Standard Procedures for Tank Cleaning, Purging and Gas free Operation for Oil

tankers

Tank cleaning – The process of removing hydrocarbon vapours, liquids or residues. Tank
cleaning may be required for one or more of the following reasons:

 To carry clean ballast.

 To gas free tanks for internal inspections, repairs or prior to entering dry dock.
 To remove sediments from tank top plating. This may be required if the vessel is
engaged in the repetitive carriage of fuel oil or similar sediment settling cargoes.
Although washing may not be necessary in between consecutive voyages, assuming
the cargoes are compatible, many Ship Owners have found it prudent to water wash a
small group of tanks on a rotation basis between voyages, thus preventing any large
accumulation of sediments.

 To load a different and not compatible grade of cargo. Washing in between carrying
different grades of cargo is the most common reason for tank cleaning. In most cargo
sequences on product tankers, the cleaning may consist of no more than a simple hot
or cold seawater wash.

A simple water wash will disperse many types of chemicals and has been found
effective between clean petroleum products such as gasoil and kerosene. However, it
should be noted that there is a number of grade sequences, particularly in the
petroleum product trade, where no washing at all needs to be be carried out. Thus the
decision for necessary tank cleaning required in such trades is often made only when
knowledge of the next grade to be loaded is obtained.

Responsibility : The Chief Officer is in charge of and shall supervise as the person in charge
of the Tank Cleaning, Hydrocarbon Gas (HC) Purging, Gas Freeing & Re-Inerting
operations. He shall ensure that all activities carried out during such operations are in
compliance with the latest edition ICS/OCIMF International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers
and Terminals (ISGOTT).

Gas-Freeing for Cargo Tank entry

Cargo Tank entry shall not be permitted unless the Oxygen Content is 21% and the
hydrocarbon vapor content is less than 1% of the Lower Flammable Level (LFL). Follow
company’s “Procedure for Entry into Enclosed Spaces” with related permits.

If the previous cargo contains Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) or other toxic contaminants which
could evolve toxic gases (eg benzene, toluene, Mercaptans, etc), the tank should be checked
for such gases. Refer to “Guidelines for Toxic Gases Hazards”

Carrying out “Hot Work” inside Tanks within the ‘Dangerous Area’ need special caution as
per “Procedures for Hot Work” and carry out preparation accordingly.

Gas-Freeing or Purging for the Reception of Cargo If the intention of Gas-Freeing or

Purging operations is to prevent the next cargo to be loaded from contamination due to the
previous cargo oil hydrocarbon gas, use the gas content indicated by the Charterer as
standard, but go on with the operations mentioned in (2) of Article 1 until the LFL decreases
down to 40% or under.

Safety Precautions

For the operations to be followed, (Tank cleaning, HC Gas Purging, Gas Freeing and Re-
Inerting), the Chief Officer shall carry out the following precautions . Detailed guidance on
preparations and safety precautions are also described within relevant sections of ISGOTT.

Have persons engaged in the operations observe the necessary precautions as described in
this section and the “Precautions during Gas-freeing Operations”

Complete the necessary sections of “Tank Cleaning, Purging and Gas Freeing Checklist” to
confirm safety strictly at the appropriate time.

Fig: Oil tanker QUDS underway

Tank Preparation And Atmosphere Control During Operations

Non Flammable Atmosphere

On Tankers using the inert gas systems, the Chief Officer shall carry out the operations
mentioned in Article 1 and should maintain the cargo tanks in a “Non Flammable” condition
at all times.

Refer to the “Flammability composition diagram- Hydrocarbon Gas/Inert/Air Gas Mixtures”

from the ISGOTT. i.e. at no time should the atmosphere in the tank be allowed to enter the
flammable range, as mentioned therein.

Pyrophoric hazards on chemical reaction with Hydrogen Sulfide Gas Pyrophoric Iron
Sulphide, forms when Hydrogen Sulfide Gas (normally present in most crude) reacts with
rusted surfaces in the absence of oxygen (Inert conditions) inside cargo tanks.

These substances, can heat to incandescence on contact with air. This risk is minimized, by
following the correct purging procedure.
Such procedures serve as a general guidance for the preparation procedures required and may
differ as per ship type.

