SPOT- Crude Oil Sludge Quantification
The topography and volume of sludge in crude oil storage tanks can vary
dramatically from tank to tank. Knowing that it is safe to land the floating roof, and indeed
whether a manway can be safely removed, prior to the tank being removed from service, is
fundamental to ensuring that the risks associated with desludging the tank are quantified and
controlled.
Willacy Oil Services has designed a unique, patented system for oil
sludge quantification which offers a dramatic improvement over inaccurate manual dipping
methods.
3D and grid plots are produced in real time together with an accurate
calculation of sludge volume to within 5%.
The Sludge Profiler for Oil Tanks (SPOT) is a sonar system which
accurately locates, maps and quantifies the levels of sludge in floating roof crude oil storage
tanks, while they are still in service. The system is intrinsically safe and has full
BASEEFA/ATEX certification. SPOT is fully mobile and designed for international shipment. A survey
can be completed in one working day with minimal disruption to normal tank operations.
The SPOT system is tried and tested with an international Client database.
Results have been validated by the customer on a regular basis.
The data generated by the SPOT system can be used to:
- accurately quantify and profile sludge in the bottom of floating roof crude oil tanks.
- assist with prioritisation of tank cleaning projects.
- ensure that safe roof landing/manway removal can take place.
- enable monitoring of side entry mixer running patterns.
- quantify the success or otherwise of non man-entry desludging systems.
A SPOT survey often accompanies the enquiry document released to potential
tank cleaning contracting companies ensuring a no-quibble, lump sum price bid.
Tradebe's site offering this services are:
Whittle Close
Sandycroft, Deeside CH5 2QE
T. 44(0) 1244 520 122
F. 44(0) 1244 520 283
Willacy Oil Services
Formed in 1989, Willacy Oil Services manufacture and operate a range of
equipment for safe and efficient oily sludge quantification, removal and processing, working
worldwide with the majority of the major international and state owned oil, petrochemical, storage
terminal and energy companies on a regular and repeat basis.
Initiated by increasing demands for improvements in Health and Safety
performance and with fewer and more expensive options for hazardous waste disposal, Willacy Oil
Services has worked with the oil, petrochemical and energy sector to develop systems which reduce
or eliminate man-entry into storage tanks and which are capable of simultaneously recovering any
valuable components in the sludge for return to the system while minimising waste for off-site
disposal. The sludges formed by crude oil in storage, heavy fuel oil sludge and hazardous chemical
waste present our industry with significant Health and Safety and disposal issues. It is in this
area that Willacy Oil Services excels, providing bespoke solutions to difficult problems,
developing services and products which are designed to improve Health and Safety and Environmental
performance for both Client and Contractor, and always delivering a cost effective outcome.
In 2007 Willacy Oil Services became a division of Grupo Tradebe, a
Spanish based environmental company. A direct benefit of this alliance is that we are now able to
offer a range of complimentary waste management products and services including secondary thermal
treatment of centrifuge cake, high temperature incineration, bio-remediation and waste water
treatment technologies.
