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What happened?
During an electrical storm, lightning hit a mobile crude oil storage tank and lit up the gases coming out of its vent, starting a fire.
The facility comprised of two mobile storage tanks placed next to each other.
The storage tanks held 500 BBLs (17,486 gallons) each and their purpose is to receive oil that exits the separator.
The fire was put out without any serious damage to the facility, however it could have resulted in damage to personnel as well as the facility.
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Why did it happen?
The storage tanks lacked any kind of lightning protection or electrical grounding systems.
The separator before the tanks was not performing a correct gas-liquid separation, causing an excessive gas flow through the vent once the oil was in the tanks.
No hazard identification or risk assessment was performed on the facility.
There was no standard for gas verification at the exit of the separator.
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What did they learn?
Comprehensive risk analyses should be conducted on all operating facilities.
Lightning protection systems and electrical grounding should be installed in all facilities.
Ensure that the oil-gas separation is working efficiently, as well as the stabilisation process in storage tanks to reduce gas emissions.
Personnel should be trained in the hazards identification process and management.
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Ask yourself or your crew
How could an incident like this occur here?
What protective barriers do we currently have in place to prevent similar incidents?
What training have you received, and what additional training do you think is necessary to help avoid similar incidents?
How do we verify that our gas-liquid separation process is functioning correctly? What additional measures can we take to enhance safety in our operations?
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What happened?
During an electrical storm, lightning hit a mobile crude oil storage tank and lit up the gases coming out of its vent, starting a fire.
The facility comprised of two mobile storage tanks placed next to each other.
The storage tanks held 500 BBLs (17,486 gallons) each and their purpose is to receive oil that exits the separator.
The fire was put out without any serious damage to the facility, however it could have resulted in damage to personnel as well as the facility.
Why did it happen?
The storage tanks lacked any kind of lightning protection or electrical grounding systems.
The separator before the tanks was not performing a correct gas-liquid separation, causing an excessive gas flow through the vent once the oil was in the tanks.
No hazard identification or risk assessment was performed on the facility.
There was no standard for gas verification at the exit of the separator.
What did they learn?
Comprehensive risk analyses should be conducted on all operating facilities.
Lightning protection systems and electrical grounding should be installed in all facilities.
Ensure that the oil-gas separation is working efficiently, as well as the stabilisation process in storage tanks to reduce gas emissions.
Personnel should be trained in the hazards identification process and management.
Ask yourself or your crew
How could an incident like this occur here?
What protective barriers do we currently have in place to prevent similar incidents?
What training have you received, and what additional training do you think is necessary to help avoid similar incidents?
How do we verify that our gas-liquid separation process is functioning correctly? What additional measures can we take to enhance safety in our operations?
During an electrical storm, lightning hit a mobile crude oil storage tank and lit up the gases coming out of its vent, starting a fire. The fire was put out without any serious damage to the facility, however it could have resulted in damage to personnel as well as the facility.