Tanker Explosions

In the course of investigations into electrostatics, certain new factors have emerged which are
relevant to the safety of tank cleaning operations, not only in very large tankers but in tankers
of all tonnage’s. It has been demonstrated that electrostatic charging to the water mist, present
in the tanks, exists under any cleaning condition, and that when washing operations are
stopped the level of charge decreases only slowly in the tank, and can remain present for a
long time, especially in the absence of ventilation. The following factors therefore need to be
considered:-

 In studying "charge concentration mechanisms", it has been found that insulated

objects are not normally present in ship's tanks, but the use of sounding rods might
present such a hazard.

 When a sounding rod is lowered into a tank filled with charged mist, a high static
charge can be fed into the operator via the wet suspension rope if the operator is
insulated by the deck paint or his footwear. Such a charge accumulation has been
shown to be sufficient to cause incendive sparking when the operator, the sounding
rod, or rope, comes into contact with the ship's structure. This, of course, does not
apply if the rod is lowered into a sounding pipe extending to the bottom of the tank.

 Portable tank cleaning machines are normally bonded to the ship's structure and
furthermore, when in operation the washing water provides a path for the electrostatic
charge to dissipate. However, these machines may sometimes become insulated
objects and a potentially hazardous situation may exist in at least the two following
cases;-

 Where the bonding wire is defective.

 Where the hose is disconnected from the hydrant before lifting the machine out of the
tank.

 a) Such disconnection, prior to lifting, is commonly done in order to drain water from
the hose. A coat of paint in good condition is sufficient to insulate the hose flange
from the steel of the deck. Under these conditions, when the machine is lifted an
incendive spark may jump to the lip of the tank cleaning hole, either from the machine
 or from the securing rope or from the operator who guides the machine through the
hole.

 The following precautions are required to prevent the foregoing hazards:

 Not to use sounding rods through any deck opening other than the sounding pipe,
either during tank cleaning, or for one hour after cessation of washing if the tank is
being blown, or five hours if the tank is not being blown.

 To carry out checks on the electrical continuity of bonding wires on the tank cleaning
hoses before each use.

 To keep the hoses connected to the hydrants until the machines are out of the tank.
The draining of the hose can be done by loosening the coupling of the hose carefully
to let the air in and by tightening the coupling again.

 It is emphasised that while the likelihood of all the factors necessary to lead to an
incendive spark being present at any one time is remote, the fact that neglect of the
foregoing precautions might lead to an explosion remains a possibility.

Atmosphere Control during Tank Cleaning Operations

Tank atmospheres can be any of the following, However, ships fitted with an inert gas
system, shall carry out the operations under the Inerted Condition, unless otherwise as
instructed: It should be met with atmosphere containing less than 8% oxygen, and tank
pressure of minimum 200 mmAq. Refer details to “ISGOTT”

Inerted Tanks

An atmosphere made incapable of burning by the introduction of inert gas and the resultant
reduction of the overall oxygen content. For the purposes of this procedure, the oxygen
content of the tank atmosphere should not exceed 8% by volume.

This is a condition where the tank atmosphere is known to be at it’s the lowest risk of
explosion by virtue of its atmosphere being maintained at all times Non-Flammable through
the introduction of inert gas and the resultant reduction of the overall oxygen content in any
part of any cargo tank to a level not exceeding 8% by Volume, while being under positive
pressure at all times.

Purging with Inert Gas (IG)

(a) For reduction in hydrocarbon (HC) content in tank atmosphere for Cargo / Vapor
contamination reasons:

After tank cleaning operations the cargo tanks may be purged with inert gas to reduce the
concentration of the hydrocarbon gas inside the tank atmosphere.

Follow the procedures as laid out in the operation and equipment manual.

Purge pipes, with proper flame screens shall be fitted, where provided.

Carry out the operations of replacing the tank atmosphere by introducing IG of which oxygen
content is 5% by Volume or less into the tanks.

Go on with purging by IG until the hydrocarbon content reduces to the required / desired
level.

Note

Oxygen content in Inert Gas for purging

Since the main purpose of HC gas purging is displacement HC gas with IG, the procedure
first priority shall be supply IG with full capacity of IG Blowers. Under the procedure,
Oxygen content in Inert Gas for purging may be permitted by 8% by Volume or less.

