2007 - cts nederland · commissioning. the internal floating roofs are all ordered according to api...

S Y S T E M S A N D P R O D U C T S F O R I N D U S T R I A L C A R G O T R A N S F E R A N D S T O R A G E

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Vopak orders dome roofs andinternal floating roofs at CTS

CTS tank seals for BP Amocoin Algeria

IFR contract for KPPC projectin Kuwait

C T S ® N e w s l e t t e r - I s s u e d : M a r c h 2 0 0 7

to our international growth. Moreimportant than this internationalgrowth is to ensure that projectsare realized without any incidentsin the all important areas ofsafety and product integrity (as illdesigned or ill manufactured tanksystems can result in majorincidents). We are proud that wehave not faced any lost timeinjury, or major incident in 2006and would like to thank ourpersonnel, and contractor staffor customer personnel for thisclean sheet, which we intend tokeep clean. We have furthercemented our approach in thearea of employee safety byimplementing a full scale safety

management system under theDutch VCA requirements, andhave been awarded an officialVCA** quality certificate fordoing so by Lloyds Register of TheNetherlands (certificate nr.661377).

For 2007 we envisage a furtherinternational growth, also basedon opening up offices in Asia,where right now we have officesin South America (CTS Chile) andthe Middle East (CTS Middle East,Bahrain) already.

We would like to convey oursincere thanks to the customersthat have given us theopportunity to work for them, andtank contractors as in many ofthese projects we havecooperated with them realizingprojects within the scoperequired, paying attention to theimportant aspects as safety,quality and progress.

Please contact us for moreinformation on [email protected]

Looking back at 2006:

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When looking back at 2006 weare looking at a year CTSsupplied materials, or wascontracted under more than100 individual customerorders, and on more than 130storage tanks, both in Europeas well as in other continentsas Africa and the Middle-East.

The storage tank market hasbeen facing a number ofdevelopments generating a majorimpact on companies servicingthe terminal industry. Some ofthese developments are thefollowing:• requirements for low Sulphur

diesel quality• growing demand for bio-fuels• increasing demand on safety

as a result of the Buncefieldfire

• introduction of new standardssuch as the BREF emissiondocument by the EuropeanUnion and the EN 14015(replacing the BS 2654) ondesign and manufacture ofatmospheric storage tanks

In 2006 CTS has furtherdeveloped into a reliable andknowledgeable supplieraddressing these developments,and this has definitely contributed


Internal floating roof contractawarded for new KPPC plant in Kuwait

Both skin and pontoon roofs (below) as well as direct contact roofs(above) were ordered at CTS for the KPPC Paraxylene project

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CTS has received an order for15 internal floating roofs indiameters ranging from 12mto 46m to be delivered andinstalled during the secondhalf of 2007 at the KPPC newAromatic complex in Kuwait.This complex is built for theproduction of 768,000 t/y ofparaxylene and 325,000 t/y ofbenzene. The Italian E&Ccompany Tecnimont (MaireTecnimont Group), inconsortium with the KoreanSK Engineering andConstruction Co. Ltd, has beenawarded by the Central TenderCommittee (CTC) an over 1.2billions US$ contract for therealisation in Kuwait of anAromatic complex for theproduction of 768,000 t/y ofparaxylene and 325,000 t/y ofbenzene.

The owner of the plant is KuwaitParaxylene Production Company(KPPC), controlled byPetrochemical IndustriesCompany of Kuwait. The contractwill be executed by the

consortium under the leadershipof Tecnimont and covers thesupply of engineering, equipmentand materials, construction andassistance during thecommissioning.

The internal floating roofs are allordered according to API 650Appendix H and will meet thelatest international emissionreduction requirements as inplace in the USA (under EPAregulations) and Europe (underseveral legislating efforts, wherethe latest efforts aredocumented under the BREFguidelines for storage tanks).Part of the roofs ordered will beexecuted as aluminium directcontact roofs consisting of sealwelded and factory pressuretested roof modules, as theseroofs per NFPA 11 only requirefire fighting configurations able todeal with a limited rim fire. Under the project agreementCTS is also submitting allemission calculations required for the tanks involved, todocument their compliance to the strictest standardsworldwide.

With this contract CTSconsiderably expands its systemsin service in the Middle-East,where earlier on various projectsin this area were constructed byCTS at KNPC (Kuwait), ADMAOPCO (UAE), Takreer (UAE), NIOCand NIGC (Iran) and several othercountries in the Middle East.


