develop a market and supply chain for the use of ammonia as a fuel, expanding its use to 3 million tpa by 2030. China CHINA CERTIFIES FIRST CARBON NEUTRAL PETROLEUM SHIPMENT The Shanghai Environment and Energy Exchange (SEEE) has certified a shipment of petroleum from Sinopec, Cosco Shipping and China Eastern Airlines as carbon neutral. It is China’s first shipment of full life cycle carbon neutral petroleum. The 30,000 tonnes of crude oil came from Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation’s share of oil in Angola. Its trading arm transportation, storage, refining and product consumption. Sinopec, Cosco Shipping and China Eastern Airlines each offset the emissions from their own activities related to the shipment. Unipec imported the oil. Cosco Shipping shipped the oil more than 9,300 nautical miles from Angola to Ningbo Zhoushan Port in Zhejiang province, China. From there the oil went to the Sinopec Gaoqiao Petrochemical Corporation refinery. The three companies aimed to jointly develop an a ‘new model of green transportation,’ with a cross-industry, full-cycle and zero-emission path, as China’s transport and energy sectors seek to achieve carbon neutrality. The carbon emissions from the petroleum’s whole life cycle have been offset through a combination of energy saving and emission reduction strategies, and Chinese Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) carbon credits. China Classification Society Certification Company (CCSC) acted as the third-party verification agency. It measured the carbon dioxide produced throughout the entire life cycle of the petroleum, including oil exploitation, Sinopec will offer carbon neutral gasoline and diesel to the public at selected fuel stations later in 2021. It is also supplying 5,417 tonnes of jet fuel to China Eastern Airlines for carbon neutral flights. China CHINA APPROVES SINOPEC LONGKOU LNG PROJECT China’s National Development and Reform Commission has approved Sinopec’s planned Longkou LNG terminal at Yantai Port in Shandong Province, China. The terminal will cover an area of 84.5 ha. Sinopec will construct four 220,000 m3 storage tanks, and a berth capable of handling ships with a capacity of up to 266,000 m3 of LNG. The terminal will have a transfer capacity of 6 million tpa and gasification export facilities with a capacity of 34 million m3 per day. PAGE 21 The WV 400 API Coupler has been developed with decades of bottom loading experience from applications around the world. The rugged design and ease of maintenance features will provide years of solid performance and reliability, the WV400 is the coupler to rely on. The Woodfield family of products consists of a full range of bottom loading arms, API couplers single and dual race swivel joints, drop hoses and covers, TTMA breakaway couplers, vapor couplers and parking solutions. Woodfield manufactures a complete range of loading equipment solutions for bottom loading terminal operators. At Woodfield we care about our customers being successful. Woodfield Systems USA Inc. Woodfield Systems Europe SL Woodfield Systems International US/Canada Toll Free +1 888 915 6266 International +1 803 399 7597 +34 955 300 424 +91-22-6704 0000 sales.usa@woodfieldsystems.com sales.es@woodfieldsystems.com sales@woodfieldsystems.com Woodfield, your partner for safe bulk fluid transfer solutions! Woodfield is a global design, manufacturing, sales & service organization providing customized bulk fluid handling and safety access solutions for loading/unloading products. We cater to the oil & gas, chemical, petrochemical and aviation sectors. Our Product Range: Truck and Rail Loading Arms Marine Loading Arms Process, metering and pumping Skid Solutions Safe Access Solutions Floating Suction Units Woodfield Systems USA Inc. Woodfield Systems Europe SL Woodfield Systems International US/Canada Toll Free +1 888 915 6266 International +1 803 399 7597 +34 955 300 424 +91-22-6704 0000 sales.usa@woodfieldsystems.com sales.es@woodfieldsystems.com sales@woodfieldsystems.com TERMINAL NEWS ASIA PACIFIC Australia Philippines BP CONSIDERING GREEN HYDROGEN FOR KWINANA PHILIPPINES TO ESTABLISH STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE BP has begun a feasibility study at its Kwinana refinery to look at using the site to produce green hydrogen. The Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled plans to establish a strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) for the country. The company announced in November 2020 that it would cease refining at the Kwinana refinery as it was no longer economically viable, and that it would convert the site into an import terminal. BP now has its sights on repurposing the former refinery complex as an integrated clean energy hub to produce and distribute sustainable fuels. It has already started to develop a plant to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel. BP believes that a Kwinana energy hub would be ideally placed to create Australian green energy chains and enable Western Australia to meet its net zero commitments. A clean energy hub could also offer green alternatives to the wider Kwinana industrial cluster. The feasibility study is being carried out in partnership with Macquarie Capital, with funding from the Western Australian government. The SPR will include stocks of crude oil, petroleum products, and biofuel. The DOE says it will help to lessen the Philippines’ vulnerability to disruptions in the supply and price of imported oil, improving fuel security and allowing the government to implement the Targeted Fuel Relief Program, whereby the government will provide fuel assistance to marginalised fuel-consuming sectors affected by crises. A new circular lays out the implementation guidelines for the Philippine Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program (PSRP), which will be jointly implemented by the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) and the DOE. PNOC carried out a feasibility study into setting up an SPR in the Philippines in 2019. PNOC will acquire the necessary storage and blending capacity by construction, lease, or other acquisition options, based on the levels specified in the feasibility French energy major TotalEnergies has signed a terminal use agreement with Pertamina subsidiary PT Perta Arun Gas (PAG) to store LNG at PAG’s terminal in Lhokseumawe, Indonesia. The 3 million tpa Arun LNG receiving and regasification hub has four tanks with a total capacity of 508,000 m3. Under the terms of the deal, TotalEnergies will use two of the four LNG tanks at the hub, with a total capacity of 207,000 m3. TotalEnergies will store LNG at the site as part of its global LNG market strategy. PAG president Arif Widowo says that the collaboration with TotalEnergies is in line with PAG’s vision to become a world-class LNG hub and regasification company. The two companies are also exploring longterm collaboration. China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has commissioned four new 160,000 m3 LNG tanks at its Tangshan LNG receiving terminal which can now supply gas to an external pipeline. The terminal is now China’s largest domestic LNG receiving terminal, with eight tanks with a combined capacity of 1.28 million m3. Verwater Group B.V. Droogdokweg 71, 3089 JN Rotterdam, The Netherlands +31 (0)10 416 54 77 [email protected] Locations | Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, Estonia, USA, Middle East PAGE 24 TOTALENERGIES TO USE PERTAMINA’S ARUN LNG TANKS CNPC ADDS FOUR NEW TANKS TO TANGSHAN LNG TERMINAL Verwater offers a full spectrum of industrial and tank related services to support its clients in maintenance and construction works WWW.VERWATER.COM Indonesia China ENSURING SAFETY, QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE OUR SERVICES Tank Jacking Pipe Jacking Tank Relocations Tank Foundation Works Leak Detection Systems Secondary Containment study. PNOC will be responsible for setting up supply contracts to meet the objectives of the PSRP, and a distribution chain, either by lease or acquisition, from the transport logistics down to the fuel discharge to the end-consumers. CNPC says that the main construction project achieved 8.06 million safe labour hours, with no safety incidents, pollution incidents, or personal injuries. The construction work was carried out by PetroChina Jingtang LNG and Beijing Gas Group, and broke a number of industry records. Construction teams completed the 1,440 pile foundations in just 66 days. For the first time in China, all four storage tanks were raised in the same year, with two raised on the same day. This was partly due to the use of innovative vertical seam automatic welding technology. TERMINAL NEWS ASIA PACIFIC Malaysia SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF ASIA’S LNG MARKET Petronas Gas calls for LNG market players to participate in an expression of interest (EOI) for a new LNG storage facility in Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia As the industry is going into a cleaner energy landscape and companies are responding with their strategies on achieving respective carbon neutrality targets, awareness in overall sustainability is also gaining prominence. Global LNG trade continues to show consecutive growth as the cleanest fossil fuel source complementing renewables, undeterred by COVID-19 related impacts in terms of its supply and demand. This presents a sound opportunity for LNG supply chain market players to ensure its domestic and global security of supply. Petronas Gas (PGB) is Malaysia’s leading gas infrastructure and utilities company with core businesses in gas processing, utilities, gas transmission and regasification. PGB processes natural gas piped from offshore fields and transports the processed gas via the Peninsular Gas Utilisation (PGU) pipeline network to Petronas’ customers in Malaysia and Singapore. The company’s two LNG regasification terminals are located in Sungai Udang, Melaka (offshore terminal) and Pengerang, Johor (onshore terminal) respectively. Pengerang LNG (Two) (PLNG2), a 65% subsidiary of PGB, owns, operates and maintains the onshore LNG Regasification Terminal in Pengerang (RGTP), Johor, Malaysia. The terminal currently features two LNG storage tanks with a total capacity of 400,000 m3. The facilities receive vessels carrying LNG from around the world, offering a wide range of services which includes LNG regasification of 490 million scfd, LNG reloading, and gassing up and cooling down. In supporting the anticipated growth in the LNG market in Asia, PLNG2 is assessing the feasibility of constructing a third LNG storage tank through an EOI exercise. The potential development of the LNG storage tank located in Pengerang offers LNG storage capacity as well as transshipment for long term periods. Potential customers can benefit from PGB’s vast experience in gas transmission and regasification, its terminal’s strategic location of global LNG trade routes and availability of existing terminal facilities. The additional tank is targeted to be completed and ready for commercial operation earliest by Q4 2025, subjected to its final investment division (FID) date. To participate: Interested parties are required to submit their proposals no later than 30 November 2021 (4pm Kuala Lumpur time) to PLNG2 via pgb. [email protected]. The details of the non-binding EOI are available on PGB’s corporate website www.petronasgas.com. PREVENT ODOUR FROM STORAGE TANKS The Go4DK Carbon Filter is designed for API 650 Storage Tanks. l l l Flow calculations are all in accordance with API 2000, latest edition. Safety PV valves are sized in accordance with flow calculations to protect each tank. As a mechanical odour filter, there are no electrical parts, except if the emergency shut-down system is required. The proven filter technology removes 95-98% of all particles in the air phase, before entering the activated carbon, extending the lifetime of the activated carbon. Produced from the material SS316, the Go4DK design allow activated carbon, ROZ3 / RST3, to last 3-5 years before needing replacement. PROVEN RESULTS: This technology is already in use at Shell’s Refinery, REPSOL’s refinery, MOBC, Bunker Terminals, Export Terminals and more. FIND OUT MORE www.cbi.dk – Odour Filters / Spec / Options / Customize Contact – Tommy Christensen, Co-Founder and CEO [email protected] PAGE 25 8 March 2022 | Rotterdam The Global Tank Storage Awards judges include: Previous winners include: Find out more m www.tankstoragemag.com/awards Hosted by Nominations now open m www.tankstoragemag.com/awards INCIDENT REPORT INCIDENT REPORT A summary of the recent explosions, fires and leaks in the tank storage industry 11 October 2021 7 October 2021 6 October 2011 BEIRUT, LEBANON BAYONNE, US GALVESTON BAY, US A fire broke out in a gasoline tank belonging to Lebanon’s army at the Zahrani oil facility during the transfer of gasoline from one tank to another, just after 10am local time. It took more than two hours for the fire to be contained by Lebanon’s civil defence forces. No casualties were reported, though a nearby main road was closed in both directions due to the flames. Local media reports that at least 25 fire trucks attended the blaze. An investigation is underway. International-Matex Tank Terminals Marathon Petroleum No injuries were reported following a fire at an alcohol tank at International-Matex Tank Terminals’ (IMTT) facility in Bayonne, New Jersey, US. The fire broke out at around 4.57pm local time following an explosion within the tank, and was brought under control at 6.26pm. The tank contained approximately 600 gallons (2,271 L) of an alcohol product. Bayonne crews and IMTT’s own fire department tackled the fire. IMTT has not commented. An oil tank at Marathon Petroleum’s 593,000 bpd Galveston Bay refinery in Texas City, US, leaked for more than six hours, beginning at 7:30am local time. There were no injuries. In a filing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Marathon said that the spill was caused by the failure of a valve flange. The crude oil was released into a containment dyke, and firefighters applied foam to reduce vapour evaporation. Marathon estimates the leakage at around 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg). 11 September 2021 DONETSK, UKRAINE SME INDUSTRIAL [email protected] www.smecoupling.com PAGE 28 Natalya Nikonorova, the foreign minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), a quasi-state in Ukraine, claims that a major explosion at an oil terminal in Donetsk was a ‘deliberate act of terror’ by Ukraine. The blast happened at around 12.30pm local time, destroying 1,300 tonnes of oil. The fire was tackled by local emergency services. DPR first deputy information minister Daniil Beznosov said a Ukrainian drone spotted in the area dropped an explosive charge. The Ukrainian government has not commented. TANK TERMINAL UPDATE TANK TERMINAL UPDATE: ASIA PACIFIC Shandong Province, China Tangshan, China Manila, Philippines SINOPEC CNPC AG&P Products: LNG Products: LNG Products: LNG Capacity: 880,000 m3 Capacity: 640,000 m3 Capacity: 121,200 m3 Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: China’s National Development and Reform Commission has approved Sinopec’s Longkou LNG terminal at Yantai Port.It will cover an area of 84.5 ha and have four 220,000 m3 storage tanks, and a berth for ships with a capacity of up to 266,000 m3 of LNG. The terminal will have a transfer capacity of 6 million tpa and a gasification export capacity of 34 million m3 per day. Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has commissioned four new 160,000 m3 LNG tanks at its Tangshan LNG receiving terminal. The tanks can supply gas to an external pipeline. The terminal is now China’s largest domestic LNG receiving terminal, with eight tanks with a combined capacity of 1.28 million m3. Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: McDermott’s CB&I won contracts to build two 60,000 m3 full containment steel LNG tanks and a 1,200 m3 shopfabricated double wall LNG bullets at the Philippines LNG site. Pachpadra, India HPCL RAJASTHAN REFINERY Comment: CNPC says that the main part of the construction project achieved 8.06 million safe labour hours, with no safety incidents, environmental pollution incidents, or personal injuries. Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Chemie-Tech will build four new cryogenic double wall storage tanks at the refinery and associated facilities such as the vaporisation system and intank pumps, as well as the foundations, piping, electrical works. Comment: The work includes project management, residual process design, detailed design and engineering, procurement, construction, pre-commissioning and commissioning with single point responsibility of above ground, flat bottom, vertical, full containment type double wall storage tank. Kaohsiung Port, Taiwan South Korea J&PRIVATE EQUITY Products: Ethylene and propylene Capacity: 96,000 m3 Comment: CB&I expects to complete the mechanical work on the LNG bullet by Q1 2022, by Q3 2023 for the first LNG tank and by Q2 2024 for the second LNG tank. Products: Petroleum products Guangdong, China VOPAK Products: Petrochemicals Capacity: 560,000 m3 Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Huizhou QuanMei Petrochemical Terminal Co has awarded a contract to Vopak for storage and services for a new liquid product terminal to serve a new ‘world-scale’ flexible feed steam cracker project planned by ExxonMobil (Huizhou) Chemical Co (EMHCC) at Dayawan Petrochemical Industrial Park. Vopak will also provide services for the terminal and jetty through a separate, wholly owned entity. Comment: Vopak will own 30% of the terminal, including the pipelines connecting the terminal to the jetty and EMHCC plant. Investement: KRW 200 billion (€146.92 million) Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: J&Private Equity has bought a 90% stake in the oil terminals business of South Korean petroleum and refining company Hyundai Oilbank. Comment: Hyundai Oilbank will invest the proceeds in ‘eco-friendly future businesses’ including blue hydrogen and environmental chemicals. Qingdao, China SINOPEC Products: LNG Capacity: 320,000 m3 Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Stolthaven Terminals has signed a letter of intent with Taiwanese company Revivegen Environmental Technology to build a greenfield terminal in Kaohsiung Port. Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Sinopec has added two new 160,000 m3 LNG storage tanks to its Shandong LNG terminal in Qingdao, China. The new tanks, which complete the second phase of development at the terminal, take its total storage capacity to 594 million m3, and the terminal now has an annual transfer capacity in excess of 7 million tonnes. Comment: The terminal will be built at the new, reclaimed port. Comment: Sinopec achieved 1.66 million safe working hours during the project. STOLTHAVEN/REVIVEGEN Products: Chemicals and industrial gases PAGE 29 TANK TERMINAL UPDATE Andhra Pradesh, India Jiangsu, China Zhoushan, China CROWN LNG CNOOC YANTIAN PORT GROUP Products: LNG Products: LNG Products: Oil Capacity: 7.2 million tpa Capacity: 1.62 million m3 Capacity: 3.16 million m3 Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: The Indian subsidiary of Norway’s Crown LNG is to build an LNG terminal offshore Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, India, which will operate year-round, including through the monsoon season. It will be developed as a gravity-based structure that will sit on the seabed 11 km offshore and connect to existing mature pipeline infrastructure. Investment: CNY 6.1 billion (€784.4 million) Investment: RMB 5.89 billion (€740.6 million) Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: CNOOC has begun construction work on six new LNG tanks at its terminal in Binhai Port Industrial Park, each with a capacity of 270,000 m3. Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Yantian Port Group has bought 90% of the shares in Brightoil Petroleum’s Hong Kong division, including Zhoushan oil storage and terminal facilities. The terminal is still under development and once complete, will have 13 berths accommodating vessels ranging from 1,000 to 300,000 DWT. Comment: The FEED contract was awarded to Aker Solutions. Siemens Energy and Wärtsilä Gas Solutions will be the key subcontractors. Comment: Completion is expected by the end of 2023 and will take the total capacity of the terminal to 6 million tonnes. Kobe, Japan KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES Guangdong, China Products: Liquefied hydrogen Comment: Yantian Port Group will be responsible for any further construction costs, up to a limit of RMB 2.5 billion, with excess deducted from the overall price. The two companies will cooperate on construction. Capacity: 2,250 m3 CNOOC Products: LNG Capacity: 1.35 million m3 Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: CNOOC Gas and Power is adding five new 270,000 m3 storage tanks to its Zhuhai LNG terminal, doubling the processing capacity of terminal to 7 million tpa, in phase II of development works. The terminal currently has three storage tanks, each with a capacity of 160,000 m3. Comment: Phase II is expected to be operational by December 2023. Subic Bay, Philippines Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Kawasaki Heavy Industries has completed construction work on the world’s first liquefied hydrogen receiving terminal. Hy touch Kobe includes a spherical liquefied hydrogen storage tank and associated equipment such as a loading arm system. The tank has a double-shell vacuum-insulation structure and will store cryogenic liquefied at -253°C and one eighthundredth of its initial volume. Comment: Hy touch Kobe will be used in a subsidised demonstration of an international hydrogen energy supply chain, to transport liquefied hydrogen from Australia to Japan, being run by the CO2-free Hydrogen Energy Supplychain Technology Research Association (HySTRA) KIT/ MPIC Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Keppel Infrastructure Trust (KIT) and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) have bought Philippine Tank Storage International (Holdings) (PTSI), which owns the largest petroleum products import storage facility in the Philippines, including three tank farms and a marine terminal equating to approximately 36% of the total import terminal storage capacity in the Philippines. The tank farms and terminal cover a total area of 150 ha in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Comment: KIT hold 80% of PTSI’s shareholding, while MPIC holds 20%. PAGE 30 GULF OIL INTERNATIONAL Products: Marine lubricants Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Gulf Oil International has bought Ocean Tankers’ lubricant blending plant, storage tank farm, terminal facilities and wharf access in Tuas Port in Singapore. Gulf Oil, which is part of the Hinduja Group, will operate the site as a going concern. Comment: Ocean Tankers was placed under interim judicial management by the courts in 2020, along with several other companies owned by parent company Hin Leong Trading, which racked up large debts. Tianjin, China Products: Petroleum products Capacity: 6 million bbl Tuas Port, Singapore Shandong, China QINGDAO PORT Products: Crude oil Capacity: 1.04 million m3 Investment: CNY 1.31 billion (€167.3 million) Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Qingdao Port has taken a 51% stake in the Haiye oil terminal. The terminal operating company is currently owned by Haiye Petroleum, with a 40.8% interest, Leruite Investment with 49%, and Yiruiyuan Trading with 10.2%. Following the transaction, Haiye Oil Terminal will become a subsidiary of Qingdao Port. BEIJING GAS GROUP Products: LNG Capacity: 1.32 million m3 Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Beijing Gas Group (BGG) has signed a cooperation agreement with France’s GTT to build six additional 220,000 m3 LNG tanks at its Tianjin Nangang LNG terminal which will form phases II and III of development work. GTT is currently building two 220,000 m3 membrane full containment tanks for phase I. Comment: The terminal is being built as part of a technological partnership between France and China which began in November 2019. TANK TERMINAL UPDATE Subic, the Philippines PILIPINAS SHELL Products: Crude oil Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Shell’s subsidiary in the Philippines, Pilipinas Shell, has opened a new oil import terminal in Subic in the northwest of the Philippines which can receive 54 million L of products in one shipment. Protect your tanks LaBoratory tested to withstand 170,000A Impulse Current Comment: Together with its two existing terminals in the Philippines – Tabangao Terminal in Batangas and North Mindanao Import Facility in Cagayan de Oro City – Pilipinas Shell says it now has a ‘robust supply triangle’ better placed to respond to disruptions such as typhoons. Shanghai, China CNNC Products: LNG Capacity: 400,000 m3 Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: CNNC has commissioned two LNG tanks at the Shanghai LNG terminal, which will increase the storage capacity of the terminal by 80% and are the largest single capacity, shallow base LNG storage tanks in China. Henan Province, China CNOOC Products: LNG Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Chinese state oil company CNOOC is building two of six new LNG tanks at the Jiangsu Binhai LNG terminal as part of an expansion project for natural gas peak reduction. The two tanks each have a capacity of 270,000 m3 and will be operational in 2023. Comment: The tanks are being built under a new development model, under which regions with natural gas pipeline network interconnections are encouraged to invest in the construction of storage facilities outside