For carrying out Gas Freeing of the tank

After cargo discharge / tank cleaning, whenever it is necessary to gas free an empty tank
containing hydrocarbon gas mixtures or a mixture of IG + HC gases, it shall first be purged,
using inert gas, until the HC (hydrocarbon) content reaches to below the critical dilution line
or HC concentration in the tank atmosphere is less than 2% by volume.

This is done so that during the subsequent gas freeing no portion of the tank atmosphere is
brought within the flammable range.

This inert gas used for purging shall contain Oxygen, less than 5% by volume, to ensure the
above.
The replacement of a tank atmosphere by inert gas can be achieved by either Inerting or
Purging. In each of these methods one of two distinct processes, Dilution or displacement,
will predominate.

For more details on gas evolution, venting and dispersion criteria and precautions, refer to the
relevant ISGOTT chapters.

Distinct process

1) Dilution: It takes place when the incoming inert gas mixes with the original tank
atmosphere to form a homogeneous mixture through the tank so that, as the process
continues, the concentration of the original gas decreases progressively.

It is important that the incoming inert gas has sufficient entry velocity to penetrate to the
bottom of the tank. To ensure this a limit must be placed on the number of tanks which can be
inerted simultaneously.

If dilution method of purging is used, it should be carried out with the inert gas system set for
Maximum capacity to give the maximum turbulence in the atmosphere, within the tank.

2) Displacement : It depends on the fact that inert gas is slightly lighter than hydrocarbon gas
so that, while the inert gas enters at the top of the tank, the heavier hydrocarbon gas escapes
from the bottom through suitable piping.

When using this method it is important that the inert gas has a very low velocity to enable a
stable horizontal interface to be developed between the incoming and escaping gas although,
in practice, some dilution inevitably takes place owing to the turbulence caused in the inert
gas flow. This system generally allows several tanks to be inerted or purged simultaneously.
If displacement method is used, the gas inlet velocity should be lower, to prevent undue
turbulence.

A mixture of inert gas and petroleum gas when vented and mixed with air can become
flammable. The normal safety precautions required as described under “Procedures for Cargo
Oil Operations” shall be followed.

Forced Air Ventilation

i) Before starting to Gas free, the tank should be isolated from other tanks.

ii) Do not commence forced air ventilation (Gas free) until it has been confirmed that the
oxygen level is less than 8% and the hydrocarbon vapor content is less than 2% by Volume.
iii) To ensure the dilution of the toxic components of inert gas to below their Threshold Limit
Values (TLV), Gas freeing should continue until tests with an oxygen analyzer show a steady
oxygen reading of 21% by volume and tests with a flammable gas indicator show not more
than 1% LFL.

iv) If the presence of a toxic gas such as benzene or hydrogen sulfide is suspected, Gas
freeing should be continued until tests indicate that its concentration is below its TLV.

Completion of work & Inerting Cargo tanks

After completion of man entry or repair work (in dry docks / lay-up berth) Cargo tanks shall
be prepared for Loading as follows:

i) An Officer shall confirm each tank free of waste & material used in maintenance &
inspection. Related pipelines and supports, including hydraulically operated valves, H.P.
pipes and flanges are all in place and tightly secured.

ii) All personnel out of tank & close tank dome or access, only keep designated vent ports
open. Inert tanks to 8% of Oxygen level.

iii) Replace the tank’s atmosphere by an inerted atmosphere, using IG with the oxygen
content of less than 5% by Volume. This gas replacement should continue, until the average
measured oxygen content in the tanks drops to below 8% by Volume.

Measures against Inert Gas System in Troubles

In case that proper IG can not be supplied, which could cause the oxygen content in tanks to
exceeds 8% by Volume, or making it difficult to keep the internal pressure of tanks positive
due to troubles in the IG system or other reasons during tank cleaning or hydrocarbon gas
purging operations, suspend the operations immediately, and do not restart the operations
until proper supply of IG is secured.

Provided that the atmosphere in tanks is not under control, do not put improper IG (the
oxygen content of which exceeds 8%).

If the recovery of the IG system is difficult, notify the Technical Superintendent in charge for
consultation.