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Jet Fuel dome program at TotalRefinery Antwerp

The dome frame is nearly completed in only a few working days.

Based on an article from theTotal Refinery Journal, “Thebirth of a dome roof”.

Requirements of the aviationindustry in the area of planefuels (in particular for JetFuel) are getting more andmore stringent. To meet theserequirements severalindependent refineries haveestablished a jointinspectorate to formulateclear guidelines on the correctmethods storing Jet Fuel,before it is delivered to theplane. This inspectorate,named “Joint InspectionGroup” or “JIG” has publishedguidelines which are alsoadopted by Total.

Our Antwerp refinery is not themost recent refinery, and tocomply with the requirements ofJIG several modifications havebeen reviewed. Of coursecompliance can not be achievedovernight, but several serioussteps have been taken already.Profound draining to removewater from the Jet Fuel, doublevalves between tanks being filledand tanks being emptied toprevent cross-contamination,

extra checks on ship loading,extra sampling, et cetera have allbecome part of the Total workroutines. A dedicated system ofpipelines for separating the A1Jet Fuel from similar products as“burning kero” is covered by aninvestment already approved andto be implemented in 2006.

A further requirement is that allopen top external floating roofstorage tanks have to beequipped with a fixed roof toprevent rainwater contamination.Total has decided to equip thesetanks with aluminium dome roofs.

As this requires a significantinvestment multiple tanks will beconverted over multiple years andright now (March 2006) we areconstructing the first aluminiumdome supplied by CTS. The domeis built for tank 436, as this tankis undergoing major maintenanceworks. Because constructing thedome is done inside the tank, ontop of the external floating roofthe complex and impressivebuilding process is not visible. Togive all of you an impression onthis project we are showing thepictures on this project.

At the date of publication (April2006) the dome only requiresfinishing and we are looking backat a successful project based onan excellent cooperation betweenall departments supporting thisproject.We would also like tocongratulate Verwater and CTSand all operators involved as thisproject was completed without asingle incident.


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The dome structure was built outside in, on top of the externalfloating roof.


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After completing the frame the dome panelsare installed to cover the dome.

Picture shows dome lifted out, liftingconfiguration provided by CTS and new foamoutlets.

The rolling ladder remained in service and was suspended from the dome structure.

Finished dome roof, showing great care for details as walkway, access door to rolling ladder, skylight position and nozzles.

CTS provided the design and supply of thedome, and also tool containers and work shopcontainer and full-time supervision.

The dome was leak tested and proved excellent water tightness in a water spray test.

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Stocexpo 2007:

At the Stocexpo 2007(from 20 – 22 March

2007 at the Expo centre inAntwerp, Belgium) CTS B.V.

will be exhibiting itsproducts and systems for

atmospheric storagetanks. Please see us therewhen visiting this event tocatch up with our latest

product developments. Seewww.stocexpo.com for

more details on thisexhibition.

Actually bio-diesel and other bio-fuels based on Ethanol andMethanol are often groupedtogether as bio-fuels, where bio-diesel has very differentproperties however. This as forbio-diesel especially the oxidationis a concern, as the result of thisoxidation is a seriousdeterioration of the product, andwhich will result in a product notmeeting specifications.

For this reason various smalltanks have been equipped withNitrogen blanketing, ensuring theproduct will not absorb anyoxygen. However especially forlarger tanks this is an expensiveapproach, as every loadingroutine results in major amountsof Nitrogen being lost, which hasto be refilled when emptying thetank.

Evaluating the product propertiesand the available approachesaddressing this oxidation concern

for bio-diesel Nerefo Europoorthas ordered 2 direct contactinternal floating roofs at CTS,equipped with a stainless steelliquid mounted shoe seal and aPTFE (Teflon®) vapour barrier.

The roof has several advantagesover Nitrogen blanketing, asfollows:• no Nitrogen consumption• preventing corrosion dropping

off the fixed roof penetratingthe product stored

• insulating the product whenheated to prevent lowtemperature clogging

• ensuring the product will notdegenerate as a result ofoxygen contact as the roofalmost completely eliminatesany product to air contact


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CTS supplies full contact internalfloating roofs for bio-diesel storage

Bio-diesel is a product that isused in efforts to improve ourenergy mix, and reduce ourdependence on traditionalenergy sources. It is an mono-alkyl fatty ester product, oftenmade from rapeseed oil. As aresult of this it has verydifferent properties fromnormal diesel, where thefollowing properties are mostrelevant when storing it interminals:

• bio-diesel will oxidize stronglywhen stored over periodslonger than 4 weeks

• it acts as a very strongsolvent

• absence of water or otherimpurities is very importantwhen storing bio-diesel

• bio-diesel cold weatherbehaviour has to beaddressed

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CTS Drainmaster drain swivels

Several different designs areavailable for drain systems onexternal floating roof tanks.