of their regions to help open up new gas supplies in regions with high demand. Johor and Selangor, Malaysia FGV Products: Vegetable oil, basic chemicals Capacity: 35,600 tonnes Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: FGV has completed four tanks with a Dynamic Bypass Conductor www.critical-facility.com total capacity of 10,400 tonnes at its site in Pasir Gudang in Johor, two tanks with a total capacity of 5,200 tonnes at its site in Port Klang in Selangor and is building nine more with a total capacity of 20,000 tonnes in Tanjung Langsat, Johor. Comment: FGV’s bulking and storage subsidiary FGV Johor Bulkers (FJB) expanded into handling basic chemicals in 2019 and expects to handle 80,000 tpa at Tanjung Langsat. Weifang and Qingzhou, Shandong Province, China Ulsan, Korea ODFJELL SE Products: Alcohols, chemicals, acids, palm fat and lubricant oils Capacity: 313,710 m3 Investment: US$19 million (€15.6 million) Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Odfjell SE has reached an agreement to buy the 24.5% stake in Odfjell Terminals Korea (OTK) owned by US private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg. Odfjell now controls 50% of OTK’s shareholding. SHANDONG HONGRUN Products: Crude oil Capacity: 15.8 million m Odisha, India 3 Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Private Chinese refinery Shandong Hongrun Group will expand its facilities in Weifang and Qingzhou, by 20% in 2021, taking capacity to 15.8 million m3, the equivalent of nine days of Chinese oil imports. The expansion will help to meet growing demand from third parties. Comment: The Weifeng site currently has a capacity of 12.2 million m3, while the nearby Qingzhou site has a capacity of 800,000 m3. NUMALIGARH REFINERY LIMITED Products: Crude oil Investment: INR 220 billion (€256 million) Construction/Expansion/Acquisition: Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has signed an MoU with Paradip Port Trust (PPT) and the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) to allow work to begin to reclaim 81 ha of land for its new crude oil import terminal at Paradip Port. PAGE 31 PROFILE AEGIS VOPAK TERMINALS A LONG-TERM VISION FOR INDIA Vopak India managing director Deepak Dalvi discusses the company’s partnership with Aegis Logistics for LPG in India 01 VOPAK has been active in India since 2011, when it bought CRL Terminals at Kandla Port in Gujarat from a local operator, seeing the potential of the growing Indian market. The company owns two terminal sites in the country, a chemical terminal and a vegetable oils terminal, with a total capacity of 243,000 m3. Vopak is now a leading terminal services supplier in Gujarat, having invested steadily in the terminals since acquiring them. The terminals are wellconnected to jetties and equipped to handle specialised liquid cargoes and specialised chemicals. A NEW PARTNERSHIP Having entered the Indian market, Vopak was keen to expand in the country, and has been looking for partnerships with local firms to do so. It found just such a PAGE 32 partner in Indian gas, oil and chemical logistics firm Aegis Logistics, which owns and operates a network of LPG and chemical terminals in the country, in various strategic locations along India’s coastline. In July 2021, Vopak and Aegis Logistics announced the formation of Aegis Vopak Terminals, which would operate eight LPG and chemical storage terminals in five Indian ports – Kandla, Pipavav, Mangalore, Kochi and Haldia. Aegis Vopak Terminals will be the largest independent tank storage company for LPG by capacity in India, and one of India’s top three chemical storage companies. The eight terminals between them have a capacity of 960,000 m3, and as well as LPG and chemicals, can also store and handle vegetable oil. The partnership will target LPG, chemicals and industrial terminal opportunities. Tank Storage Magazine spoke to Vopak India managing director Deepak Dalvi to find out the motivation behind the new partnership. CHOOSING AEGIS Dalvi explains that Aegis has a proven track record of conceiving and executing tank farm assets in India, and that by combining forces with Aegis, Vopak will be able to strengthen its existing terminal network, creating economies of scale. The selection of Aegis as a partner had other motivations too. ‘We value a long-term partnership with Aegis as we share the same values and beliefs – high standards of conducting business professionally, and always putting safety and people first. We appreciate their commitment and agility, and how their team is always looking at ways to provide opportunities for its people, community and the environment. We are excited to be a partner of Aegis PROFILE AEGIS VOPAK TERMINALS and look forward to creating longer term value in this cooperation,’ he says. He says that the companies together will be able to further improve safety and sustainability standards, as well as creating a platform for growth via future greenfield and brownfield projects. The new partnership will be of ‘great strategic and commercial significance’ for both Vopak and Aegis, Dalvi says. THE GROWTH OF LPG A large proportion of households in India, especially in rural and poorer areas, still rely on traditional fuels such as firewood, dung, crop residue, coal and charcoal for cooking, in inefficient stoves that have been linked to serious localised air pollution and poor health, particularly among women and children who spend more time in the home. The Indian government is keen to promote the use of more modern, cleaner fuels, such as LPG, as a way to mitigate these significant problems. As such, the use of LPG in India is expected to increase in the coming years, and Aegis Vopak is well positioned to help meet rising demand. India is already the second largest LPG import market in the world, and is the largest growth market globally. It has the potential to more than double by 2036, providing significant opportunities inclusive and diverse culture is very close to his heart. ‘This means a culture where people have a seat and a voice, but also are treated in an equitable manner. Besides improving gender diversity, we are working on various initiatives to drive an inclusive culture for our diverse team to help them develop their full potential. This includes for example, inclusive leadership training and awareness initiatives,’ he says. complement the use of solar energy, Vopak has launched a pilot project in Singapore using flow batteries to store and supply green energy at industrial locations that are not connected to the grid,’ he says. Vopak continues to look at improving its operations from an environmental point of view. ‘Our ambition is to be the sustainability leader in our industry and live up to our purpose: storing vital products with care. To this end, we believe there are areas where we can create the most value for stakeholders and society as a whole by supporting the transition to better, lighter fuels and low-carbon energies, in providing a safe working environment, in preventing air, water and soil pollution, and in building resilient, sustainable infrastructure at ports around the world,’ says Dalvi. For more information: www.vopak.com THE FUTURE OF VOPAK IN ASIA AND BEYOND ‘This is an investment in a growth market and by joining forces with Aegis we aim to deliver growth over the next ten years in line with the new joint venture’s and India’s ambition for LPG,’ says Dalvi, adding: ‘The partnership is a strategic fit to India’s energy transition to cleaner fuels (LPG) in India.’ Dalvi explains that Vopak as a whole has a ‘long-term vision’ of the likely products and infrastructure that society will need, including the emergence of new energy systems. In Asia, Vopak is ideally positioned to take advantage of opportunities in flow batteries, hydrogen and ammonia. India is already the second largest LPG import market in the world, and is the largest growth market globally. It has the potential to more than double by 2036, which Dalvi says provides significant opportunities for LPG import terminals. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect industries in India, with knock-on effects for Aegis Vopak, which supplies them. However, in the long-term, Dalvi says that the business fundamentals and drivers for the partnership remain ‘strong and valid.’ ‘The energy mix is expected to shift towards cleaner and renewable sources with solar energy forecasted to gain a significant share of energy generation over the next decades. For example, to www.aegisindia.com 01 Aegis LPG terminal 02 Pipavav railway gantry 02 ‘These include population growth in India and increased urbanisation. We expect prosperity to increase, with the continued rise of the middle class, leading to higher consumption and increased demand for the products we handle,’ he says. INVESTING IN PEOPLE Aegis Vopak is not only focussed on business opportunities, it is also looking at the culture of the business. Diversity and inclusion are business buzzwords at the moment, but Aegis Vopak is serious about making sure the principles are central to operations. Dalvi says that the people in the organisation are the most important to him and that building an PAGE 33 PROFILE STOLTHAVEN AND REVIVEGEN LOCAL KNOWLEDGE MEETS GLOBAL PARTNERS Stolthaven Terminals president Guy Bessant tells Tank Storage Magazine about the company’s planned new terminal with Revivegen in Taiwan 01 STOLTHAVEN TERMINALS recently announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Taiwanese company Revivegen Environmental Technology to build a greenfield terminal in Kaohsiung Port, Taiwan. The terminal will mostly handle and store petrochemicals and industrial gases for Taiwan’s large industrial sector. Stolt-Nielsen, Stolthaven’s parent company, has had a presence in Taiwan since the early 1990s, on the shipping (Stolt Tankers) and isotank (Stolt Tank Containers) side of things, but does not have a terminal in the country. Tank Storage Magazine spoke to Stolthaven Terminals president Guy Bessant to find out more about the new venture. 02 Revivegen selected Stolthaven, which was an ideal company to approach, with its solid Asia Pacific experience – it has terminals in South Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand – and its parent company’s existing businesses in Taiwan. A GOOD LOCATION Asia as a whole is of particular interest to Stolthaven. Revivegen’s main business is recycling and process chemicals for the semiconductor industry, but the company saw an opportunity. ‘Asia remains a growth market and although we still expect to see substantial intercontinental trade from Europe, Middle East, South America and the US for chemicals, ethanol, petroleum, gases and bio-based products, we also expect to see growing intra-regional trade. Strong demand for chemicals will continue but we do also expect to see some countries focus on the energy transition including the hydrogen value chain – especially Korea and Japan which have government mandates,’ says Bessant. ‘The port of Kaohsiung is moving from the old port to a reclaimed new port. At least one of the terminals in that old port has decided not to relocate, which has created an opportunity for a new terminal in the new port to cater for demand. Revivegen was thinking of doing it themselves but then realised it would be prudent to bring in someone who has done it before,’ explains Bessant. Taiwan is ideally located to serve Japan, Korea, China and other Southeast Asian markets, one of a number of aspects making Revivegen’s proposal an attractive one. Taiwan is known primarily for its semiconductor and electronics industries, but it is a manufacturingdriven economy with an ever-increasing need for chemicals. With this existing industry, and its location, Bessant says A KNOWN COMPANY PAGE 34 that it has ‘all the basic fundamentals’ for business, helped by an entrepreneurial business culture. ‘Taiwan is one of those countries that often flies under the radar but when you investigate its GDP and its industries, it is quite a good place to invest,’ says Bessant, adding: ‘From a business opportunity perspective Taiwan is a good market. Its chemical industry is quite strong, both import and export.’ THE KAOHSIUNG TERMINAL Revivegen has secured an 11 ha plot of land in the new Kaohsiung Port, and together with Stolthaven, is working on a comprehensive feasibility study for the terminal, with a final investment decision expected by the end of 2022. ‘The first phase we think will be roughly 100,000 m3 – that’s the demand we’ve got flagged, based on the products we’re going to store. Depending on products and tank sizes, the land we have could allow us to roughly double the size of the terminal to 180,000 or 200,000 m3 total capacity,’ says Bessant. He says the terminal will be ‘fairly typical’, with products coming in by ship and leaving by truck and isotank for the local market, and coming in by truck and leaving in bulk via ships for the export market. There will be multiple jetties to PROFILE STOLTHAVEN AND REVIVEGEN cater for ship loading and discharge. The terminal will have drumming capability for customers who need to store products in the warehouse, and blending facilities. The terminal plans to offer heating and cooling and nitrogen blanketing where required. Stolthaven has a long-term target to be carbon neutral by 2040. Several of its sites are already buying renewable energy, and Stolthaven Singapore was the first terminal in that country to run on solar energy. Similar measures will be considered at Kaohsiung. Bessant says that the terminal’s activities will be split roughly 50:50 between bringing in bulk chemicals for local industry, and exporting chemicals produced in Taiwan to other places. Digitalisation is a big topic in tank storage and Stolthaven has a global project focussed on automation and Industry 4.0 to improve operational efficiency and safety. The company is trialling 3D scanning, using drones for inspections, and wearable technology for operators, with success. ‘It won’t be a pure distribution terminal. The two main Asia distribution hubs remain Ulsan and Singapore and we’ve got a presence in both of those, so we’ve got the distribution hubs covered. Singapore, for example, is a relatively small domestic market for chemicals, so Stolthaven Singapore services countries nearby. A 40,000 DWT Stolt ship will discharge into Singapore and then you’ll see smaller regional ships and isotanks coming out of the terminal supplying all the countries around Singapore,’ he says. ‘You could class the terminal in Taiwan as an in-country terminal.’ The partners hope to have the terminal up and running by 2023. In future it may also store bio-based chemicals, or products such as pyrolysis oil from plastic recycling. Bessant says that Revivegen’s expertise in chemical recycling may well play a part in any decisions in that direction. FUTURE PROOFING ‘The beauty of the greenfield site in Taiwan is that from the very beginning we can plan and future proof it,’ says Bessant. ‘This is on things like safety and automation, making sure that the latest technology is installed. Also, sustainability is a big topic, so we’ll be making sure it’s designed with what will become a bigger focus area. This includes things like energy use and emissions and wastewater.’ ‘Because of COVID, we’ve accelerated the use of wearables, including a headset like a VR headset. We had some engineering work being done in Moerdijk, and the engineer who would usually come was trapped in the UK and couldn’t travel over. So, we got one of the headsets by Microsoft and someone went out wearing it. Because it was Microsoft, it links to Teams and this allowed the engineer in the UK to say: ‘look in that direction so I can look at this,’ and then could look at it on his screen,’ says Bessant. ‘We are now developing this terminal in Taiwan, when I can’t physically get there and a lot of our engineers can’t get there. We’re having to be very innovative with technology.’ Stolthaven is also developing handheld systems, allowing operators to move away from paper and clipboards. The devices show checklists and work orders. ‘It’s very much real-time, so if someone has just loaded a truck and he or she does a tick on that handheld device, the system will automatically show that the order has loaded centrally, rather than in the old days when someone with a clipboard and a piece of paper had to trudge over to an office and hand over the paperwork and then someone else had to key it into a computer and all that sort of stuff,’ says Bessant. Many of Stolthaven’s customers want supply chain visibility, and the new terminal will be able to show real-time inventories and even connect to customer systems with electronic data interchange (EDI). ‘We always use the analogy that if you buy something today online, pretty much instantaneously you can see where it is, whether it’s still in the shop or if it’s going to be arriving in an hour at your house. The bulk liquid market is a laggard in that regard. You generally know when you’ve loaded a product and you know roughly where it is somewhere in the world and it might arrive at a rough date but you don’t really have much visibility,’ says Bessant. There may be opportunities to develop a complete digital ecosystem with the Kaohsiung Port Authority, with all terminals providing information centrally to allow for better planning. FURTHER EXPANSION The expansion into Taiwan is just part of an ongoing growth for Stolthaven, helped by its sister companies. ‘We have similar products and customers to the other business units. Synergy is a word that can be too often used but there are synergies sometimes between a customer who ships with us and who stores with us. In Taiwan we do see Kaohsiung as a major port call for Stolt Tankers,’ says Bessant. While the Taiwan opportunity was ‘fortuitous’, Stolthaven is still actively looking for further opportunities. ‘We are looking at expansion of existing terminals and new terminals as well, not just in Asia but also globally. Anywhere that customers ask us to build a terminal, or partner with us, then we’ll approach that, or in markets where we see existing or future strong chemical demand. That might be in developing countries – most of them lack the infrastructure at the moment for bulk chemical terminals and opportunities exist there,’ says Bessant. 03 For more information: www.stolt-nielsen.com/en/ourbusinesses/stolthaven-terminals www.revivegen.com.tw 01 Guy Bessant 02 Stolthaven Moerdijk 03 The eastern tank farm at Houston, US, Stolthaven’s largest wholly-owned terminal PAGE 35 The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip Why Should i join The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip? Why Should i join The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip? We offer you privileged access and visibility to senior decision makers in the tank storage industry through We offer you privileged andinclude: visibility to senior decision makers in the tank storage industry through our events, publications and meetings. Specificaccess benefits Why Should i join The FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip? our events, publications and meetings. Specific benefits include: Why Should i join The Supplier pArTnerShip? We offer you privileged access and visibility to senior makers in theour tank storage industry through Why Should i joindecision The FeTSA FeTSA Supplier pArTnerShip? neTWorking: One complimentary ticket to attend Annual FETSA Conference and neTWorking: One complimentary ticket to attend our Annual FETSA Conference and our events, publications and meetings. Specific benefits include: We offer you privileged access andvisibility visibility to senior decision makers in theinspeakers tank storage industry through WHY SHOULD I JOIN SUPPLIER PARTNERSHIP? Dinner exclusively dedicated toTHE FETSA members, conference and high level offer you privileged access and toFETSA senior decision makers the tank storage industry through WHO SHOULD JOIN? WeAGM AGM Dinner exclusively dedicated to FETSA members, conference speakers and high lev our events, publications and meetings. 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Federation of European Tank Storage Associations · Competition law must· All be applications respected. for Supplier Partnership are subject to approval the FETSA Executive Committee, MARKET ANALYSIS CHINA COVID-19 IN CHINA – ONE YEAR ON China’s economy weathered the COVID-19 storm but there are still pressures to face CHINA’S BOUNCEBACK from the pandemic shocks of early 2020 was one of the few economic success stories of last year. This year, however, the world’s second largest economy has rattled global financial markets as long-running worries about the huge debts amassed by its commercial sector crystallised around the woes of Evergrande, the cash-strapped Chinese property giant. It became clear in recent months that the Shenzen-headquartered conglomerate would struggle to meet deadlines on bond interest payments totalling tens of millions of dollars. With some analysts estimating that China’s bloated property sector accounts for up to 25% of GDP, the Evergrande saga triggered fears about contagion not only in the Chinese property market but also the wider global financial system. As of early October 2021, the jury was still out on whether Evergrande was ‘too big to fail’ or whether Beijing would step in to protect homeowners while denying the company a bailout in order to underscore its commitment to rein in corporate debt. One thing is certain: the crisis has exposed some of the longstanding fault lines in China’s previously impregnable growth. on electricity use and rising prices for commodities and production bottlenecks. Indeed, the convergence of rocketing coal and gas prices, climate targets, tight energy supplies and an impending Northern Hemisphere winter has created what Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst for Asia Pacific at OANDA, calls a ‘toxic cocktail for China’. And, as Halley points out, where goes China, so goes Asia. ‘If China factories are closing and reducing production, less resources will logically be required,’ he says, noting that the situation, if unresolved, will be another choke point in already stretched global supply chains. Beijing has ordered its state-backed companies to secure energy supplies no matter the cost, a move that means other parts of the world could well see further issues securing energy supply: natural gas prices in the UK and continental Europe have hit a series of record highs in recent weeks on the prospect of a shortage of supplies this winter, with Asia’s growing demand for the fuel one of the key factors. LNG cargoes, the main source of gas competition between Europe and Asia, recently hit a record high as buyers scrambled to secure shipments, with buyers in Asia prepared to pay a premium to lock-in cargos. A TOXIC COCKTAIL It’s not just Evergrande that has sent shockwaves through global markets. In September, China’s factory activity contracted for the first time since the pandemic shuttered plants in February 2020. The retreat in activity came amid an energy crunch that saw curbs BETTING BIG ON LNG The country has been splurging on LNG infrastructure. Recent months have seen China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) commission four new 160,000 m3 LNG tanks at its Tangshan LNG receiving terminal taking combined capacity to 1.28 million m3. Chinese state oil company Sinopec has added two new 160,000 m3 LNG storage tanks to its Shandong LNG terminal in Qingdao to complete the second phase of development at the terminal to take its total storage capacity to 594 million m3, which it says will ‘lay a solid foundation for ensuring the stable supply of natural gas in North China this winter and next spring’. The third phase of Shandong LNG will take the total capacity of the terminal to 14 million tonnes, making it the largest receiving terminal in China by the end of 2022. Chinese state oil company CNOOC has begun construction on six new LNG tanks at its terminal in Binhai Port Industrial Park, Jiangsu, each with capacity of 270,000 m3 . These ultra-large tanks will be completed by the end of 2023. Analysts see these investments as key to ensuring China has the long term energy supplies to meet growing demand while also working towards the energy transition by ensuring the capacity to import ever greater quantities of LNG. ‘I think China will do whatever it takes to manage the energy crisis the country is facing and stop prices spiralling out of control. Whether it will be enough, is another thing, but as we’ve seen today with their orders to state-owned energy companies to buy at any cost, they are ready and willing,’ says Craig Erlam, senior market analyst, UK & EMEA at OANDA. ‘The leadership will always do whatever it takes to also protect growth so if we do see a slowdown this winter as PAGE 37 MARKET ANALYSIS CHINA a result of the energy crisis, or a slump in the property market, I imagine that will be followed by a loosening of the purse strings to stimulate growth and achieve its targets.’ OIL: HEATING UP The country’s appetite for LNG, however, has yet to displace its oil habit, which rebounded with alacrity once the country re-opened for business last year. ‘China’s oil demand came out of the pandemic shock faster and better than that of any other large economy thanks to the initial and continuous success at containing the spread of the virus,’ says Claudio Galimberti, senior vice president of analysis, Rystad Energy. ‘Of the four transportation sectors, three have been back to almost normal levels for more than a year (passenger road transport, commercial road transport and maritime) while only aviation is still well below normal.’ With none of the stationary sectors (petrochemical, industrial, buildings, agriculture and non-energy use) particularly affected by the pandemic, Galimberti expects China’s oil demand ‘to be back on its normal positive growth trajectory in 2022’. According to the Oslo-based consultancy, China’s aggregate demand was 13.175 million bpd in 2019, slowing to 13.574 million bpd in 2020, and this year it will beat 14.419 million bpd, before rising to 15 million bpd in 2022. Indeed, the Oslo-based consultancy is bullish about the outlook for the Chinese economy despite the recent headwinds, forecasting GDP growth of 8.2% in 2021, partly as a result of the rebound from the 2.3% of pandemic-hit 2020, and a more normal 5.4% next year. China’s recovery against a backdrop of straitened supply has helped drive the recent rally in world oil prices, which topped US$80 a barrel in the last week of September, their highest level in three years. Analysts believe that oil prices will continue to rise amid surging demand and tight supplies, with Goldman Sachs predicting a benchmark Brent price of US$90 before the end of the year. This inevitably adds further inflationary pressures on manufacturers and global supply chains. In what was widely seen as a move to take some of the heat out of the market, China has auctioned off some of its brimming strategic petroleum reserve (SPR), which was topped up during the oil price slump of 2020. Analysts at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie think the country’s total SPR capacity is around 330 million bbl, with a current utilisation rate of 75%. With the inaugural auction expected to release 7.3 million bbl, about PAGE 38 half a day’s consumption, it’s unlikely to have a material impact on global crude markets. ‘While the impact of China’s virgin SPR auction on global markets may be small, it does signal a major shift in how China likes to employ its SPR and potentially influence the behaviours of key suppliers,’ said WoodMac senior consultant Alex Sun. It’s a new strategy for China and one that is likely to keep market watchers on their toes. ZERO TOLERANCE Looking ahead, there are downside risks for the Chinese economy, such as the still to be resolved Evergrande crisis and the potential disruption of further COVID-19 outbreaks in China. However, Rystad Energy’s Galimberti says he ‘expects the authorities to manage these risks successfully’. Indeed, even as Western economies claim to have tamed the virus through vaccination and are prepared to let infections run through their populations at high levels, China shows no signs of backing down from its zero-COVID stance. In June 2021, COVID-19 infections meant suspended operations at shipping hubs in southern China, including Shenzen and Guangzhou, and in August, the country shut down a key terminal at its Ningbo-Zhoushan port, the third busiest in the world, after a single worker tested positive. Despite having vaccinated more than 1 billion people, China is not easing off its maximum suppression strategy, having recently built a vast complex of quarantine rooms to keep the virus from breaching its borders. This pro-active response has yielded positive economic impacts, say analysts – not just at home. ‘We believe China’s aggressive policy against Covid to have had positive knock-on effects on the supply chain,’ says Galimberti. ‘If China had been less successful at taming the outbreaks in its territories, the global supply chain hiccups would have been far more frequent and deeper than what we have had so far experienced.’ WINDS OF CHANGE Looming over all of this, of course, is the energy transition. Based on current policies that will bust the Paris Agreement’s upper limit of 2˚C warming, analysts at Wood Mackenzie expect the longer term oil and gas demand outlook for Asia to remain robust, with the region’s oil demand only peaking in the mid-2030s and gas demand growth continuing to power ahead through to 2050. Should more aggressive policies be implemented to meet the 2˚C threshold, then Asia’s China’s recovery against a backdrop of straitened supply has helped drive the recent rally in world oil prices oil demand would fall to about half of pre-pandemic levels over the same timeframe. Gas demand, however, will prove more resilient largely due to extensive coal-to-gas switching in Asia, which means those newly built LNG terminals look a good long term bet. Beijing has committed to carbon neutrality by 2060 and is pouring money into renewables. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, China built more new wind farms in 2020 than the whole world combined built in 2019 while Wood Mackenzie’s China wind power outlook 2021-2030 points out that a targeted grid-connected wind capacity of 689 GW by the end of 2030 represents 67% of the global share. Eventually, wind, solar and other projects will erode oil demand. ‘China’s oil demand will continue to grow for the next 10 years, peaking at 17.4 million bpd in 2031, from 14.5 million bpd in 2021,’ says Galimberti of Rystad Energy. ‘Yet in the 2030s, strong EV penetration in the automotive sectors and decarbonisation policies in the other sectors will surely exert increasing downward pressure on oil demand. By 2040, we expect China’s oil demand to be back to 2021 levels in our mean scenario.’ China’s experts are more ambitious about the country’s energy transition, with Sinopec’s acting chairman Ma Yongsheng predicting oil consumption will peak in 2026 at about 16 million bpd and natural gas by 2040. He believes oil will shift eventually to become a raw material for chemicals rather than fuel. The top Asian refiner said it plans to ‘forcefully promote’ green growth of its refining and petrochemical business, accelerating the transition from oil to chemicals and boosting production of high-end materials. Whether this will be enough to reign in emissions sufficiently to head off the worst impacts of climate change will remain to be seen. For now, the pressures are shorter term: keeping the lights on and keeping a lid on inflation. China’s success in addressing these will have implications for us all. For more information: This article was written by Amy McLellan, freelance writer, editor and author. International Operating Conference & Trade Show 2 0 2 2 June 13-15 Houston // TX Make Plans Now! TO ATTEND THE LIQUID TERMINAL INDUSTRY’S LARGEST EVENT! • Dynamic keynote speakers • In-depth conference sessions • World class networking • Largest industry trade show • Valuable training workshops WWW. ILTA.O R G MARKET ANALYSIS ASIAN CRUDE MARKETS ASIA TO REMAIN A GROWING SINK FOR THE CRUDE MARKET FGE’s Grayson Lim reports on the trends in Asia’s crude markets Header: Market analysis | Asian crude markets Headline: Asia to Remain a Growing Sink for the Crude Market Standfirst: FGE’s Grayson Lim reports on the trends in Asia’s crude markets The rapid economic development in Asia has resulted in strong oil demand growth in recent decades. In tandem with this, close to 13.3 million bpd of refining capacity was added during 2010-2020. Despite the current subdued state of refining business largely due to the COVID-19 crisis, around 3.1 million bpd of refining capacity is expected to come on stream in Asia by 2025. Most of these projects started construction before the onset of the pandemic. China has been leading the refining capacity growth in Asia and will continue doing so in the coming economic 2025. these projects started years. In fact,THE by theRAPID end of 2021, Chinadevelopment is expected to overtake the Most US asof the country with the most in Asia has resulted inMoreover, strong oilthree new mega construction before1.2 themillion onsetbpd of the amount of installed refining capacity. refineries totaling are growth in recent decades. In in Asia, refinery pandemic. expecteddemand to be brought online by 2023. Elsewhere expansions will contribute to the tandem with this,capacity close toin13.3 million bpd growing crude processing the region. China has been leading the refining of refining capacity was added during capacity growth in Asia and will continue 2010-2020. Despite the current subdued doing so in the coming years. In fact, of refining business largely due to IMPORTstate DECLINE AND RECOVERY by the end of 2021, China is expected the COVID-19 crisis, around to overtake the US as the country with The growth in Asian crude demand has far exceeded incremental production, resulting in the widening 3.1 million bpd of refining capacity is the most amount of installed refining of the regional deficit in recent crude expected to come on years. streamAsia’s in Asia by and condensate production are on a downward trajectory due to declining output from mature oil fields. Although considerable investments have been made (particularly in China, India, and Australia) to boost production, they are insufficient to arrest the decline in production. Therefore, Asia will remain a growing sink for the crude market. 01 Asia Crude Imports 26 25 24 mmb/d 23 22 21 20 19 18 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021* *2021 imports are estimates Source: FGE In 2020, Asia’s crude imports posted the first year-on-year (y-o-y) decline in close to 20 years as the region was battered by the slump in oil product demand amid the COVID-19 crisis. Like other regions, PAGE 40 capacity. Moreover, three new mega refineries totaling 1.2 million bpd are expected to be brought online by 2023. Elsewhere in Asia, refinery expansions will contribute to the growing crude processing capacity in the region. IMPORT DECLINE AND RECOVERY The growth in Asian crude demand has far exceeded incremental production, resulting in the widening of the regional deficit in recent years. Asia’s crude and condensate production are on a downward trajectory due to declining output from mature oil fields. Although considerable investments have been made (particularly in China, India, and Australia) to boost production, they are insufficient to arrest the decline in production. Therefore, Asia will remain a growing sink for the crude market. In 2020, Asia’s crude imports posted the first year-on-year (y-o-y) decline in close to 20 years as the region was battered by the slump in oil product demand amid the COVID-19 crisis. Like other regions, Asian refiners reduced crude runs to prevent product inventories from hitting tank tops. As a result, Asia’s crude imports fell by 1.0 million bpd y-o-y to a tad below 24.0 million bpd in 2020. Asia’s crude imports fell by 1.0 million bpd y-o-y to a tad below 24.0 million bpd in 2020. 20 So C 20 ut hi h na Si Ko ng re a a M por al e ay s Ja ia A pa N us n ew tr Z ali Ph eal a ili an pp d in Ta es iw kb/d a O n th B er ru Vi ne et i Th nam ai Pa lan k d In ist do an ne si a In di 20 a 21 * kb/d Although there were expectations that Asian refiners would raise crude imports in 2021 as oil demand recovers, inflows fell further to 23.6 million bpd this year. A slowdown in stockpiling activities in China MARKET ANALYSIS ASIAN CRUDE MARKETS (due to high oil prices and a strong backwardation in the crude time structure), as well as reduced refinery runs in several countries due to a COVID-19 resurgence, has limited an increase in crude imports. Refinery closures played a part as well. economics. However, some cargoes were also meant to replace lost sanctioned 02 Asian refiners reduced crude runs to prevent product inventories from hitting tank tops. As a result, Change in Crude Imports by Country barrels (i.e. Iranian volumes) even though Asia’s crude imports fell by 1.0 million bpd y-o-y to a tad below 24.0 million bpd in 2020. they are not a one-to-one match in terms ofraise quality. Asian refiners are generally Although there were expectations that Asian refiners would crude imports in 2021 as oil demand 24,000 -412 getting more comfortable processing recovers, inflows fell further to 23.6 million bpd this year. A slowdown in stockpiling in activities in China more US grades. 23,900 (due to high oil prices and a strong backwardation in the crude time structure), as well as reduced Meanwhile,has diversification efforts byin crude refinery runs in several countries due to a COVID-19 resurgence, limited an increase 23,800 governments to reduce reliance on imports. Refinery closures played a part as well. 23,700 Middle Eastern volumes have seen both 181 Indian and South Korean refiners showing -55 23,600 Change in Crude Imports byinterest Country more in processing lighter US -42 crude grades. In fact, South Korean -41 23,500 -33 53 government has been offering freight 24,000 -412 -29 23,400 -14 incentives for crude imports from other 6 15 22 -8 -5 4 5 23,900 regions. South Korea has a free trade 23,300 agreement with the US, which allows 23,800 refiners to import US crude without tax (typically 3% on crude imports). 23,700 Considering the above, the181 share of light-sweet grade imports will continue -42 -41 23,500 to increase in the coming years. Asia’s -33Source: FGE 53 development pursuit for petrochemical -29 23,400 22 -14 4 15 upside to light-sweet will also 5see6some Asia’s crude imports should recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, in line with the recovery in-8oil -5 Although there were expectations that Asia’s imports 23,300crude product demand. After drawing down on its crude inventories, China will likely resume stockpiling crudes, which will yield a higher volume of Asian refiners would raise crude imports activities (albeit lower level). In addition, start-up (or restart) several grassroots naphtha compared to the heavier grades. should recover toofprein 2021 asat oilademand recovers, inflows the expected refineries next year will support crude imports. Rongsheng’s 400 kb/cd Phase 2 project and That said, Middle Eastern grades will fell further to 23.6 million bpd this year. pandemic levels in 2022, Shenghong’s 320 kb/cd refinery will be commissioned in China, while Petronas will restart its 279 remain the baseload feedstock for Asian A slowdown in stockpiling activities refineries*2021 in theimports long term, given the kb/cd RAPID Malaysia. are estimates in line with the recovery in in Chinarefinery (due toin high oil prices and a proximity between the two regions. Also, strong backwardation in the crude oil product demand. After most refineries in Asia are configured time structure), as well as reduced Source: FGE to run predominantly on medium-sour refinery runs in several countries due drawing down on its crude CRUDE SOURCES Asia’s crude imports should recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, in line with the recovery in oil crude grades. to a COVID-19 resurgence, has limited inventories, China will likely product demand. After drawing down on its crude inventories, China will likely resume stockpiling increase in crude imports. Of thean23.6 million bpd of crude Refinery imported in 2021, medium-sour grades from the Middle East (albeit at East a lower level).the In addition, the expected start-up (or restart) of several grassroots closures played a part accounted for more than halfasofwell. total inflows.activities While the Middle remains top crude-supplying resume stockpiling For more information: refineries next year will support crude imports. Rongsheng’s 400 kb/cd Phase 2 project and region Asia’s to Asia, its share hasshould declined from to 60.9% in 2016 to 54.2% in 2021. crude imports recover Grayson is aPetronas senior oilwill market analyst Shenghong’s 320 kb/cd refinery will be commissioned in China, Lim while restart its 279 pre-pandemic levels in 2022, in line with at FGE. This isthe a result of several factors. Prolonged OPEC+ production cuts has led to lower Middle Eastern kb/cd RAPID refinery in Malaysia. recovery in oil product demand. After decline in Asian crude imports, US crude crude exports Asia.onMoreover, some Asian refiners (e.g. South Korea and India) have been looking www.fgenergy.com drawingto down its crude inventories, inflows have increased by some to diversify cruderesume supply stockpiling sources away from the Middle East. Chinatheir will likely 100,000 bpd y-o-y to around activities (albeit at a lower level). In 1.3 million bpd in so far in 2021. The CRUDE SOURCES addition, the expected start-up (or bulkby of the arrivals comprise light-sweet Asia Crude Imports Region restart) of several grassroots refineriesOf the 23.6 million of crude in 2021, medium-sour grades from the Middle East grades suchbpd as West Texasimported Intermediate next year will support crude imports. accounted(WTI) for more than half of total inflows. While the Middle and Eagle Ford. 01 AsiaEast cruderemains imports the top crude-supplying Rongsheng’s 400,000 bpd Phase 2 region to Asia, its share has declined from 60.9% in 2016 to 54.2% in 2021. 02 Change in crude imports by country US crudes typically find their way into project and Shenghong’s 320,000 bpd Asian refineries on favourable arbitrage 03 Asia crude imports cuts has ledbytoregion lower Middle Eastern refinery will be commissioned in China,This is a result of several factors. Prolonged OPEC+ production while Petronas will restart its 279,000 crude exports to Asia. Moreover, some Asian refiners (e.g. South Korea and India) have been looking bpd RAPID refinery in Malaysia. to diversify their crude supply sources away from the Middle East. -55 are estimates *2021 imports 20 So C 20 ut hi h na Si Ko ng re a a M por al e ay s Ja ia A pa N us n ew tr Z ali Ph eal a ili an pp d in Ta es iw a O n th B er ru Vi ne et i Th nam ai Pa lan k d In ist do an ne si a In di 20 a 21 * 23,600 CRUDE SOURCES Of the 23.6 million bpd of crude imported in 2021, medium-sour grades from the Middle East accounted for more than half of total inflows. While the Middle East remains the top crude-supplying region to Asia, its share has declined from 60.9% in 2016 to 54.2% in 2021. This is a result of several factors. Prolonged OPEC+ production cuts has led to lower Middle Eastern crude exports to Asia. Moreover, some Asian refiners (e.g. South Korea and India) have been looking to diversify their crude supply sources away from the Middle East. Also, Asian refiners are purchasing more volumes from the US. Despite the overall 03 100% 80% 60% Asia Crude Imports by Region 4.2% 2.8% 5.1% 7.8% 5.9% 7.8% 5.8% 7.4% 6.5% 8.2% 5.1% 6.5% 8.1% 5.7% 6.1% 7.3% 15.0% 15.3% 13.8% 10.3% 13.2% 14.8% 13.5% 11.0% 11.6% 11.7% 10.3% 10.6% 60.9% 57.9% 57.4% 55.1% 53.5% 54.2% 2016 2017 Middle East FSU 40% 20% 0% 2018 Africa North America 2019 Asia Pacific Europe 2020 2021 Latin America Source: Vortexa Also, Asian refiners are purchasing more volumes from the USA. Despite the overall decline in Asian crude imports, US crude inflows have increased by some 100 kb/d y-o-y to around 1.3 million bpd in so far in 2021. The bulk of the arrivals comprise light-sweet grades such as West Texas Intermediate PAGE 41 (WTI) and Eagle Ford. US crudes typically find their way into Asian refineries on favourable arbitrage economics. However, some cargoes were also meant to replace lost sanctioned barrels (i.e., Iranian volumes) even though PROFILE WOMEN IN TANKS | ALLISON NEWELL THE ROUTE TO INCLUSION IS NOT EXCLUSION Allison Newell explains the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the tools and approaches needed for a truly diverse workplace DR ALLISON NEWELL is an environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) consultant with her own consultancy ESGenuine. She works with a number of tank terminal companies, and others, helping them to improve their corporate social responsibility programmes. ‘I give advice on all seven major facets of non-financial CSR and CSR reporting options but I have a real particular passion for health and safety. I believe that a safe and healthy work environment is a fundamental right of every employee. I’ve got some customers where I do the whole CSR package and others where the focus is for now primarily on health and safety. I go in do an assessment for them, let them know what their status is, and put together a plan for them. They either run with that plan themselves or I help them with implementation,’ she says. Her varied career has given her great experience. A DRIVE FOR CHANGE Following a PhD in chemistry, Newell realised that academia wasn’t for her and began to investigate her options. ‘By chance I entered Rio Tinto. I wanted to stay where I was living at the time and I just went into the library, because that’s what you did in those days, and just looked up what companies were in that area. A company called Borax was there, which was part of Rio Tinto, and I 01 applied and I got the job. I spent 17 years in Rio Tinto. I originally started in an environmental function looking at arsenic pollution in its mines and gradually did more collaborative research projects looking at novel products in detergents, wood preservation, ceramics and also conducted some blue skies work developing molecules to advance cures for cancer,’ she remembers. Many were patented. Her diverse experience led her to be selected as a change agent for a management of change programme Rio Tinto Borax was starting, following high profile exposés by NGOs such as Greenpeace on the company. Following the roll-out of management of change courses, Borax introduced health, safety, environmental, community engagement, and disaster management and recovery standards. Newell ‘naturally’ rolled into Rio Tinto’s health and safety team. After moving to Holland to get married, Newell continued to work in Rio Tinto until 2007 when she was headhunted by a Dutch family-owned international company, Mourik, to be head of health and safety there. She remembers this period as being extremely dynamic and she learnt a lot. She was then headhunted by LBC Tank Terminals in 2014, originally as the health, safety and environmental director. However, Newell persuaded the then CEO of the company that it needed a more holistic CSR approach, and she became the CSR director. ‘LBC at that time had nothing to do with corporate social responsibility so I set up a three-to-five year road map on how to actually achieve a responsible organisation and sustainability reporting,’ she says. ‘One of the greatest success stories at that time was the holistic approach and the team work between in particular the HR director and the IT director, and the fact that the then CFO was a proponent of integrated sustainability reporting. I was also really fortunate because I employed Martin Hoogenraad as CSR manager in my team and he was an absolute joy to work with.’ The company’s first sustainability report wast published just after Newell left LBC to set up ESGenuine, but she says it was ‘really nice’ to see it come out, based on what she and the team had set up. The environmental part of CSR/ESG is obviously vital for society, but Newell believes that the ‘social’ part of ESG is all too often forgotten, and she emphasises the importance of really investing in people and the workforce. This has driven her interest in diversity and health and safety. ‘What I think is really important is investing in people. One thing I’m asked about a lot is equality. Equality is for everybody and we need to take the bias out of business so that everyone has an equal chance to perform and to help society,’ Newell says. SEXISM AND BIAS Workplace sexism is all too common and Newell says she has been on the receiving end of discrimination many PAGE 42 PROFILE WOMEN IN TANKS | ALLISON NEWELL times. She was once passed over for a dream opportunity in the US because as a young widow with a new baby it was assumed she wouldn’t be able to do the job, and the job was given to a childless male colleague. While she concedes that the discrimination likely came from a position of goodwill, assumptions were made about her without anyone thinking to ask her about it. The workplace culture in certain companies, particularly at executive level, is still geared to the ‘old boy network’. Too often, Newell has been in meetings where the men were off playing golf, or similar, all weekend, and made business decisions without including everyone else at the table. She has also seen situations where a senior female who got on well with the male CEO was widely assumed to be having an affair with him, rather than it being recognised that she was highly competent. A male colleague, who also got on very well with the CEO, was simply assumed to be good at his job. Newell warns, however, of the danger of women being too sensitive. Various media and social media frenzies have drawn attention to minorities being discriminated against by the stereotypical sexist ‘white male’. ‘It should not be the go-to that any challenge of a woman’s competences is rooted in sexism; often it is simply constructive feedback,’ she believes. The issue can be a complicated one. ‘Sexism definitely exists and you can feel it, but it is not always tangible, making it difficult to address. If someone’s trying to touch you in the lift or makes a very inappropriate sexist comment that’s very clear, but often it is far more subtle,’ she says, adding: ‘I think the way forward is training and the creation of an open culture to give people the tools to deal with situations that make them uncomfortable.’ MAKING EVERYONE COMFORTABLE Many workplaces have a bit of ‘banter’ and teasing, which inevitably can sometimes stray in to sexist or biased territory, but Newell doesn’t believe this always comes from a bad place and as such, that it necessarily needs to be stamped out altogether. ‘In my last position we had a really good laugh, but I did address the all-male group once to ask if there was anyone in the group who was uncomfortable with the way we had our banter. I also addressed it one-on-one to make sure I really understood correctly. In a group everyone will say that they are fine but actually when you talk to them one-on-one they might admit to being uncomfortable. At the time, all of them looked quite relieved that little bit of banter and fun was still possible,’ she says. However, making sure that everyone is indeed comfortable and feels safe is important, and if not, something must be done. She acknowledges that there is a fine line that can be crossed, and that when this is the case, that it does need to be addressed and in her opinion, the higher up the ladder you go, the more difficult the challenge becomes. AUTHENTICITY REQUIRED While the workplace is undoubtedly becoming much more diverse, Newell is concerned that it is not coming from a place of authenticity. ‘I think it’s coming from a position of fear, which I’m not sure is actually going to promote a good culture ultimately. You see people discussing quotas or that you have to have females in the industry because there’ll be fines if they don’t, or customers will frown,’ she says. So-called ‘positive discrimination’ is not the answer for improving diversity. The week before the interview with Tank Storage Magazine, Newell was contacted by a headhunter for a new position. She had the required skills, but the headhunter’s primary reason for choosing Newell was her gender. ‘I would hate to be taken on in a company because the driving factor was that they were looking for a woman. You’re always then going to be the token female. You’re going to get in there and everyone, men and women, are going to think that the company only took you on because they couldn’t take on a man because they had to get the percentage of women up. That’s what I mean by it’s not a place of authenticity. It should be the right person with the right skills doing the right job,’ she says. the balance in society. Newell has often been asked to run women-only groups, but she has always resisted, believing that the problem of sexism needs to be tackled by everyone. ‘I think if you want to improve inclusion it’s a very strange way to do it by setting up a group only for women in an organisation, where you then exclude men or people who identify as not being women,’ she says. ‘I’ve never thought the route to inclusion is exclusion.’ One of the best ways to tackle the problem of unbalanced teams right at the beginning is for workplaces to anonymise the application process. Unconscious biases, for example the tendency for like to choose like, often mean that a recruiter/employer will pick a Peter over a Janet or a Jan over an Abdullah, for example, while an older person might be rejected as being too expensive or just too close to retirement, or perhaps rejected based on where they live and so on. ‘You can make assumptions about someone before the CV has even had a proper review. I think that’s a really critical part of it,’ she says. ‘I’m really in favour of a situation whereby a reliable partner removes all personal identifying features from the CV and just leaves the education, competences, and work experiences. Take away the bias initially and then everyone can turn up for an interview based on skills alone, and have the chance to tell their story and make a good impression.’ The key is often training and an open culture, Newell believes. Employees at all levels in a company should have unconscious bias training, so that they understand any prejudiced behaviours which they are not aware of, and a culture that allows them to speak freely and challenge these behaviours. When bias can be discussed in an open and nonthreatening way, then we will see a truly equal workplace for all. MINIMISING BIAS Newell thinks that there are a couple of relatively easy ways to tackle bias and ensure a workplace that better reflects 01 Allison Newell PAGE 43 TECHNICAL NEWS TECHNICAL NEWS: GLOBAL INDUSTRY UPDATES Adler and Allan ADLER AND ALLAN OFFERS NEW SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES way on achieving net-zero; and using our expertise in energy, fuel, waste, water and ecology to help others to make the world a little better than it was yesterday.’ Environmental risk reduction company Adler and Allan has launched new sustainability services and strategies for customers, and hired a new sustainability manager to lead its green efforts. Dan Ellis, the new sustainability manager, will work to embed sustainability principles with Adler and Allan’s growth strategy. Ellis was previously the principal sustainability consultant at Delta Simons and has experience in sustainability, carbon reduction and ESG with some of the world’s largest manufacturers, retailers, technology companies and investment funds. The new services will help customers to understand their environmental impact, decarbonise operations and work towards a sustainable future. They include net-zero strategies and action plans, carbon offsetting, streamlined energy and carbon reporting (SECR), energy audits, transport audits, Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and non-financial disclosures, and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). Adler and Allan has recently launched a sustainability tool which allows users to estimate the carbon emissions of a project. It can show the CO 2 emissions associated with all activities required in a project, allowing clients to select from at least two remedial options; one being a reduced carbon alternative. The environmental consultancy team built the tool using conversion factors from the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and is the first of its kind in the industry. ‘Since 2012, we have measured, managed and reported on our carbon footprint via the Carbon Reduce Scheme in accordance with ISO 14064-1:2006, achieving gold certification status,’ says Ellis. ‘Over the past five years, we have cut our carbon intensity by over 14% per full-time equivalent (FTE) and realised a 4% reduction in our absolute emissions, despite significant business growth. We are committed to leading the PAGE 44 Chevron Technology Ventures and Pavilion Capital in investing for the first time. Existing investors AP Ventures, Royal Vopak and Winkelmann Group also contributed. The new investors have a number of reasons for investing. JERA is looking to use hydrogen in its US power generation portfolio as part of decarbonisation efforts. Chevron invested through its Future Energy Fund II, which focusses on low carbon technologies with potential to play a critical role in the future energy system. With Hydrogenious’ LOHC technology, hydrogen is bonded to a non-toxic, non-flammable liquid, based on benzyltoluene, from which it can be released as required. It allows hydrogen to be generated and transported at scale anywhere in the world. Brodie BRODIE ACQUIRES DANIEL LEGACY COMPACT PROVER LINE Brodie Meter Co has bought the Daniel Legacy Compact Prover product line from Emerson Automation Solutions. The acquisition expands Brodie’s flow measurement portfolio. It will be rebranded as the Brodie Compact Prover. Brodie intends to support the global legacy installed base and new opportunities. The company says that there will be a phased re-integration approach, and production of new units will begin in 2022. As part of the acquisition, Brodie will purchase parts for the product line directly from Emerson’s previous suppliers. Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies HYDROGENIOUS RAISES €50 MILLION FOR LOHC German cleantech company Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies has raised €50 million to further develop its proprietary liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology. In its most recent funding round, which was oversubscribed, JERA Americas and Temasek led the round, joining With the new funding, Hydrogenious will continue to scale up its StoragePlant and ReleasePlant systems to meet demand for green hydrogen for large-scale industrial projects. It will also invest in its joint venture with Norwegian shipping company Johannes Østensjø to develop an emissions-free propulsion system for shipping. The company also plans to build turnkey plants and invest in its own LOHC plants, as well as offering operation and maintenance services. ‘Our proprietary liquid organic hydrogen carrier technology is recognised as the missing link for global deployment of sustainable hydrogen infrastructures,’ says Hydrogenious CEO and founder Dr Daniel Teichmann, adding: ‘There is a strong conviction in the competitive positioning of our LOHC compared with other hydrogen carriers such as liquid hydrogen, compressed hydrogen and ammonia.’ TECHNICAL NEWS plan optimisation and ultimately lowers demurrage costs. Shell Pernis SHELL PERNIS REFINERY SELECTS TWTG WIRELESS SENSOR Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) specialist TWTG will provide its NEON vibration sensors at Shell’s Pernis Refinery in the Netherlands after winning the tender. TWTG has already delivered the first 100 LoRaWAN-based NEON vibration sensors to the refinery. The company says that the project will demonstrate the benefits that condition-based asset monitoring can bring to industrial sites, by detecting bearing-faults on pumps or other rotating equipment early, and so being able to act before problems arise, thereby reducing downtime and eliminating potentially hazardous situations. Felix Fikke, instrumentation project engineer at Shell Pernis says that the sensors will allow the refinery to measure root-mean-square (RMS) velocity as well as fast fourier transform (FFT). Solvay SOLVAY INTRODUCES INHIBITOR FOR MONOMER STORAGE Chemical company Solvay has launched a next-generation shortstop inhibitor solution to prevent runaway polymerisation in acrylic and methacrylic acids, esters and other monomers whilst in storage and being transported. When stored incorrectly, runaway polymerisation and uncontrollable reactions can occur in such feedstocks, generating large quantities of heat which can result in fire, explosion and tank rupture. Solvay’s new product, Phenothiazine (PTZ) LVT 2330 is suitable for use in bulk storage facilities, transportation tanks and containers. Phenothiazine LVT 2330 contains 30% PTZ dissolved into Solvay’s proprietary solvent Rhodiasolv Polarclean HSP, a green solvent developed as an alternative to n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), which is commonly used as a solvent for shortstop inhibitors, but is now considered a substance of very high concern (SVHC) under EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations. Phenothiazine LVT 2330 is easier to handle than solutions of NMP, with a lower freezing point, making it ideal for colder climates. Additionally, the high active PTZ concentration of Phenothiazine LVT 2330 permits deployment and storage of the efficient and economic shortstop in both large and small installations. ‘We see a great market potential for this pioneering shortstop inhibitor with a non-toxic and non-volatile solvent for the acrylics markets in North America and Europe, where chemical toxicity is of increasing concern to the industry and authorities. However, Asia offers the greatest potential where shortstop inhibitors were not standard and have only recently been more widely accepted and used to help reduce the risk of accidents,’ says Lars Fischer, worldwide technical market manager at Solvay. TotalEnergies TOTALENERGIES SELECTS DROPBOARD FOR BERTH SCHEDULING The European refining and petrochemicals unit of TotalEnergies has selected Systems Navigator’s Dropboard platform for berth planning and scheduling. Dropboard can advise on berthing, turn-around times and process times, allowing the user to select optimal arrival slots and reduce waiting times. Because it can visualise waiting times, the systema can predict future demurrage costs. Users can identify the root causes of demurrage and take demurrage risks into account when making operational decisions. This allows for The platform can link TotalEnergies’ headquarters with its site scheduling teams, allowing real-time scheduling and updates. Dropboard is connected to TotalEnergies’ own IT systems and shares information with the company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business intelligence platform, improving the transparency and communications between stakeholders in multiple locations. DroneDeploy DRONEDEPLOY LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCTS US commercial drone company DroneDeploy has launched new tools for site inspection and 3D measurement, including the Walkthrough app, and a beta preview of its new Ground Robotics offering. Dropboard can advise on berthing, DroneDeploy 360 Walkthrough was launched in 2020, to capture 360 degree walkthrough images and document projects. The company has now launched this as a companion app for iOS. Engineers can capture conditions for client updates, documentation, and planning, while assets can be digitally documented for faster, more efficient, remote inspections. DroneDeploy has also added Floor Plan View to 360 Walkthrough, an interior view which allows data to be directly overlaid on floorplans. Photo Inspection allows an engineer or field worker to upload photos without processing into a map. Inspections can be carried out immediately on an asset, on photos captured from drones in the air or from cameras or mobile devices on the ground. Photos are tagged with the project location and team members on site can be quickly alerted to problems, For its Enterprise customers, DroneDeploy has announced the beta launch of its Ground Robotics solution. Instead of aerial drones, ground robots such as rovers or quadrupeds like Spot from Boston Dynamics are equipped with payloads such as 360˚ cameras, thermal cameras, or gas sensors, to capture data and send it back to the DroneDeploy platform for analysis. These autonomous inspections can replace a physical walkthrough by an employee, with data uploaded to DroneDeploy and connected to the 360 Walkthrough platform. Any issues, such as loose wiring or debris, can be tagged and annotated and assigned to employees. PAGE 45 TECHNICAL DATA MANAGEMENT CENTRALISING ASSET DATA MANAGEMENT IN THE PROCESS INDUSTRY CEA software can track, manage and visualise all integrated data sources THE PROCESS industry is waking up to the heightened importance data plays in reducing costs, maximising the value of assets, and increasing the competitive advantage in the market. As the industry continues to grow, so do the number of assets and the data associated with them. Managing asset data improves the possibility to make data driven decisions and be in full control of asset performance and movement. Over the years, there has been an increased shift towards centralising data management. More organisations are initiating this digital transformation journey to optimise their asset data and alleviate any possible risks and lags in projects. ASSET DATA IN SILOS The process industry is well known to be a straggler in this transformation. Managing asset data was done in a more passive manner, where working on asset data reliability and accessibility was left to when it was needed the most. Sometimes, asset data are too outdated and misaligned that they must be recreated. Working this way not only elongates the time spent on asset data management but can also be very costly. What is the cause? Creating and storing asset data in independent systems and applications. It is difficult to know which 01 PAGE 46 asset data are available when they are spread across the organisation in silos. It is truly an inefficient way of managing them, especially because of all the updates and changes made throughout the asset life cycle. Imagine the amount of asset data that are spread across the organisation and are stuck in silos. Not only are different stakeholders using their own processes and structures but there are also multiple versions unmonitored across the entire asset life cycle. It will be a long-winded and tedious task to continuously sift through outdated and misaligned asset data. The industry struggled to monitor all asset data with its overwhelming growth, new industry regulations, and a continuous lack of communication and collaboration between stakeholders. Placing different data sources in one common shared view makes managing asset data more efficient and effective. Asset data will no longer be left in silos, decreasing the risk of it becoming outdated MANAGING ASSET DATA CENTRALLY It is essential to implement a solution in which different systems and applications holding asset data across the life cycle are brought together. Placing different data sources in one common shared view makes managing asset data more efficient and effective. Asset data will no longer be left in silos, decreasing the risk of it becoming outdated and misaligned. Most stakeholders already have their own systems and applications, they are just not aligned with one another. Therefore, the next step will be to integrate these systems and applications in one location, ensuring that the asset data are always shared, easily accessible, up-to-date, reliable, and expandable. This facilitates a better control of all assets across the lifecycle in real-time, no information will be missed, and projects will run more smoothly. This is all made possible with the use of technology, especially the ones designed to tackle such an assignment. IMPLEMENTING AN ASSET DATA MANAGEMENT SOLUTION Advances in technology are moving its focus towards more automated data management solutions. Setting up such a solution is an increasing trend in the digital transformation journey. It helps take away silos and makes tracking of TECHNICAL DATA MANAGEMENT asset data updates and changes a lot easier. After implementing this solution, asset owners in the industry are swiftly seeing rapid improvements in costs and day-to-day operations. For example, Plant4D is an asset data management software solution. It was designed and engineered to manage and visualise every asset data across the entire asset life cycle in real-time. It efficiently assists in the updating, accessibility, and reliability of asset data, transforming it into usable asset information. For years, Plant4D has been implemented in various organisations in the industry to integrate different data sources into one common view. Asset data from engineering, procurement and construction, maintenance and HSEQ are formatted to provide reliable and up-todate information. Asset information can also take the form of 3D- and 2D-models such as isometrics and P&IDs. INTO THE FUTURE Imagining a software solution that will track, manage and visualise all integrated data sources is no longer a thing of the past. It is now possible. The outdated layers of the process industry are slowly but surely peeling back as more technology surface with improved ways of storing and managing asset data. The world of digitalisation is still taking shape but it is heading in the right direction. There are still a large number of organisations out there that are still working traditionally, their asset data are still unmanaged and stuck in silos. However, as the industry continues to improve, so will the technology and the number of organisations using them. There is no doubt that those who take hold to the digital transformation journey and implement a central management system will surely reap the most benefits before the market requires a new form of staying competitive in the market. For more information: www.ceasystems.com 01 Digital transformation journey of asset data 02 Plant4D accesses and shares asset data across an organisation 02 Utilising a common view to manage asset data across the organisation improves transparency and increases communication and collaboration between stakeholders. With this kind of transparency and visualisation, Plant4D makes it possible for different stakeholders to validate and enrich every asset data with supporting documents such as, certifications and inspection reports. Several user case studies have been created between Plant4D and users which showcases how such a solution can be used to, 1) optimise asset usage, 2) lower operations and maintenance costs, 3) improve asset data processing. PAGE 47 TECHNICAL LEGAL THE BROAD CONSEQUENCES OF A SPILL Adler and Allan’s Mike Prendergast and Burges Salmon’s Simon Tilling outline the legal and other implications of a spill and the importance of having an adequate emergency response plan in place SITE OPERATORS should be aware of the legal, as well as practical implications of a spill. Environmental and health and safety law imposes certain duties on site operators which, if not complied with, can result in legal proceedings, fines and reputational damage. In addition to the time and expense involved in containing and cleaning up a spill, a spill into the environment can have a number of legal implications. These should be considered by businesses responsible for storing, using or transporting potentially polluting materials. While typically hazardous substances such as oils, certain chemicals and pesticides are widely understood to result in pollution if released into the environment, other substances such as food products and beverages can also have a detrimental effect and be caught by relevant environmental legislation. and it is also a criminal offence to fail to comply with a remediation notice requiring certain clean-up steps to be taken. Specific licences must also be obtained by businesses releasing trade effluent into public sewers. As such, an accidental spill of trade effluent could be an offence under the trade effluent consent obligations of the Water Industry Act 1991. The Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regime may also apply to sites handling or storing dangerous substances. This legal regime imposes certain obligations on site operators, including preparing and retaining a written major accident prevention policy and (in the case of ‘upper tier’ establishments) producing a safety report with arrangements in place to deal with major accident hazards. Time should be invested ahead of any incident to think these plans out in order to make them as detailed, robust and effective as possible should a spillage occur. CRIMINAL LIABILITY A spill of a substance capable of harming the environment could result in a criminal prosecution by the relevant regulator under various regulatory regimes, and it could also lead to nuisance or negligence claims from persons affected by the spill. A business responsible for a serious spill could, therefore, be made to answer its case in both criminal and civil courts. Criminal liability for environmental offences can arise in the event of a regulatory breach. Under the Environmental Permitting regime, for example, if substances are released into controlled waters as a result of a spill, the person or entity responsible for that spill may be required to comply with enforcement notices served by the regulator and/or be prosecuted for the spillage itself. Under the Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2015, it is a criminal offence to fail to take all practicable steps to prevent further damage if an activity has caused environmental damage PAGE 48 01 Environmental offences are also often ‘strict liability’ offences, meaning that offending businesses tend to plead guilty and focus their defence efforts on the level of sanctions proposed by the prosecutor. The nature and level of those sanctions depend on three main factors. First, the courts will consider the level of environmental harm which was caused (or could have been caused). The culpability of the offender will also be assessed, as well as the size of turnover in the case of a corporate offender. CULPABILITY Culpability for environmental offences ranges from deliberate to ‘low culpability’. Deliberate environmental offences are rare, but businesses who do not take sufficient care to reduce the risk of spills could be deemed ‘negligent’ or even ‘reckless’ by the courts. Businesses with a good track record of following robust processes to reduce such risks TECHNICAL LEGAL will be in a better position to argue that an offence was not committed deliberately or recklessly and, thereby, reduce the level of sanctions imposed on them for the offence. There has been a push in recent years to ensure that compliance with environmental protection regimes is taken seriously by businesses of all sizes. Notably, prosecutors are keen that the sanctions imposed on offending businesses are severe enough to be noticed by shareholders. This has resulted in a marked increase in the level of fines over the last decade, especially for large companies. Very large companies have been made to pay fines into the millions of pounds for letting untreated sewage spill into rivers. In certain circumstances, senior officers of offending businesses can be held personally liable. This can arise where the officers are so closely involved with the day-to-day operations that the offence is attributable to them, or because the offence committed by the company is committed with their ‘consent, connivance or neglect’. Penalties for senior officers in their personal capacity are rare and usually reserved for repeat or deliberate offending. However, it is worth noting that sanctions are severe, including the possibility of disqualification In addition to the time and expense involved in containing and cleaning up a spill, a spill into the environment can have a number of legal implications. These should be considered by businesses of directors, fines and (in the most extreme cases) prison sentences lasting several months. CIVIL LIABILITIES As well as regulatory compliance, site operators should be aware of the civil liabilities that could arise from a spill. For example, if the spill affects neighbouring land there can be claims for clean-up costs under the law of nuisance. Landlords will also demand remediation under tenancy agreements, and if the site is subject to an installation permit, the environmental regulator can demand that the site is brought back to baseline condition (the condition before the spill). In the case of large-scale spills affecting a local community, local businesses and their insurers could face multiple claims and be required to cover the costs of remediation. PROTECTING A REPUTATION Finally, the reputational damage from a pollution event and ensuing investigations may be as much a concern for businesses as strictly legal consequences. In light of the high legal and reputational stakes, the adage that ‘prevention is better than cure’ applies acutely to businesses handling potentially polluting substances. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. The right supplier with knowledge of the law and technical capability will be able to de-risk your business, giving you peace of mind that you are as prepared as you can be for an environmental incident. For more information: This article was written by Mike Prendergast, technical response supervisor at UK environmental services company Adler and Allan, and Simon Tilling, partner at UK law firm Burges Salmon. www.adlerandallan.co.uk www.burges-salmon.com THE INDUSTRY’S ONLY AUDITED MAGAZINE. GUARANTEED READERSHIP TO DELIVER THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY. 40,000 ANNUAL CIRCULATION* 13,846 PAGE VIEWS PER MONTH 7 ISSUES PER YEAR 6,616 USERS PER MONTH 3,250 MAILED TO NAMED TERMINAL PROFESSIONALS EVERY ISSUE 2,561 PER ISSUE DISTRIBUTED AT INDUSTRY EVENTS BOOK NOW [email protected] www.tankstoragemag.com TSM Audit ad half page.indd 1 Tank Storage Magazine’s audits are conducted by BPA International, the leading auditing service for B2B publications. *Figures taken from the latest BPA audit - June 2019 Established 2005. Trusted. Valued. Influential. 20/10/2021 09:46 PAGE 49 TECHNICAL TANK CLEANING TANK CLEANING AND INSPECTION–PERFORMANCE THROUGH AUTOMATION ATPL’s robots offer proven non-person entry cleaning and inspection of on-line aboveground storage tanks across Asia ADVANCE TECHNIC (ATPL) supports aboveground storage tank (AST) owners with proven, innovative solutions and services that greatly enhance the safety of work operations, while protecting the environment, and saving time and money. 01 ENHANCES SAFETY FOR HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT Headquartered in Singapore, ATPL offers an on-line tank cleaning and inspection solution to AST owners in Asia that would prefer to clean and inspect their tanks without emptying them or removing them from service. This non-person entry cleaning solution eliminates the risk of human entry into the tank and eliminates the volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions caused by venting the tank to the atmosphere to facilitate human entry. Tools for internal tank cleaning and inspection used while the tank is in service have been developed and are now routinely deployed. These robotic crawler devices are designed for total immersion in liquids and have been successful in providing cleaning and pumping of sludge and sediments out of storage tank, and in providing ultrasonic thickness information on tank bottoms product storage, such as jet fuel, diesel, kerosene, condensate and crude oil. Benefits: 02 • Can be completed with the equipment on-line and in-service, increasing production and revenue stream • Provides intelligence to the shutdown planning team • Reduces resources required during shutdown • Eliminates confined space entry for personnel • Provides advance information to eliminate crash procurement requirements • Spreads the schedule so that a high number of assets do not require invasive inspection during the same calendar period. • Supports innovation and operational excellence concepts ATPL sends a robot through a conventional roof manway and lowers it to the tank floor whilst the tank remains full of crude oil or other products. Once on the floor the robot can navigate via control room around the tank, pumping the sludge out through the roof manway to an external closed loop separation PAGE 50 TECHNICAL TANK CLEANING 03 system. Here the unwanted components of the sludge can be removed for disposal and the good product returned to the tank. Mechanical and chemical options are available with the robot to manage difficult sludge levels and consistencies. ATPL’s tank cleaning on-line service includes a separation system to remove solids like rust and unwanted settlements and return the oil back to the client. This method of cleaning is the most ideal as it does not harm the environment through venting or incineration of the removed sludge, as is traditionally done. Suitable tanks include lube oil, diesel, jet fuel and petrol. COST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT ATPL is able to supply different robots suitable for the tank type with various cleaning and desludging system options depending on specific requirements. ATPL has successfully deployed certified 04 ATEX Zone 0 ESOT (Equipment Set for Remotely Controlled Removal of Sludge from Oil Tanks) for explosive environments, for remotely controlled sludge removal from oil tanks. These processes have met and exceeded customer’s expectations. continued innovation and share ATPL’s passion for performance through automation towards greener and safer work processes,’ says the company. For more information: www.advancetechnic.sg PERFORMANCE THROUGH AUTOMATION On-line tank cleaning offers significant benefits for AST owners, and robotic technologies available today allow for a safe and practical approach to effective integrity management and tank maintenance. ATPL can also deploy water blasting robotics for cleaning and paint removal on tank shells, externally and internally. ‘ATPL is excited to work with forwardthinking plant owners who value 01 Robot for on-line tank cleaning and inspection (crude oil) 02 ATEX Zone 0 ESOT with accessories for nonperson entry cleaning 03 Waste is safely and efficiently transported out for treatment 04 Robot for on-line tank cleaning and inspection (class 2 fuels and water) 05 Schematic of on-line tank cleaning 05 Hose to Filter/ Centrifuge System PAGE 51 TECHNICAL DATA MANAGEMENT FASTER THAN EVER Tank Storage Award winner Toptech Systems explains what it can offer to the whole petroleum supply chain IN RECENT years, Toptech Systems has grown from being a solutions provider for terminal owners, to being a solutions provider for the entire supply chain (terminal owner, supplier, customer, carrier, and driver). Toptech has done this by expanding and improving its suite of products to provide unique benefits that reach beyond the terminal owner, offering key advantages to other stakeholders as well. With a reputation built over the last 33 years as one of the most innovative, reliable companies in the industry, it was a fitting evolution to meet the needs of a broader group in the refined fuels terminal space. Explaining why Toptech has made this strategic move, Manish Patel, global commercial director, states, ‘We’ve seen the industry, every stakeholder, shift to a demand for more information, more insights, and easier access to that information. We knew that we could meet those needs and provide value to everyone involved. Ultimately, by meeting those needs, it increases the competitive advantage for the terminal owner. Making terminals that partner with us more 01 PAGE 52 efficient and attractive to the market is what keeps us going.’ SYNETICS One example of this is Toptech’s data analytics solution, Synetics. This solution allows the terminal owner to track metrics such as load times, gate-to-gate times and more in a way that is visually clear. But often, suppliers want that data as well. Through Synetics, terminal owners can send this information to Toptech Systems has grown from being a solutions provider for terminal owners, to being a solutions provider for the entire supply chain (terminal owner, supplier, customer, carrier, and driver) their suppliers, making it even easier for suppliers to make educated decisions and choose them over a competitor. Synetics also allows the terminal owner to model each load rack after the most efficient one, pinpoint which drivers need additional training, and investigate anomalies. This will lead to a safer, more efficient experience for everyone. LOAD2DAY Another example of this is with Load2day, Toptech’s innovative data management system for carriers and suppliers. Recently, a company who was building their first terminal knew they needed Toptech’s preset driver interface (Multiload II) and Terminal Management System (TMS), but they also wanted to enable carriers and suppliers to manage their own master data. They were pleased to be able to provide that without spending thousands of dollars and manhours to build their own system. The terminal’s carriers and suppliers are now managing their own master TECHNICAL DATA MANAGEMENT data through Load2day, an easy-to-use web portal that enables them to view and edit their data while also accessing their transaction data. The terminal has multiple suppliers and carriers who each have their own technology, processes, and levels of sophistication. Load2day’s scalability allows carriers and suppliers that already have a solution for managing master data to seamlessly input that data into the portal through application programming interfaces (APIs). Those that did not already have a solution are managing their data through the secure, self-serve web portal. Through Load2day, the terminal is also providing the transaction data necessary for appropriate systems to generate required third party documentation and have that documentation readily available, so drivers leave in a timely manner. The solution is even sending PDF bills of lading (BOLs) to the terminal’s customers that choose to receive them so they know exactly what’s coming and can optimally manage their locations. The terminal owner is still able to control the data for managing authorisations, inspections, training, and more. Once the master data has gone into Load2day, it is sent to the Terminal Management System so the driver is able to load. Since the data owners (the carriers and suppliers) were the ones who input the data, there are much less errors and issues at the load rack than they would otherwise experience. As part of the roll-out, Toptech worked with each A new feature will allow suppliers the ability to optimally manage their resources, empowers their customer to input their own information, and enables the terminal to receive the data accurately of the suppliers to train them and perform testing with their systems. This integrated solution freed the terminal owners to focus on what’s important to them and empowered the rest of the supply chain by having their essential data and transaction information at their fingertips. analytics for continual improvement and to keep their suppliers informed. EVERYONE BENEFITS Toptech’s focus on building solutions that serve the entire supply chain also allows everyone to benefit from updates and feature enhancements. In fact, in an upcoming 2021 release, Toptech will introduce a new feature which allows the suppliers’ customers to manage orders and schedule loads directly. This gives suppliers the ability to optimally manage their resources, empowers their customer to input their own information, and enables the terminal to receive the data accurately and efficiently. Ultimately, drivers can begin loading fuel faster than ever before. For more information: MULTILOAD II In addition to Load2day, the terminal is now benefiting from Multiload II, the only preset in the world that can boast nearly limitless flexibility with custom logic, extended use with external expansion, and easy maintenance with a roomy interior. As the driver uses the preset, the transaction information is sent directly to TMS, the flexible, modular design of which supports a variety of equipment while providing the terminal operator with essential visibility and control. Plus, they have plans to begin utilising Synetics to take advantage of the powerful data Contact Toptech Systems for more information about their holistic solution utilising hardware, software, and hosted services. www.toptech.com 01 Synetics, Toptech’s business intelligence solution for enhanced decision making 02 TMS7, Toptech’s terminal management solution for optimal efficiency 02 PAGE 53 TECHNICAL TANK MAINTENANCE STREAMLINING TANK INSPECTIONS WITH VISUAL FEEDBACK Optically activated pigments highlight areas in need of repair, explain Justin Hair and Michael Harrison from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine FOR aboveground petroleum storage tank owners, 10-year inspection intervals often present some challenges. Inspections are necessary to ensure owner compliance, tank integrity and safety, but they also carry a high cost – sometimes upwards of US$500,000 (€424,000). The longer a tank is out of service for repairs, inspections and lining applications, the higher the cost due to lost storage capacity. The ongoing cost of ensuring tank integrity is unavoidable. Most often, the American Petroleum Institute’s API 653 standard (Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration and Reconstruction) is required or referenced. Depending on the tank, it will either require a thorough evaluation of an existing lining for return to service (if it’s performing as expected with only minor damage) or the installation of a new lining. The faster you can complete these activities, the quicker you can return the tank to service. An existing lining needs to be visually inspected. Such inspections can move much faster – and be more thorough – when the existing lining is embedded with optically activated pigments (OAPs), such as linings featuring Sherwin-Williams Opti-Check technology. The embedded OAPs will provide obvious visual indicators of coating deficiencies when inspectors shine an eye-safe ultraviolet (UV) light on the lining, following techniques and equipment guidelines described in SSPC Technology Update No. 11 – Inspection of Fluorescent Coating Systems (Figure 1). This pronounced visual feedback enables inspectors to move faster, while helping them better spot pinholes, holidays or discontinuities in the lining that should be repaired. Tank lining systems embedded with OAPs also offer quality assurance and timesaving advantages when applying a new lining. The pigments enable applicators to detect and repair coating deficiencies during the application process, which reduces repair needs following holiday detection processes on newly applied linings. This OAP-enabled efficiency PAGE 54 01 allows tanks to be put into or returned to service more quickly. This article will review brief lining specification fundamentals, as well as two common field inspection scenarios – assessing an existing lining featuring OAP technology and inspecting an unlined tank that requires a new lining. In both cases, OAP-embedded lining systems provide a greater likelihood for streamlined inspections and longer-term service. TANK LINING FUNDAMENTALS The first step to enabling faster tank inspections is to use robust lining materials that can withstand the rigours of long-term corrosive chemical storage, cleaning, and inspection activities. That means selecting linings that: • have sufficient flexibility as well as chemical and temperature resistance to accommodate various contents at ambient and elevated temperatures; • resist damage from impacts and abrasions that may occur during operation or cleaning processes; and • are easier to clean. The above properties help to accelerate the inspection process because the linings themselves are more likely to 02 remain in excellent condition between assessments. With a well-applied, durable lining in place, inspection-related repairs are often limited to mechanical damage that occurs during tank cleaning, minimising touch-up needs. Choosing systems that are also embedded with OAPs provides a further inspection efficiency boost. Per API 653 guidelines, owners need to periodically take tanks out of service for various inspections. Operators will first drain the contents and wash the interior. Draining may be relatively fast with light hydrocarbons, but contents like crude oil will require shovelling out solidified material – hence, the need for an abrasion-resistant liner. High-pressure water washing occurs next to remove oily deposits. Here, an easy-to-clean lining is especially advantageous. Thereafter, inspectors will perform mechanical checks of the tank surface, including visual, ultrasonic, liquid penetrant and other non-destructive testing. They may also conduct destructive cross-cut and pull-off adhesion tests on the lining. These compromised areas will require repairs. For the final assessment, inspectors will perform a careful visual check of the entire lining to ensure no pinholes, TECHNICAL TANK MAINTENANCE holidays or discontinuities are present. Such voids in a lining indicate weak areas that may be prone to cracking, blistering or delaminating – any of which can open the door for pitting and corrosion of the steel tank substrate. Therefore, catching these deficiencies is critical during inspections to extend the tank lining life. SCENARIO 1: INSPECTING AN EXISTING TANK LINED WITH OAPEMBEDDED COATINGS In this first scenario, inspectors will assess an existing 10-year-old aboveground petrochemical storage tank that was lined prior to initial service with one coat of an OAP-embedded lining system. Visually inspecting a lining without embedded OAPs requires careful attention, as tiny pinholes can be quite difficult to see. Inspectors will concentrate heavily on weld seams, annular plates, chime areas, rim plates, vapour spaces and any visible wear. Inspectors are most often at the mercy of their vision to catch hard-to-see lining voids. In addition, because this tank has been in service, applicators do not have the advantage of using holiday spark testing to inspect the lining for voids. Such testing is only suitable for newly lined tanks as per NACE SP0188 – Discontinuity (Holiday) Testing of New Protective Coatings on Conductive Substrates. Existing linings that have been in service tend to absorb commodities and could therefore spark significantly, providing erroneous holiday test readings. There’s also a safety concern, as tanks may contain fumes or hydrocarbon deposits that could ignite during a spark test. In addition, sparks may damage the lining and are not recommended for evaluating existing linings. When OAPs are embedded in a singlecoat lining, any deficient areas stand out distinctly under UV light. The lining will fluoresce with a pink hue where inspectors shine their UV light. Dark areas indicate a lining deficiency, such as damage, pinholes as small as 0.25 mils (0.006 mm), holidays, nonuniform coverage or improper film thickness (Figure 2). These easy-to-spot areas can then be repaired or touched up before returning the tank to service. evaluate a 10-year-old aboveground petrochemical storage tank that was not lined prior to its initial service. Owners may forgo linings in cases in which a tank’s contents are not expected to rapidly compromise the integrity of the steel. Still, most unlined tanks will show at least some pitting – if not a lot of it – after a decade of storing hydrocarbon products, which almost always contain water. Therefore, tank owners and operators know lining installations are likely required following inspections. In these cases, linings embedded with OAPs can help installations go faster, while increasing the likelihood of long-term performance. Due to the prevalence of pitting in existing unlined tanks taken out of service, lining such tanks usually requires two coats. When using OAPs, the primer will feature the embedded pigments, providing two helpful quality control measures: • OAPs enable inspectors and applicators to easily and immediately identify voids during the primer application process – in this case, a flowable primer. Just like in scenario one, the OAP-embedded linings will fluoresce pink in most areas, while any holidays will contrast sharply as dark voids. Inspectors and applicators can check for such areas while the coatings are still wet, enabling them to immediately respray deficient areas. The visual feedback helps to ensure the entire primer application is essentially holiday free. • Second, when applicators apply the final finish coat and use a UV light, OAPs embedded in the base layer will shine through the non-pigmented finish coat anywhere it has not been applied properly (Figure 3). Applicators can then repair those areas while the linings are still wet during the application process. Using lining systems embedded with OAPs not only helps to ensure the integrity and quality of the lining installation but also enables future inspection efficiencies. Much like in scenario one – but in the opposite way – the visual feedback of fluoresced areas shining through the finish coat under UV light will be obvious. OAPS ENABLE FASTER, BETTER RESULTS With the goal to streamline both tank inspections and the application process, tank owners and operators can benefit by specifying lining systems that are embedded with OAPs. The pigments are a unique asset evaluation tool that allows inspectors to locate areas of noncompliance in a lining much more easily, compared to inspecting non-pigmented linings that offer no visual feedback. Applications, inspections and repairs can therefore move quicker, enabling faster returns to service, while also ensuring more robust linings that will provide extended long-term service. For more information: Justin Hair is North America – oil & gas midstream market manager, and Michael Harrison is global product director – linings, both for SherwinWilliams Protective & Marine. They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively. 01 Optically activated pigments (OAPs) embedded in this single-coat lining system featuring Sherwin-Williams Opti-Check technology provide a distinct visual indication of a pinhole and some coating discontinuities in the weld seam 02 When inspecting single-coat linings featuring OAPs, dark areas will indicate coating deficiencies. The rest of the coated areas will fluoresce 03 In this two-coat system, OAPs embedded in the base coat shine through the topcoat and appear pink under UV light (right), indicating a pinhole and some thin areas that will need to be repaired * All photos courtesy of The Sherwin-Williams Company 03 Because the OAPs provide such noticeable visual feedback, inspectors can move faster through a tank, streamlining the process, and are more likely to catch tiny defects, extending the lining system’s life expectancy. SCENARIO 2: INSPECTING A NEW TANK LINING PROCESS USING OAPS In this second scenario, inspectors will PAGE 55 TECHNICAL ENTERPRISE ASSET MANAGEMENT HSE SIMPLIFIED Integrating HSE and maintenance into an enterprise asset management (EAM) system is the key to assured compliance, says Ultimo’s Chris van den Belt AMONGST THE largest and most infamous industrial accidents in history is the 1984 Bhopal disaster in India. A runaway reaction in a tank containing methyl isocyanate vented lethal quantities of this poisonous chemical into the atmosphere. Death toll estimates range from 3,700 to 16,000. On a smaller scale, deaths and injuries caused by storage tank explosions continue to this day. Examples from the last two years alone include those from liquid solvent tanks at a waste incineration site in Germany, a chemical tank at a wastewater treatment plant in the UK, a crude oil tank at a terminal in the US, fuel tanks at a refinery in Indonesia, and more. As these examples demonstrate, managing health, safety and environment (HSE) in relation to storage tanks is complex. Workers handle substances which may be explosive, flammable, toxic, harmful to nature, or hazardous in other ways. To complicate things further, storage facilities must be managed and maintained in conjunction with a diversity of connected plant equipment. Maintenance activities are vital to controlling risks, but at the same time, they expose workers to hazards, and if executed incorrectly, they generate further risks. Businesses need to 01 PAGE 56 comply with HSE legislation, such as the EU’s Seveso III Directive, and most have community and employee care principles that go beyond the minimal legal requirements. Meanwhile, economic drivers to avoid accidents include potential repair, clear-up and compensation costs, productivity losses, fines and reputational damage. CUTTING THROUGH THE COMPLEXITY The first problem solved by an EAM system is that of maintaining a clear overview. Instead of using separate systems for information on the operation’s assets, their maintenance and the related HSE processes, the EAM cloud platform brings everything together into one place. HSE and asset management become fully integrated and functionally linked in a system which signals the condition and status of assets in real time. Digitalisation and integration avoid duplication, reduce effort, increase efficiency and give a clearer picture. WORK PERMITS AND LOCKOUT-TAGOUT Crucially, the leading EAM systems not only set HSE processes and procedures but also enforce them, by permitting maintenance tasks to go ahead only when all the required safety steps have been taken. In other words, they ensure automatic and demonstrable compliance. Work permits issued in this way are central to the step-by-step functionality of Ultimo’s environment, health and safety (EHS) software. Via joint decision, it specifies the necessary safety measures and who will take them. Its digital administration begins with receipt of a job request (work order). Appropriate staff members prepare the work permit and digitally validate it at each stage to confirm its issue, extension (if necessary) and, finally, completion. Full details, including task risk analysis and lockout-tagout conditions, can be viewed at any time. The system’s lockout-tagout (LOTO) module prevents equipment from starting up unexpectedly during maintenance work. Locks are placed on parts of the plant – or processes – that need to be isolated for safety, along with tags identifying the person placing them. Only that person can authorise tag removal and unlocking. Prior to issuing a work permit, the number and position of locks and tags is determined by those holding the TECHNICAL ENTERPRISE ASSET MANAGEMENT appropriate knowledge and responsibility. This may be aided by reference to digital templates and P&IDs (piping and instrument diagrams) on the system (See Figure 1). The work permit process ensures they stay in place until the work is finished. MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE While some maintenance-related activities are routine, others bring about changes to a plant’s equipment or processes. Examples include fitting a new valve type instead of a like-for-like replacement or storing a different material. In Ultimo, these can be introduced safely using processes governed by the management of change (MoC) module. Instigated by a request for modification, changes are managed from the earliest planning stage to completion. Like all Ultimo EHS software modules, MoC sets a structured process, aided by checklists and enforced by validation procedures. This module makes users consider, in advance, the change’s potential consequences and how to reduce the associated risks. It also enables modification projects to be efficiently integrated with the existing flow, processing and management of maintenance jobs. After completing changes, the MoC process concludes by assessing whether the intended results have been achieved. As well as ensuring safety, the MoC module saves hugely on time and complication compared to conventional paper-based practices. All relevant information, documents and records of communication are saved in one location, and assessments, signatures for approval and other actions can take place simultaneously. INCIDENT MANAGEMENT EAM can also play a key role in incident management and reporting. In Ultimo, this is managed through EHS incidents module. When an incident or near miss is reported, the designated safety officer is immediately alerted. By learning from the new event and any previous issues, the platform aims to reduce the number and impact of future incidents. The safety officer first ensures full recording, processing and correct registration of the incident. EAM software minimises the number of steps needed, and with much of the background information already on the system it is easy to gather relevant details. An incident record is emailed to the reporter and supervisors and made accessible to authorised users, and immediate safety measures are documented. After an initial risk analysis, the safety officer determines whether further examination is needed. The process investigates an incident’s consequences and seeks both immediate and root causes. By connecting information on assets and their maintenance history with risk assessments and records of previous incidents, near misses and problem areas, the software readily enables trend and root cause analysis. Based on its results, new safety measures are defined and implemented, and follow-up work is planned. The process goes on to evaluate these measures, and assess any residual risk, before their final approval as a permanent safety solution. For example, consider a sudden tank valve leak. After immediate safety measures to minimise its impacts, an incident report may recommend repair or like-for-like replacement of the valve. Alternatively, analysis may reveal a pattern suggesting that a different type of valve is needed. That would initiate the MoC process, which in turn might call for a task risk assessment and lockout-tagout procedure before a work permit could be issued for the new valve’s installation. DEMONSTRABLE CONTROL OF HSE Utilising EAM to manage essential HSE practices can provide managers with a clear and accurate overview of the plant’s safety processes and block unsafe practices. It can help contribute to better control over assets and the way they are managed, and, ultimately, give peace of mind that vital HSE processes are always taken care of. For more information: Chris van den Belt is the team leader product management at Ultimo. www.ultimo.com 01 Visual guide to location of locks and tags CASE STUDY: OPTIMISING VTTI’S SAFETY WITH EAM Antonis Constantinou, project manager at VTTI, explains how Ultimo’s EAM works for his company. VTTI is a leading provider of oil, chemical and gas storage, with 17 terminals strategically located in major logistics hubs across the globe. For many years, we have used internally developed software to manage the maintenance of our assets. As pacesetters in our field, we needed to extend our maintenance practices to match modern asset management strategies, therefore we switched to Ultimo’s EAM platform in 2017. The challenges of our industry’s operating environment mean that having an effective EAM system is essential. We must be ready to variate our operational framework at a moment’s notice in response to the commercial fluctuations in the markets, to meet our customers’ changing requirements in a safe manner. A robust EAM system ensures that the terminals’ assets are always available and reliable. What’s more, it helps optimise operational efficiency through the monitoring of the condition of our assets throughout their lifecycle while ensuring that key health and safety processes are managed precisely and efficiently. We use EAM to control our maintenance processes, including work permits and energy isolation. Managing these tasks in the EAM platform gives us complete control. Safety control measures cannot be bypassed without authorisation, and jobs cannot progress unless the safety requirements prescribed have been fulfilled. Having a digital log of every action taken simplifies incident investigation, reporting and lessons learnt. By linking technical data from our assets to the related information from the safety processes, we gain valuable insight into their performance in the context of operational safety. The digital records also help prove compliance to internal and external auditors. The EAM platform is integral to how we operate, but it has taken a lot of work to get to where we are now. We have very specific requirements and have invested a lot of time developing the platform with Ultimo to ensure it offers all the features we need especially in the context of asset performance and monitoring, operational safety, work permits and energy isolation. The customisability of the software, and Ultimo’s willingness to tailor it to our needs, was one of the main reasons we chose Ultimo over other EAM providers. PAGE 57 TECHNICAL DIGITALISATION W ENERGY SOFTWARE TRANSFORMS PHILLIPS 66 OPERATIONS Michael Ferrante from W Energy Software discusses digital oilfield advancements in tank storage accounting and measurement AMIDST the digital oilfield, paper tickets, paper invoices, even faxes continue to be part and parcel of many terminal operations. Digital systems tend to be built with older, legacy technology, create data silos, and are inflexible and difficult to use. The result is a mixed bag of commercial products, internally developed solutions, and disconnected workflows for invoicing, scheduling, inventory, balancing, and regulatory reporting. Manual processes and a fragmented information landscape persist at a time when terminal operators need a single view of complex supply chains and rapidly changing customer demand. Terminals must efficiently track the movements of hydrocarbons between interconnects and across tank farms. Cloud and unified software systems are enabling service providers to accelerate the flow of information and automate the back office from accounts receivable and tank gauging to nominations and confirmations. With next generation terminal management and measurement capabilities, service providers like Phillips 66 are navigating operational and market complexity, streamlining workflows, and reducing costs. MANAGING MULTIFACETED TERMINAL ACCOUNTING COMPLEXITY Every component of a terminal operation introduces a different layer of accounting complexity. Nominations arrive from shippers in varying physical or digital formats; confirmations may be returned in similar fashion. Customer specific rates for various throughput fees must be meticulously tracked and applied to large numbers of transactions. Preparing shipper invoices is all too often a timeand labour-intensive process. Maintaining up-to-date inventory across dozens of tanks is often impeded by manual processes and data delays. Operators must accurately measure and perform complex calculations to compare actual volumes to received volumes, a tough task, especially for facilities that store multiple grades of crude and many types of refined products. Shipments are moving in complex new ways. Increasingly, terminals are managing intermodal tickets using a mix of transportation modes, including pipeline, truck, railcar, vessel, and barge. And last but not the least, is regulatory accounting complexity that places a heavy burden on terminal operators to comply with ever evolving filing policies, such as the Excise Summary Terminal Activity Reporting System (ExSTARS). THE INFORMATION LANDSCAPE OF A TANK FARM For decades, terminal operators have taken two approaches to manage the accounting and information management complexities. First are ‘home-grown’ solutions, custom-developed terminal management software that meets their specific business needs. Such solutions W Energy Software’s Oil and Gas SaaS Platform for the Energy Value Chain 01 Compressor Station Energy Value Chain Wellhead Plant Intrastate Pipeline Chemical Plant Transportation Water Disposal Terminal Transportation Refinery W Energy Software Capabilities crude water NGLs • • • Lease Admin/GIS Division Order AFE • • • Joint Interest Billing Production Operations Marketing • • • Revenue Accounting Tax & Regulatory Fixed Assets/DD&A • • • Purchasing Materials Inventory Financial Accounting • • Measurement Produced Saltwater Disposal MIDSTREAM ERP SUITE • • • • Field Data Capture Volume Balancing Accrual Terminal Mgt. & Schedule • • • • Gas & Crude Gathering Plant Accounting Liquids Transportation Crude First Purchaser • • • • Contract Management Marketing Tax & Regulatory Right of Way (ROW) • • • • Division Order AFE Forecasting Financial Accounting • • Measurement Produced Saltwater Transportation TRANSPORTATION & TERMINAL MGT. • • Liquids Transportation Terminal Management • • Tank Gauging Measurement • • Physical Trading Financial Trading • • Confirmations Scheduling • • Actualization Accruals • • Invoicing Risk Management • • Credit Inventory Accounting COMMODITY MANAGEMENT DASHBOARDS & REPORTS PAGE 58 natural gas UPSTREAM ERP SUITE TECHNICAL DIGITALISATION trade heavy customisation for the agility needed to adapt to evolving business needs. The cost can also be staggering, adding headcount for developers and support staff. There is also risk if the people who know the inner workings of a home-grown solution quit or retire. Such solutions are often owned and maintained by information technology (IT) departments whose priorities are different to the midstream business, including cost reduction, standardisation, and infrastructure security. Enhancing a legacy system for new business scenarios is necessarily given lower priority in an overworked department. Companies are realising that in order to meet customer needs they need flexibility and technology partnerships to succeed, effectively getting out of the software business and trusting in software vendors. The other approach to managing terminal accounting complexity prioritises ‘best of breed’ software where solutions are selected to manage a specific terminal management workflow, trading narrow yet specific functionality for lower cost of building and maintaining software internally. The result is a fragmented information landscape and data silos. A service provider’s accounting software can’t handle nominations and confirmations. Inventory management is disconnected from scheduling. Measurement and balancing are managed in separate software or spreadsheets. The reality is that most operators rely on a mix of home-grown and older commercial software. This fragmented information landscape is expensive to maintain, fails to meet evolving business needs in a timely fashion, and creates barriers to strategic and daily decision making. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION POWERED BY THE CLOUD Terminal operators need innovative solutions that bring disparate accounting workflows together, eliminate data silos, and accelerate decision making. Even with newer terminal management software, lack of integration and functionality gaps persist while software vendors overpromise what they can deliver. Digital transformation is bringing powerful new capabilities to midstream companies. The cloud has become ubiquitous even within the energy industry where change often takes many years. The next wave of innovation on the cloud is less about where applications are hosted and accessed and more about how software is built to take full advantage of the cloud’s on-demand storage and high-performance computing. Pioneers include W Energy Software whose cloudbased oil and gas enterprise resource planning (ERP) is deployed at more than 100 midstream facilities, supporting the movement of 1 billion barrels of oil per month through transportation and storage systems. The company’s ERP platform is a true, native cloud application, enabling a service provider to bring isolated terminal management accounting workflows together in one unified solution that shares a common database and consistent and intuitive user interface. This approach, along with a continuous innovation process, opens powerful new ways of managing not just terminal operations, but the entire value chain in one unified ERP, including gathering, liquids and natural gas transportation, terminal management, scheduling, processing, and marketing. The implications for managing the accounting movement of hydrocarbons are profound, enabling the following workflows to be efficiently managed. • Intermodal receipt and delivery: complete transportation management system for tracking cross-commodity shipments in real time across pipeline, truck, rail, vessel, and barge. • Self-service shipment scheduling: Cloud-based customer activity management capabilities enable shippers to manage nominations and confirmations, view inventory, and make changes. • Inventory management and accounting: Track volumes received and compared to daily actuals, integrated with accounting to accelerate accounts receivable invoice preparation. • Tank gauging and balancing: Advanced measurement capabilities streamline manual tank gauging and automatically perform volume corrections for different grades of crude and refined products. • Internal and external reporting: Single terminal management solution eliminates data delays, providing management with timely access to terminal key performance indicators (KPIs) and accelerating regulatory data preparation. PHILLIPS 66’S BEAUMONT TERMINAL: CASE STUDY IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION With 74 tanks and capacity to store 16.8 million bbl of crude oil and refined products, the Texas-based Beaumont Terminal is the largest storage facility in the Phillips 66 portfolio, accommodating shipments from pipelines, railcars, and barges. Phillips 66 had previously used a legacy software solution to track customer inventory. Growing customer demand and the necessity to manage 18 types of refined products and different grades of crude oil led to increasing accounting complexity. The Beaumont Terminal’s extensive footprint and commodity storage requirements also created complex measurement challenges for Phillips 66. It needed to account for loss and gain across large volumes and numbers of transactions, requiring complex calculations that vary for each type of crude and refined product. Phillips 66 partnered with W Energy Software to deploy its cloud-based terminal management solution, tailored to the unique accounting complexities of the Beaumont Terminal. The solution enables the service provider to capture daily and monthly tank balances, manage contracts, rates, and periodic fees for dozens of customers, and create tickets for unit train, railcar, and barge. Additionally, Phillips 66’s regulatory reporting team benefits from streamline ExSTARS data preparation, further enhancing operational accounting efficiency. As a charter member of W Energy Software’s Measurement Product Consortium, Phillips 66 collaborated with the software developer to pioneer new measurement capabilities for terminal operations that are being made available through its WE Measure solution slated to be released in Q4 of 2021. Through this innovation partnership, the Beaumont Terminal benefits from advanced tank gauging and measurement functionality to track and balance volumes for 18 different types of crude oil and refined products as well as measurement calculations for tickets. To succeed, terminal operators need agility from their digital systems, as midstream storage facility customers find new ways to move hydrocarbons along pipelines, in trucks, along railways, and on barges. And as business and accounting complexity increase – adding more contracts and injecting new measurement challenges – along with expanding infrastructure, more terminals are being upgraded with the latest cloud technologies to automate accounting workflows, cut costs, and respond to shifting markets faster. Increasingly, midstream companies are embracing technology partnerships with innovators like W Energy Software to continuously deliver the accounting capabilities that solve the terminal management challenges of today and tomorrow. For more information: This article was written by Michael Ferrante, VP of transportation at W Energy Software. www.wenergysoftware.com 01 W Energy Software’s oil and gas SaaS platform for the energy value chain PAGE 59 TECHNICAL TANK TELEMETRY HELPING FUEL OIL DISTRIBUTORS TO IMPROVE PROFITABILITY Nick Hawkins from Kingspan on why companies shouldn’t miss out on new tank telemetry technology TANK TELEMETRY has undoubtedly been one of the great advances for the fuel and oil storage sector in the last 10 years. 01 02 Many millions of the basic, firstgeneration, devices have so far been installed across the globe as customers take advantage of a gauge that allows them to check their supplies from the comfort of their own home or office. But that’s far from the end of the story. New, smart, connected devices are underpinning improved, distributor business models, and they can help distributors meet changing customer expectations, shaped during the recent pandemic lockdowns. WHAT IS TANK TELEMETRY? Around one million UK households currently rely on oil for their heating and hot water, and increasingly fuel oil distributors (FODs) and tank manufacturers are pre-fitting telemetry to their tank population. The new connected tank telemetry devices use either ultrasonic, radar, or hydrostatic pressure to measure the amount of oil in the tank and provide data. The main benefits that this provides for end-users include: • Accurate and easy 24/7 monitoring displayed on a smart phone or tablet • Better understanding of usage levels (including seasonal peaks and troughs) that can inform future fuel usage • Predicted run-out dates • Sudden drop or theft alerts • Ability to measure remote property fuel levels • Manage fuel for an elderly relative or neighbour • Peace of mind that they will never run out unexpectedly Acting early on this information allows customers to plan for, and buy, their oil judiciously. Plus, tank telemetry can add a layer of security to customer supplies PAGE 60 by sending out push notifications to alert users to any sudden drops in oil levels as a result of a leak or theft. 03 Growth in the market has been helped by telemetry’s versatility: there is now a technology solution for every application, from plastic tanks, steel tanks, domestic or commercial situations, to diesel dispensers and mobile bowsers. DATA GENERATION & CONNECTIVITY These new ‘smart’ devices are compatible with a range of connectivities such as 2G, 3G, 4G, NB-IoT, LoRa & SIGFOX. And with radar technology there isn’t even the need to drill a hole in plastic tanks owned by domestic customers. They not only provide a point-in-time level for end-users – they can also transmit and record: • • • • • • real-time location (GPS); fuel temperature; fill amounts; single event dispensing; usage over time; and fuel management. In short, they generate data – and data, as we all know, is becoming more valuable day-by-day. The relative reduction in hardware costs coupled with the transformation in choice, coverage, and reliability of new connectivities is now accelerating the widespread adoption of this smart tank technology, creating a huge data mine. It also offers FODs the opportunity to view and monitor – as well as export – customer tank data across their entire footprint; data which can be provided to them via secure servers that also, incidentally, offer mapping functionality. Mapping means the FOD can use this TECHNICAL TANK TELEMETRY data for more than simply generating customer orders; they can use it to reduce delivery frequency and optimise routing. Again, this offers major business benefits, from better resource and asset (vehicular) planning to operational efficiencies such as optimising payloads. Essentially, the data allows more accurate forward planning for FODs, significantly cutting travel times to customers as well as reducing delivery frequencies and lowering left-on-boards; all key performance indicators (KPIs) for business efficiency ratings. Given that FODs only make money when they are pumping, any improvement in efficiency should (everything else being equal) also have a positive impact on the bottom line. THE NEW BUSINESS MODEL FOR FODS There is clear evidence backing these claims. European countries were early adopters of this low-cost, high-accuracy, high-reliability, data-gathering, tank technology, and their FODs have been equally quick to realise its potential. These FODs not only link the data via API feeds to their fuel management software in order to auto-generate customer orders, they also link the information to routing software, allowing them to optimise fleet efficiency. Some are going further and basing their entire business around fleet optimisation and route planning. This has the knockon effect of removing the customers’ decision to purchase because their FOD can now effectively manage their fuel supplies. Their fuel arrives automatically in the same way that gas and electric just arrive at properties connected to the grid. And the enabler that underpins this business model is smart telemetry. It has created major operational gains for those distributors, allowing them to achieve significant efficiencies while, at the same time, improving customer service, retention levels, and smoothing the demand curve. 04 New, smart, connected devices are underpinning improved, distributor business models, and can help distributors meet changing customer expectations, shaped during the recent pandemic But that’s not all. Greater FOD operational efficiencies are also good for the environment: better forecasting/ planning has been shown to lower carbon emissions and assist in achieving emissions scope targets. Plus, the system can significantly improve customer service. By agreeing to share their data with an FOD, a customer no longer has to monitor their own oil levels or plan for restocking; all this is taken care of for them by the distributor. This doesn’t just take the weight of responsibility off the customer; it also offers an additional business benefit for the FOD. By signing-up to the service, a customer will be agreeing to regular direct debit payments, which effectively brings to an end any adhoc spot-buying behaviour. The result is that customer loyalty and retention levels rise. MEETING CUSTOMER DEMAND IN A POST-COVID WORLD The dramatic increase in consumer online purchasing seen during lockdown is a trend that is probably going to continue, even when restrictions are lifted, and one of the most notable impacts that buying online has had is to stimulate faster delivery times. Consumers want their purchases to arrive as quickly as possible – ideally the next day. Meeting a short deadline may be possible when demand is low, but when demand peaks – as it does for the fuel/oil sector during bad weather – then delivery times are likely to be stretched. 