These include the following:• drain pipe systems based on

rotating swivels• drain hose systems (lead

cable ballasted, or repeatablelay pattern)

• drain pipe systems with hoseswivels

For this last system CTS hasdeveloped the Drainmaster joint,which is based on usingHostaflon, a modified PTFEmaterial (Teflon®) as cover forthe composite hose used withstainless steel internal andexternal helix. The reason forusing this external material is itssuperior chemical resistance,improved liquid and gas tightnessand great mechanical properties.

The pivot fitting the hose is madefrom either steel, galvanized steel

or stainless steel. It is shaped ina box structure, resulting inimproved mechanical stability,and manufactured with greatattention for detail such as theshape in the area of the bearingswhich eliminates friction andloads on the bearings present atthe pivoting point.

Multiple major oil companies havenow accepted the Drainmasterswivel, and have used thesesuccessfully in revamping theirdrain systems.


CTS Drainmaster joints ready for shipment.

Drainmaster joint during installation (6” drain line).

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Tank seals for external floating roofs,seal design and seal maintenance

Tank seals are used to seal theannular space, primarily toreduce the emission andevaporative loss from the storedproduct and to maintain theproduct integrity by reducing theamount of (rain) water that canenter the tank. A good rim sealalso helps to centre the roof inthe tank and will prevent built upof excessive corrosion on thetank shell.

In this article we will address theavailable seal designs, sealmaterial selection and tank sealinspection for seals on externalfloating roofs.

Primary seals, definition andavailable types:Typically tank seals are divided inprimary seals, and secondaryseals. A primary seal is installedin the area between the floatingroof and the tank shell, andrepresents the first barrieragainst product evaporation. Asthe primary seal is either indirect contact with the productor in contact with saturatedproduct vapours present at theproduct surface it has to deal

with this exposure. A secondaryseal is a second barrier againstproduct evaporation, and isusually installed on top of theprimary seal, but typicallyindependent from this primaryseal by being rim mounted.

The following are the mostcommon types of primary seals:• shoe plate seals (CTS1)• compression plate seals

(CTS20 and CTS30)• foam filled seals (CTS7)

It should be noted that shoe plateseals and compression plateseals represent well over 90% ofthe primary seals in serviceworldwide.

Introduction primary seals:The following is a shortintroduction on these availableseal designs, and their variations:

• Primary shoe plate seals(CTS1)

Primary shoe plate seals arebased on a metallic shoe plate incontact with the tank shell. Thisplate is covered with a polymer orrubber fabric between the plateand the rim of the floating roof. Apusher mechanism is ensuringthe seals’ tightness, where it isheld in place by hangers. In theold days these seals were basedon rather complex counterweight driven pantographhangers and galvanised steel,where modern designs rely onsimple leaf or coil springs and areoften made from stainless steel.

• Primary compression plateseals (CTS20 and CTS30)

Compression plate seals are alsobased on steel plates, wheretypically these steel plates areforced in a position resulting in apositive pressure on the seal

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CTS30 primary compression plate seal, liquid mounted, where thebottom bumper bar restricts roof movements that could affect sealperformance.

External floating roof tanks,an introduction:For decades external floatingroofs have represented thepreferred way of storinghydrocarbons as crude oil,gasoline, and many relatedproducts stored before orafter refining. The design isbased on having an open topcircular tank shell, whereinside a steel roof is floatingin direct contact with theproduct stored.

As the roof is floating in directcontact with the product thisapproach reduces volatileemissions while it allows for vastquantities to be stored, andtherefore has been implementedon large scale storinghydrocarbons.

To allow the external roof tofreely float there is an annularrim space between the tank shelland the floating roof. This permitssmooth travel of the roof withinthe tank and prevents the rooffrom getting stuck in the tank.

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plates, and a tight seal. Oftenthere is a rubber tip profileinstalled on top (or as they arefacing down, at the bottom) ofthe compression plates, or thecompression plate seal is basedon the metal plates being incontact with the tank shell.