05 In fact, it’s almost impossible for any FOD to provide a next day service at periods of high demand, however great the customer need. To do so, means stockpiling supplies and mothballing resources, including tankers, for lengthy periods during the year. Given the relative unpredictability/infrequency of these adverse weather events this is not an option. What’s more, these peak periods can be times of huge frustration and expensive waste for FODs. In their panic, customers often book more than one delivery – on the basis that the first FOD to arrive will fill the tank. Since customers are not always vigilant at cancelling orders from other suppliers, which may be in transit at the time, it can lead to many fruitless journeys. Tank telemetry offers a solution. By organising and scheduling deliveries in advance, FODs can ‘smooth the demand curve’, reduce the levels of pressure on their companies, and keep all their customers comfortably topped up. IN CONCLUSION The UK’s storage tank sector is entering a new and exciting era. Smart tank telemetry is becoming more ubiquitous and improvements in connectivity means that secure access to the data it provides now extends to FODs. Technology has turned static oil containers into intelligent fuel storage solutions, enabling FODs to harness customer data and use it to meet heightened customer expectations and improve their businesses. As studies on the continent have proved, it’s a trend that FODs should take notice of if they are not to miss out. For more information: This article was written by Nick Hawkins, Kingspan’s commercial director UK & Ireland. www.kingspan.com/gb/en-gb 01 Watchman Access fleet fuel management system 02 Tank telemetry now integrates with Amazon’s Alexa 03 Kingspan Connect app: Easy 24/7 oil tank monitoring on a smart phone or tablet 04 Watchman WAPex remote tank monitoring system using 2G, 3G, 4G and radio frequency connection 05 Watchman Radar: precision monitoring for tanks up to 3 m high PAGE 61 TECHNICAL MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION – REDUCING RISK IN A PANDEMIC Mark Busch at Conidia Bioscience looks at how single use immunoassay fuel test kits can help MICROBIOLOGICAL contamination (fungi and bacteria in fuel) is a serious risk to tank storage operations, especially if fuel turnover is lower. However, there are some fast, economical steps that can be taken to prevent unnecessary costs and risks to business. The really bad news is that microbiological contamination is transferrable along the fuel supply chain. The challenge is to manage the levels of risk efficiently and economically. Of course, while living through a pandemic, consideration also needs to be given to the risks posed to staff and the public by carrying out unnecessary activities. ORGANIC MATERIALS Like a piece of bread, fuel is an organic substance. Also like a piece of bread, fuel can go mouldy. Mould, along with yeast, is a form of fungus and grows over time. The longer it is stored, therefore, the greater the risk that this naturally occurring microbiological contamination will thrive. Fuel inherently contains water in some form as soon as it leaves the sterile environment of the refinery. Water can be picked up at any point in the supply chain; in pipelines, storage tanks and fuelling trucks. It can also naturally enter storage tanks due to condensation, making it impossible to keep it completely out of the supply chain. Of course, many companies will have sophisticated wet stock management with water sensory equipment, but even the smallest amount of water (far from the levels these mechanisms can detect) can improve conditions for microbiological growth. WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF RISK? During the pandemic, national lockdowns have created a slump in the use of fuel across aviation, marine and land transport. Grounded aircraft, working from home, school closures, and decimation of the cruise industry have all contributed to reduced fuel consumption. Even where fuel turnover remains high, additional care should be taken that incoming fuel supplies are not contaminated. ‘The ‘diesel bug’ is something that anyone storing fuel in bulk is generally aware of, but maybe not of the increasing risks it poses,’ says Rachel Harrison at UK fuel management software company Fueltek. PAGE 62 FUEL TESTING, FAST AND SIMPLE Although it is good practice to remove as much water as possible from fuel supplies, coupling this with a sound testing regime will provide a clear picture of what is going on inside storage tanks. By understanding the level of contamination in a storage tank, smarter, more economical decisions can be made about what actions to take without just decanting the fuel, cleaning tanks, and adding an additive such as biocide at first suspicion of contamination. Estimates for cleaning and treating an underground storage tank can be up to as much £20,000 (€23,500). Any alert system that helps earlier intervention to apply a cheaper solution is, therefore, almost certainly a good thing to consider. A testing regime developed over time to optimise testing frequency will reduce the risk of major impact from microbiological contamination. There are two broad options for testing: sending samples to a laboratory or using onsite test kits. While sending fuel samples to a laboratory may appear to be the simpler option, the time to get a result can be significant, especially when laboratories are overwhelmed with Like a piece of bread, fuel is an organic substance. Also like a piece of bread, fuel can go mouldy. Mould, along with yeast, is a form of fungus and grows over time other testing. Even in ‘normal’ times, however, testing of samples taken offsite needs to happen in a matter of hours as when samples are preserved in transit, the microbiological community may change and therefore the test results may not be representative of the microbiological growth in the tank. Samples need to be stored/transported under environmentally controlled conditions to ensure microbiological growth remains representative of the fuel from which the sample was taken, and conditions have not caused accelerated growth or damage to the microbes. Transporting fuel samples further increases the opportunity for cross-contamination and erroneous results. When looking to send samples for offsite testing, then ASTM 6469 offers a Standard Guide for Microbial Contamination in Fuels and Fuel Systems, which advises testing the sample within 24 hours and transportation on ice for most accurate results. On-site testing using antibody (immunoassay) test kits offer a simple and economical alternative. There are a few basic rules to follow for any testing process, including ensuring sampling points are effectively cleaned, sampling equipment is cleaned between each sample extraction, and, ideally, a new sampling container should be used for each sample to minimise risk of crosscontamination. Other than that, the process is remarkably straight forward. ‘A regime of good fuel husbandry and management should be in place, and antibody test kits are a useful, inexpensive tool to support this. We have used the antibody testing kits extensively to satisfy our customers’ demands to ensure they are using clean uncontaminated fuel. They have proved reliable and successful and have added another income stream to our organisation,’ says Harrison. WHAT ARE ANTIBODY TEST KITS? Antibody test kits are a well-proven method of identifying specific molecules and have long been used in the medical TECHNICAL MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION 01 industry. Today, many people are aware of the term as they are used to test for COVID-19 infection, but they are used in many other areas, such as pregnancy testing, for example. These kits use antibodies that bind to a specific antigen to detect its presence and produce a measurable signal in response to this binding that can be used to assess fuel contamination levels. Microbiological contamination correlates to the activity of microbiological growth in the sample. The amount of antigen produced when microorganisms grow in the fuel is measured for a known sample size. This correlates to the number of active microorganisms in the fuel and produces a fully accurate indication of contamination levels. SIMPLE, COST-EFFECTIVE TESTING, EASILY IMPLEMENTED IN THE FIELD Single use immunoassay fuel test kits such as Fuelstat from Conidia Bioscience clearly and accurately show levels of contamination for major aerobic fuel contaminates. They can be used by a single person with minimal training, requires no capital equipment, are compliant to ASTM D8070, and are widely used and recognised by the aviation industry along with major international oil companies (IOCs), and large machinery manufacturers. If the results app is The speed and ease of using immunoassay test kits mean the mitigation of contamination risk can be easily managed in day-to-day operations installed on a mobile device, this can further be used to get an instant digital verification of test results and to store and share them with appropriate personnel, wherever they are located. The speed and ease of using immunoassay test kits mean the mitigation of contamination risk can be easily managed in day-to-day operations. Using this straightforward method of onsite testing, tanks can be protected from the risk of damage from microbiological contamination while unnecessary cleaning or biocide dosing of tanks that do not have significant levels of contamination can be avoided, reducing both time and cost of operations. During the pandemic, increasing testing frequency to allow for the greater risks posed to the fuel supply chain from yearly to quarterly may increase testing costs from US$100–400 (€170-340) per year, but if this allows such early detection of contamination so that only a biocide and/or fuel polishing exercise is required, and the cost of constantly changing filters, tank cleaning, fuel disposal or downgrading are avoided, then the savings and operational uptime benefits are significant and relatively easy to achieve. SUMMARY With no upfront costs, in-depth training or special handling required, immunoassay test kits offer an economical way to bolster fuel husbandry regimes and protect from unplanned maintenance. While the impact of the pandemic has lowered fuel throughput and, therefore, increased risk of contamination, more regular testing using these test kits will help lower maintenance costs and reduce business risk. Ultimately, they offer a remarkably simple, fast, and low-cost way to make smarter maintenance decisions and mitigate the risks of contamination. For more information: www.conidia.com 01 Fuelstat test kit and app PAGE 63 TECHNICAL CYBER SECURITY RANSOMWARE AND INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS Chris van den Hooven from Hudson Cybertec explains how organisations can protect themselves against ransomware attacks ON 7 MAY 2021 a ransomware attack took down the Colonial Pipeline infrastructure. Ransomware is a form of malicious software designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the computer systems that rely on them unusable. Attackers then demand ransom in exchange for decryption. In the case of Colonial Pipeline the attackers demanded a ransom of about US$5 million (€4.3 million). The impact of the attack on the largest gasoline pipeline in the US was enormous. Colonial had to shut down the operations and within a day fuel shortages hit Charlotte Douglas International Airport and filling stations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The restart of the pipeline operations began on 12 May and operations had returned to normal on the 15 May. Vehicle fuel supplies took some time to return to normal. THE INCREASING RANSOMWARE PROBLEM A ransomware attack is possible on any type of IT infrastructure. There have been many successful attacks on all PAGE 64 kind of organisations. One of the most recent attacks took place on Kaseya, a company providing management and security software to managed service providers (MSPs). The MSPs provide IT management services to their customers. By attacking Kaseya, the attackers ended up in affecting more than 1,500 organisations. In this situation, data is exfiltrated to the attacker, before the ransomware software encrypts the attacked system. The attacker will threaten to leak or auction off company secrets. The ‘business model’ of such attackers is proven to be very successful. The ‘market’ has become very professionalised and organised. Chainanalysis estimated that US$350 million in ransom payments were made in 2020. The ransomware groups apparently invested in even better attack tools. There are specialised criminal groups working together. Groups writing the malicious software, groups using this software against their targets, groups laundering the money, etc. In 2015 cybercrime already was more profitable than the drug trade. A ransomware attack can be successful against an industrial control system (ICS), but most of the attacks are targeted to business systems. However, even attacks against business systems will have an impact on the plant. In case of the Colonial Pipeline attack, cybersecurity reporter Kim Zetter suggested hackers specifically had access to the company’s billing system, rather than direct control over the pipeline itself. A common reaction to a ransomware attack is to restore the systems from the backup. The attackers anticipated in two ways: encrypting the backups as well, and introducing the ‘double extortion’. Double extortion was a new approach among ransomware groups in 2020. PROTECTING AN ICS AGAINST RANSOMWARE In its publication Threat landscape for industrial automation systems - Statistics for H2 2020, security firm Kaspersky published a percentage of ICS computers on which malicious software was found (and blocked). For the oil and gas industry it was an alarming 44%. Ransomware threats for ICS are growing. In June 2021, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) TECHNICAL CYBER SECURITY released a fact sheet highlighting the ransomware threats in 2021 in relation to operational technology (OT) assets and ICS. ‘Given the importance of critical infrastructure to national security and America’s way of life, accessible OT assets are an attractive target for malicious cyber actors,’ says CISA. Obviously, this statement is true for many parts of the world, including Europe. GOVERNMENTS ARE RESPONDING In reaction to the increasing ransomware problem the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on 20 July 2021 issued a second security directive meant to strengthen critical pipelines against cyberattacks. In Europe there is a proposal for a revised directive on the Security of Network and Information Systems (NIS2 Directive). The NIS2 applies to many essential entities, including tank storage of oil. Another way governments seem to respond is to attack the attackers. In case of the Colonial Pipeline US law enforcement agents successfully retrieved roughly US$2.3 million of the ransom paid. In the case of the attack on Kaseya, the ransomware group behind this attack, called REvil, seems to have vanished. The reason behind this is unknown, but the common belief is that some government forced them to disappear. Ransomware has also become a diplomatic issue for the US, because the perpetrators of the attacks often appear to reside in countries unwilling to extradite them to the US, like Russia or North Korea. US President Joe Biden urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to ‘take action to disrupt’ online criminal organisations in Russia. The EU and its member states have expressed their solidarity with the US on the impact of malicious cyber activities which the US believes have been conducted by groups operating in Russia. PROTECTING AGAINST RANSOMWARE In order to protect an organisation, it is important to understand how a ransomware attack usually takes place. A successful cyber attack, including a ransomware attack, requires several steps. The cyber security specialists of Lockheed Martin were the first to describe these steps as The Cyber Kill Chain. The steps are similar to the steps a common burglar might take if he wanted to steal or damage goods from a big office building: 1. Learn as much as possible from the security measures in place. How do employees enter the building? Do they need badges? Is there a back door? 2. Find a way in. This could be sneaking in during broad daylight by just mingling with the employees coming back from their lunch break. 3. Organise access on demand. This could be stealing a company badge or stealing keys from a back door, by which the attacker can get access any time he wants. 4. Once in, find the room with the valuable goods. This might take some trial and error. 5. Once found, steal or damage the goods the burglar was looking for. To prevent a scenario like this, organisations have all kinds of measures in place. Guards might notice if someone is observing the property. Badges and mantraps ensure no one without a badge can enter. Strict procedures for managing keys make it harder to steal them. A closed-circuit security camera system makes it difficult to wander around in the building unnoticed. Preventing a successful cyber attack, including a ransomware attack, requires the cyber equivalent of these measures. One might keep an eye on the internet (including the hidden darknet) and notice the company is discussed as a potential target. Enforcing strong authentication for network access makes it harder to find a way in and makes it harder to steal a password. Segmenting the network makes it more difficult to get access to the most valuable systems. Monitoring the network and investigating any unusual behaviour makes it harder for an attacker to remain unnoticed. WHERE TO START The attacker has an advantage, needing only one loophole, while the defender must have everything in order. History has shown that this is next to impossible. While preventing an attack is very hard, detecting an ongoing attack is often very well possible. It takes time, sometimes months, for an attacker to reach his goal. Every security measure will impose a delay. Once enough barriers (network segmenting, strong authentication, etc.) and monitoring are in place it becomes next to impossible for an attacker to remain unnoticed. The advantage will shift away from the attacker and performing a successful attack becomes much harder. The value of monitoring is one of the reasons Hudson Cybertec developed OT Insight, a network monitoring and compliance solution. The IEC 62443 is a series of standards for protection industrial automation and control systems (IACS). This IEC 62443-2-1 describes how to establish an industrial automation and control system security programme. This standard describes three basic steps for the security programme: risk analysis, addressing risk, and monitoring and improving the programme. The various other parts focus on the development of secure components, how to perform risk analysis and building and managing IACS in a secure manner. Applying this standard ensures a structured way in improving the cyber security of any IACS system. It will result in enough barriers to stop or slow down an attacker and monitoring to detect malicious activities. For more information: 01 This article was written by Chris van den Hooven, senior cyber security consultant at Hudson Cybertec. www.hudsoncybertec.com/tsm 01 Filling station in Georgia out of fuel with yellow bags on pumps during the Colonial Pipeline outage PAGE 65 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Supported By UNLOCKING NEW VALUE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ENERGY SYSTEM The ADIPEC 2021 Strategic Programme will provide attendees with an unparalleled opportunity to gather and gain unique insights into how the energy industry has responded to the challenges of COVID-19, and how it is adapting more broadly in the face of accelerated energy transitions, growing global ambitions for sustainable integrated energy value chains and net-zero emissions. 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Dedicated hydrogen sessions throughout the four day conference ADIPEC CONFERENCE LISTING: Strategic Conference SPE Technical Conference Downstream Technical Conference Smart Manufacturing Conference NEW Offshore & Marine Conference The ADIPEC Forum for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Attend In-Person Scan QR Code to Register as a Delegate www.adipec.com/confreg #ADIPEC #ADIPEC2021 #ADNOC #ATTENDINPERSON Partners TOTAL TOT_21_00008_TotalEnergies_Logo_RGB JFB 30-34 Rue du Chemin Vert 75011 Paris +33 (0)1 85 56 97 00 www.carrenoir.com TONS RECOMMANDÉS RED Country Partner Platinum Sponsor Host City Venue Partner GREEN Ce fichier est un document d’exécution créé sur Illustrator version CS6. Date : 26/05/2021 TECHNIQUE BLUE Gold Sponsors Market Insights Partner Knowledge Partner Decarbonisation Partner Technical Conference Organised By Brought To You By TECHNICAL SECURITY PHYSICAL SECURITY IN THE BLIND SPOT Security professional Duane Jones on the importance of ensuring that physical and cyber security complement each other THE PROLIFERATION of cyber threats against critical infrastructure, such as the ransomware attack against Colonial Pipeline in May 2021, will continue to require added attention, resources, and proactive strategies in lieu of reactive ones. While the cyber threats are quite real against virtually all type of industry, critical infrastructure is an obvious high-value target for numerous threat vectors. However, with the majority of attention now focussed on cyber elements, companies must ensure they do not position their physical security programme in the blind spot of their integrated security posture. THE PHYSICAL/CYBER NEXUS The days of purely manual efforts in the tank farms, pipelines, etc. have long since passed with a great reliance on automation. The reality remains that both cyber and physical elements will continue to experience threats given the potential vulnerabilities which exist in both arenas. Fortunately, most businesses recognise and implement the need to separate critical operational elements, such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) are completely separated from other business systems, such as email and internet access points. Doing so serves to reduce the exploitation of vulnerabilities by nefarious actors, such as nation states, criminal organisations, and of course, the human element. Risk reduction in operations is always an objective, and with cyber and physical security it is vital management understands they are always joined in some manner. The physical/cyber interaction may be limited in an effort to minimise cyber risks, but the physical vulnerabilities must be addressed continually in order to identify those ‘blind spots’ which can negatively impact both physical and cyber security, as well as raise compliance concerns within regulatory programmes such as the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Security, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA)/Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements. Both physical and cyber security must complement each other since both share potential adversaries, vulnerabilities, and threats, along with the risk reduction elements from an effective integrated security management system. THREAT VECTORS Twenty years after the 9/11 physical attacks on the US, the types of threats and tactics have evolved, both in sophistication and especially in the actors which operate in an ongoing electronic war. The ability to attack an asset remotely and with almost complete anonymity provides an enormous advantage to the entity initiating the attack. Twenty years ago, the adversary was obvious with a clear objective. The traditional criminal elements still operated in 2001, but 2021 has shown the electronic attack mode is the preferred and safest method for an adversary to inflict harm on US assets and companies. Organised criminal elements operating abroad primarily focus on financial gains as their modus opera director. Nation states will always utilise all methods available as well to obtain information to meet intelligence objectives, and therefore will remain a constant concern. Additionally, adversaries with ideological motivations will also present threats as terrorist organisations evolve, change, and grow. Lastly, we cannot overlook the internal threat that may exist and can manifest itself in a number of ways, such as workplace violence and insider threats. While multiple threat vectors are always present, resources and attention for 2021 and beyond will primarily focus on addressing the cyber threats. While doing so is necessary, appropriate emphasis must continue toward addressing and maintaining an appropriate level of physical security as well. PAGE 67 TECHNICAL SECURITY MORE THAN A CHECK MARK The physical security programmes at most facilities are relatively mature at this point, with routine training, audits, drills/exercises, etc., especially locations subject to security regulations along with company requirements. A concern with a mature programme is that it becomes more of a routine and just a check mark if management becomes tone deaf to the potential threats. A facility that has never had a reportable security incident usually believes there is not a viable threat or that the security programme is adequate to deter or detect an adversary. Unfortunately, the lack of an identified incident does not mean the facility has not been targeted in some way. A location that has not experienced a security issue may simply be one day closer to such an event. All security programmes generally strive for a layered ‘defence in depth’ approach. As such, when one layer is inadequate in some way, the entire programme is less effective and therefore subject to exploitation. With the increased focus on cyber threats, the potential for physical security to become that exploitable layer increases when resources and focus for physical measures wane. EXPLOITABLE PHYSICAL SECURITY When a physical security programme becomes ineffective or stale, an adversary then has the chance to identify a weak point or a target of opportunity. Regardless of the adversary, the path of the least resistance is the one most often chosen. While well maintained security equipment can be very effective, ultimately it is the human element that all too often intentionally or unintentionally allows a vulnerability to exist. Unfortunately, the lack of an identified incident does not mean the facility has not been targeted in some way Accepting that most physical security programmes focus on access control measures as the cornerstone of the programme, failure to maintain positive access control negates many other elements of the integrated security management system. Consider a facility that shifts the resources to countering the cyber threat to the point where physical security takes a backseat. If the access control element is not as effective as needed, an adversary could potentially gain access to critical facility components. As all cyber awareness messages focus on ensuring only authorised persons gain access to the system, poor physical access control that allows an unknown entity inside the perimeter immediately increases the risks of a negative event. One unidentified person at the facility with a jump drive can cause significant damage to the facility and its operations. Potential scenarios are unlimited when ineffective physical security measures are allowed or occur at a facility. MAKE THE COMMITMENT Every facility must decide how to allocate available resources which may leave the security programme fighting for personnel, equipment, training resources, etc. As security is often viewed as a resource drain with little or no return on investment, unfortunately management may believe the security programme is the best place to limit resources. Completion of a security assessment to identify facility-specific threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences should occur on a regular basis to assist management in understanding where physical security resources are a must. Quantifying deterrence will always be a challenge for the security programme. For more information: Duane Jones, owner of SecurityAwarenessToday, has over 30 years’ experience in security management and counterintelligence operations. Jones background includes service as a special agent (US Army) and director of security for a Fortune 500 company. Jones holds an MS in Security Management from Bellevue University. PAGE 68 8 - 10 March 2022 Ahoy, Rotterdam Place yourself at the heart of the leading bulk liquid storage event Register for free today using code > 1009 www.stocexpo.com TECHNICAL TANK ALARMS TANK ALARM MONITORING TO KEEP KENYA FUELLED Ian Loudon from tank monitoring alarm specialist Omniflex looks at how alarm systems are used for managing tank overfill conditions IF NOT monitored correctly, loss of containment from a tank or storage vessel could pose a serious safety risk to people or the environment. This is why Burhani Engineers, the company installing overfill protection systems in the largest tank storage facility in Mombasa, Kenya, needed reliable, high level alarm instrumentation to help protect critical assets. Having the right alarm system ensures safety in a tank facility. The UK’s Major Incident Investigation Board report into the Buncefield fire in 2005 concluded that insufficient or faulty critical safety equipment are often the key root cause of tank overfill incidents. This report led to the creation of the international API 2350 standard for tank facilities, requiring audible alarming systems and data collection processes to be implemented for the continuous monitoring of overfill parameters. To provide protection against overfill incidents, an independent high-level alarm system over and above the normal gauging system is required. PROBLEMS WITH CURRENT AUTOMATED SYSTEMS For aboveground storage tanks, a key challenge for engineers is being able to respond to instrument failures adequately. Previously, operator response time has been cited as the cause for several high profile overfill incidents, including the Buncefield fire. Having the correct mission-critical alarm annunciators is the simplest and most effective solution to ensure quick responses to potentially dangerous overfill events. Even in a facility with a single tank, monitoring tank conditions using level gauges, control valves and stop/start PAGE 70 pumps may not be sufficient to do without overfill alarms. However, in a large facility with multiple tanks carrying out regular inspections can be extremely time consuming and the chance of human error is exacerbated. What’s more, if a level gauge is faulty and a manual inspection doesn’t pick this up, there is the risk of a potentially dangerous overfill event. Even in the best-case scenario, a clean-up operation even for a small spillage could be unproductive and costly. If tank terminals do not have audible alarms, measurement errors could go undetected and the chance of human error increases. For this reason, Burhani Engineers engaged Omniflex, which provided a simple solution for Kenya’s main gas oil and diesel storage facility. THE BOTTOM LINE Traditionally, the level limit alarm for a tank storage facility would be hardwired back to the control room to control pumping and tank discharge. This is all well and good until there is a system failure or human error preventing the transmission of alarm signals. By placing an independent limit alarm with a high or ‘Hi’ and a high-high or ‘HiHi’ alarm integrated into a SIL-certified annunciator panel in the field, alarms will sound locally and around a facility until issues have been resolved. Operators near the tanks, as well as those in the control room, are forced by the annunciator to acknowledge and rectify the problem straightaway. With this, site managers are notified of a potential overfill threat before a compromising event occurs and, importantly, near miss events are detected and logged. For this to be effective, independent limit alarm and level measurement transmitters are placed on each terminal storage tank and hardwired to an annunciator. Each transmitter can provide two contact outputs: a high-level alert to act as a warning before levels reach the urgent and potentially dangerous high-high level. Audible and visual alarm statuses are given by the annunciator to attract the attention of operators. In a facility with upwards of 80 tanks, like Mombasa, the potential difficulty for site managers is determining which tank alarm annunciator is sounding. There is a simple answer to this, because, in many cases, all field alarm statuses are also displayed in the control room, along with GSM-based SMS alerts generated to notify relevant personnel 24/7. The GSM alert expects an acknowledgement from the recipient otherwise it escalates the alert to someone else. There are three levels of escalation to ensure efficient action is taken to prevent overfills, even in an unmanned area of the facility. Most importantly near miss events do not go undetected. The storage facility in Mombasa is an integral piece of infrastructure because it pumps fuel inland through all of Kenya and other areas of Eastern Africa. Burhani’s expertise and suite of measurement instrumentation coupled with Omniflex alarm systems makes the task of managing tank conditions efficient, simple and safe. For further information: Ian Loudon is the international sales and marketing manager at Omniflex. Contact Gary Bradshaw, Omniflex (UK) on [email protected] or +44 (0)161 491 4144 www.omniflex.com Organised By 30 November - 3 December 2021 Rome Cavalieri Hotel, Rome, Italy The End Of Year Meeting Place For The World’s LNG Leaders Global LNG Leaders Confirmed To Speak Include Kunio Nohata Representative Director, Executive Vice President Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd Jill Evanko CEO & President Chart Industries, Inc. Martin Houston Vice Chairman Tellurian Seah Cyn Yi Global Head of Trading, Shipping & Operations Pavilion Energy Steve Hill Executive Vice President Shell Energy Jonty Shepard VP of Global LNG Trading & Origination BP Maria Rita Galli CEO DESFA Kwaku Boakye Adjei Director Tema LNG PLATINUM SPONSOR GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS Technology for a Sustainable World WORLDLNGSUMMIT.COM #WLNG TW A N ER T W P X L R TE 21 20 IS G > BER RE OW CEM N DE 7 -9 PO EX N |A SH AP P ER TW IN O GT F H BR E EA FU KB TU U RE LK P ER TW N A REGISTRATION NOW OPEN > WWW.ANTWERPXL.COM Host sponsor TECHNICAL LIGHTNING LIGHTNING RISK MITIGATION – MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE Dr Akihiro Wakabayashi, CTO of Critical Facility Group, looks at why tank fires and explosions are still happening and what can be done to reduce the risk still lacking in many tank storage facilities. This poses major concerns for the potential damaging consequences of tank fires and explosions. The investment, however, in improved risk mitigation measures can actually be relatively small when measured against the overall cost of tank construction and even smaller when measured against the potential damages and losses. 01 THE FIRE TRIANGLE tank roof and the wall to avoid bound charge accumulation. This can result in secondary arcing – ‘ignition’ in case of a nearby lightning strike. Initial research by the API shows that these shunts may fail to provide the required contact between the tank roof and wall and are prone to wear and tear issues. Without a properly earthed roof, the risk of arcing still exists. Updated recommended practices outlined in API 545 (now part of NFPA 780) around tank protection include: The fire triangle states that for a fire 1. 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The of such incidents happens on a yearly basis incidents happens on a yearly basis in RETRACTABLE facilities around the world and causes significant impact on environmental damages, can be initiated not only from a direct around the world and causes significant impact on environmental damages, facilities around the world and causesfacilities facilities around the world and causes significant impact on environmental damages BYPASS CONDUCTORS strike to to the tank, but also through the and in some significant impact on environmental interruption interruption operation, business losses cases severe injuries and loss of to operation, business losses and in some cases severe injuries and loss of lives. interruption operation, business in some cases severe injuries and losslives. of lives secondaryto effects of lightning from a losses andAmong the three recommended damages, interruption to operation, nearby strike. practicesis inis API 545, the- retractable business losses and in some cases severe major cause these tankfire fireand andexplosion explosion incidents lightning - one ofearth’s earth’s most A Amajor cause ofofthese tank incidents lightning one most A major cause of these tank fire and explosion incidents is lightning -of one of earth’s mos bypass conductor appears to be the most injuries and loss of lives. frequently occurring natural disasters. The meteorological office in the UK estimates that frequently occurring natural disasters. The meteorological office in the UK estimates that frequently occurring natural disasters. The meteorological office in the UK estimates tha practical in terms of downtime and cost of A major cause of these tank fire and CURRENT LIGHTNING lightning strikes the earth around 3 million times a day. lightning strikes the earth around 3 million times a day. retrofitting existing tanks. lightning the earth around 3 million times a day. explosion incidents is lightning - one of RISK strikes MITIGATION PRACTICES Currently, two types of bypass earth’s most frequently occurring natural major studyWelded conducted tank firesbybythe the Swedish National Testing andResearch Research InIna amajor study conducted onontank Swedish National Testing and API 650: steel tanks for oilfires the Swedish National Testing conductors are used – retractable and and Research disasters. The meteorological office in the In a major study conducted on tank fires by storage require bonding (grounding) Institute as early as 2004, it was discovered that almost a third of the 480 tank fire incidents Institute as early as 2004, it was discovered that almost a third of the 480 tank fire incidents non-retractable. UK estimates that lightning strikes the Institute astoearly as 2004, it was shunts be provided between thediscovered that almost a third of the 480 tank fire incident earth around 3 million times a day. reported reportedininthe themedia mediawere werecaused causedbybylightning. lightning. In a major study conducted on tank fires by the Swedish National Testing and Research Institute as early as 2004, it was discovered that almost a third of the 480 tank fire incidents reported in the media were caused by lightning. reported in the media were caused by lightning. 02 Another study, sponsored by 16 companies in the oil industry, also found that 52 out of 55 rim seal fires were caused by lightning. Many of these major fires took many hours and resources to extinguish, resulting in great economic losses and downtime to the facility. In some cases, employees and residents in nearby neighbourhoods had to be evacuated for safety reasons. The direct and indirect ramifications are usually of gigantic proportions. Despite the numerous lightning related tank incidents reported worldwide, the improvement in mitigation measures is Another study, sponsored companies the oilindustry, industry, alsofound found that52 52out out of5555 Another study, sponsored byby1616 companies ininthe also that PAGE 73 Another study, sponsored by 16 companies inoilthe oil industry, also found that 52ofout of 55 rim seal fires were caused by lightning. Many of these major fires took many hours andand rim seal caused by lightning. ManyMany of these majormajor fires took manymany hourshours and rim fires seal were fires were caused by lightning. of these fires took resources extinguish, resulting great economic losses anddowntime downtime the facility. resources totoextinguish, resulting iningreat economic losses and totothe InIn In resources to extinguish, resulting in great economic losses and downtime tofacility. the facility. countries. The new design addressed all the aforesaid disadvantages of retractable bypass conductors and also mitigates the newly discovered risk of braided tape type bypass conductors. When this article went to print it is also the only retractable bypass conductor in this product category that has attained both ATEX and IECEx certification. TECHNICAL LIGHTNING The introduction of the DBC has allowed for a relatively easy and inexpensive way to bond floating roofs and tank shells on both old and new tanks while ensuring the shortest possible route with very low resistance. 03 API545 recommends that EACH (NOT THE SUM) of the bypass conductors have a maximum end to end resistance of 0.03 ohms. As such, the typical braided tape is made of copper strands woven together to form the tape. However, these copper strands are prone to corrosion especially in an environment where highly corrosive chemical like hydrogen The non-retractable types are simple to since its first introduction. To meet sulphide is present. install but have some key disadvantages: the needs for improved performance Additionally, over time, the braided tape degrades (the strands break or are corroded) and durability, Critical Facility Groupand • The conductor is at maximum length with the reduced number of effective strands, resistance goes upa as does resultingversion heat from introduced new enhanced of at all times irrespective of tank roof the retractable bypass conductor in current discharge. The degraded braided position, therefore resulting in highertape then becomes a potential source of ignition 2020. Interestingly, in the course of its because of that increased temperature. resistance from the length of uncoiled cables. development, the scientist and experts To counter the issue of premature tape corrosion, Critical Facilities Groupa new Pte Ltd (a spin-off involved discovered potential fire • Due from to theHitachi, charging andhas discharging that may caused by traditional company Ltd.) introduced a highlyhazard conductive heatberesistant alloy with a tank causing the roof’s vertical retractable braided tape-based bypass Nickelofcoated solid tape version of the bypass conductor. This not only meets the NFPA/API’s movements, the randomly coiled conductors. low resistance requirement, it also provides much more corrosion resistance than its copper cables may cause entanglement The new product that is manufactured in or aluminium counterpart. betweenbraided the cable and other To date, only Critical Facilities Group has a patented solid Japan, the Dynamic Bypass Conductor tape version amongormanufacturers components structures on of thebypass roof, conductors. potentially obstructing movement of (DBC), was designed by a group of The DBC is also uniquely designed to improve durability againstand the experts effects of severe weather scientists from Japan, the roof. the UAE and Association of Southeast conditions such as typhoons and sandstorms. Retractable bypass conductors are designed to overcome the above disadvantages of fixed length bypass conductors. The deployment of such retractable bypass conductors is now the preferred method, although the rate of implementation is still less than desirable considering the risks involved. Retractable bypass conductors have now been in use for more than two decades. While they have served their purpose, there are still some outstanding issues. LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN RETRACTABLE BYPASS CONDUCTORS With more retractable bypass conductors installed worldwide, the industry has seen an improvement in lightning protection, with hardly any reported cases of rim fires of explosions occurring where these devices have been correctly installed. However, the devices do face problems with mechanical failures, usually in the form of the retracting mechanism failure or torn conductors. The cause of these failures is usually attributed to the combined effect of corrosion, exposure to foreign particles due to harsh environment (typhoons, sandstorm, etc.) and mechanical stress to the spring components and the bypass conductor. There has not been much improvement to retractable bypass conductor design PAGE 74 Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. The new design addressed all the aforesaid disadvantages of retractable bypass conductors and also mitigates the newly discovered risk of braided tape type bypass conductors. When this article went to print it is also the only retractable bypass conductor in this product category that has attained both ATEX and IECEx certification. The introduction of the DBC has allowed for a relatively easy and inexpensive way to bond floating roofs and tank shells on both old and new tanks while ensuring the shortest possible route with very low resistance. API 545 recommends that EACH (not the sum) of the bypass conductors have a maximum end to end resistance of 0.03 ohms. As such, the typical braided tape is made of copper strands woven together to form the tape. However, these copper strands are prone to corrosion especially in an environment where highly corrosive chemical like hydrogen sulphide is present. Additionally, over time, the braided tape degrades (the strands break or are corroded) and with the reduced number of effective strands, resistance goes up as does resulting heat from current discharge. The degraded braided tape then becomes a potential source of ignition because of that increased temperature. To counter the issue of premature tape corrosion, Critical Facility Group (a spin-off company from Hitachi) has introduced a highly conductive heat resistant alloy with a nickel-coated solid tape version of the bypass conductor. This not only meets the NFPA/API’s low resistance requirement, it also provides much more corrosion resistance than its copper or aluminium braided counterpart. To date, only Critical Facility Group has a patented solid tape version among manufacturers of bypass conductors. The DBC is also uniquely designed to improve durability against the effects of severe weather conditions such as typhoons and sandstorms. SUMMARY 1. Due to the severe impact of fire or explosion incidents involving EFRTs, operators of such facilities should consider improving risk mitigation measures. 2. The investment of additional or enhanced lightning protection measures for EFRTs is relatively low and justifiable considering the alternative direct and indirect costs when such accidents occur. 3. Retractable bypass conductors are highly recommended based on their cost-effectiveness and ease of implementation. 4. The new version of retractable bypass conductor is recommended to address some of the earlier problems experienced in traditional devices. 5. Selection of such devices has to consider the facility’s exposure to weather conditions (typhoons, sandstorms, etc.) as it will affect the durability and continual operability of such devices. 6. Finally, the risk of rim fires and explosions for external floating roof tanks can indeed be mitigated further through improved safety measures such as the deployment of enhanced retractable bypass conductors. For more information: This article was written by Dr Akihiro Wakabayashi, CTO of Critical Facility Group: www.critical-facility.com 01 Dr Akihiro Wakabayashi 02 Lightning statistics 03 DBC unit installed on an external floating roof tank 14th ANNUAL NATIONAL ABOVEGROUND STORAGE TANK CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW December 1-2, 2021 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott The Woodlands, Texas • • • • Conference Sessions Free Trade Show AST Conference Welcome Reception • Golf Tournament • Cocktail Mixer on the Trade Show Floor FREE TRADE SHOW NISTM NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STORAGE TANK MANAGEMENT www.NISTM.org | 800.827.3515 International 011.813.591.4499 AT THE BACK ADVERTISERS INDEX & SOCIAL STORAGE ADVERTISERS INDEX Adler And Allen................................................................. 18 FineTek..................................................................................3 Scully Signal...................................................................... 14 ADIPEC...............................................................................66 Go4 Bunker....................................................................... 25 SGB...................................................................................... 8 Advance Technic................................... Front cover & 12 ILTA.....................................................................................39 SME Industrial Co Ltd......................................................28 Ametek.................................................................................7 Koerting .............................................................................13 StocExpo .......................................................................... 67 Antwerp XL....................................................................... 72 Mesa Industries Inc..........................................................16 SUMA.................................................................................20 AUMA..................................................................................15 NISTM ............................................................................... 75 Varec....................................................Inside front cover Cashco............................................................................... 19 Nordic Storage ................................................................. 17 Verwater............................................................................24 Critical Facility Group.......................................................31 Onguard............................................................................. 10 Woodfield Systems................................................ 22 & 23 EEMUA.........................................................................9 & 11 Protego...............................................................................21 World Bridge.................................................... Back cover FETSA................................................................................36 Reliable Automatic Sprinkler ............................................5 World LNG..........................................................................71 SOCIAL STORAGE Most liked posts this month: Tank Storage Magazine Tank Storage Magazine 7,615 followers 1 wk • Editited Tank Storage Magazine 7,615 followers 2 wk • Editited Gate terminal B.V. to expand capacity https://bit.ly/3FAqSzP #tankstorage #tanks #terminals #lng Using drones to make better decisions! In another of the Tank Talk webinar series Alex Hennessey, customer success manager for DroneDeploy, talks about the best ways of using drone data to inspect, document and improve efficiency at the terminal. 7,615 followers 1 month • Editited Day 2 of CHEMUKEXPO - don’t forget to come and see Tank Storage Magazine team at stand B29! Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3195Olw #TankStorageMagazine #tanksterminals #liquidstorage #oilandgasindustry #bulkliquidstorage #liquidstorage Gate LNG terminal to expand capacity Using drones to make better decisions tankstoragemag.com tankstoragemag.com 22 41 • 1 comment Like Comment Organic impressions: 2,942 impressions @tankstorageinfo Like 75 • 2 comments Comment Organic impressions: 3,375 impressions Tank Storage Magazine Like Comment Organic impressions: 3,259 impressions Tank Storage Magazine Tank Storage Magazine, (ISSN 1750-841X) is published seven times a year (in February, March, May, August, September, October and November) by Easyfairs UK Ltd, 2nd Floor, Regal House, 70 London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3QS, UK. The US annual subscription price is $243. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. 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