• Foam filled seals (CTS7):Foam filled seals are based on aresilient foam core covered witha wear resistant andhydrocarbon resistant cover. Asthe foam dimensions are greaterthan the rim gap, the seal sealsthe area between floating roofand tank shell.

Liquid or vapour mountedprimary tank seals:Within primary seals there is adifference between liquidmounted primary seals, being indirect contact with the productstored, and vapour mountedseals, which are not in contactwith the product stored. As perAPI Chapter 19, and the teststhat have formed the basis forthe emission estimates detailedin these API Standards typically

liquid mounted seals areclassified generating betteremission reduction percentages.

Secondary seals:With the increasingenvironmental awareness the

situation where initially onlyprimary seals were used (often incombination with weathershields) changed, and secondaryseals became more common.Both in the USA as well as inEurope mandatory emissionrequirements under EPA and theEuropean Union where the drivingfactors for implementingsecondary seals. Along with thefurther reduction in emissions,this implementation alsoimproved product quality as wellas tank safety, as both wateringress in the stored product andthe risk of rim fires are greatlyreduced when secondary sealsare fitted.

The main design for secondaryseals currently used is based onindependent rim mountedcompression plate seals. Withinthis category of seals there is stilla wide variety of seal designs, butin general secondarycompression plate sealsrepresent more than 95% of thesecondary seals.

Tank seals, designrequirements:Tank (or rim) seals need to bedesigned to deal with thefollowing performance

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Testing seals as regularly done at CTS will improve sealperformance as abrasive resistance and proper sealingperformance are evaluated during extensive roof travel simulationtests.

CTS40 primary and secondary compression plate seal, equippedwith liquid mounted skirt.

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requirements and serviceconditions:• reduce emissions by providing

acceptable tightness, alsowhen the rim gap is changingas a result of tank out ofroundness, or floating roofmovements

• a tight seal will also reducerim fire chancestremendously, and has toreduce water penetrating theproduct stored

• deal with travelling the tankshell, and travelling thecorrosion and welds presenton the tank shell

• withstand seal materialageing due to productinfluences, ozone and UV-exposure

In the design stage for a new sealthese specific requirements haveto be addressed, as these will allhave a major impact on thesatisfactory performance of aseal system supplied andinstalled.

• Seal design, dealing withminimum and maximum rimgap:

Seal dimensions andconfiguration largely depend onactual rim gap (distance betweenfloating roof and tank shell). It isimportant that the seal isdesigned for the measured rim-gap and maximum rim gappossible. Depending on the roofdesign, gauge pole position andguiding mechanism the roof canshift inside the tank, and theeffect of this shift on both rimgap as well as the effect of any(measured or expected) tank out-of roundness have to bedetermined. Based on thesepossible dimensional deviations aseal has to be designed to bothdeal with the maximum andminimum rim gap. This approachshould ensure properdimensional seal design, and aproper seal tightness.

• Inspecting existing sealconfiguration prior to removal:

While inspection of rim gaps, and

evaluation of the floating roofdesign is important, the seal tobe removed or replaced will alsoprovide a lot of valuableinformation. It will tell whichmaterials did perform adequately,and which did not, and it will alsoindicate what other designaspects will be important for anew seal (such as presence oftank shell corrosion and othercircumstances).

• Stored product:The stored product is also ofgreat importance for the longterm performance of a tank seal.Especially aromatic hydrocarbonsas well as other aggressiveproducts stored require a carefulmaterial selection, especially forthe polymer materials. Also theviscosity of the product is ofimportance. Heavy sticking andwaxy hydrocarbons will requireanother seal design than lighter,more volatile products.

• Seal material selection:One of the most importantaspects of seal selection is thematerials, selection. Typically in aseal one will find 2 groups ofmaterial, as follows:

• metal parts as structuralseal parts, such as shoeplates, compressionplates, springs, hangermechanisms, shunts andmany others

• polymer materials, eitheras structural parts, vapour

barrier material, lip profileor other applications

Metallic parts: Metallic parts need to becarefully selected to suit theintended use. In this respect onehas to realise that there aremany metal parts in any seal.Materials are either subject towear, are stressed orcompressed to positively push aseal or have to meet otherrequirements. Apart from theperformance requirements,nowadays the lifetime expectationfrom tank seals is more than inthe past, as based on risk basedinspections now tank main te -nance intervals are sometimesas long as 18 - 20 years.

Selection of polymer materials:When speaking to tankmaintenance professionals it isstriking that quite often they arenot aware what polymermaterials are used in the tankseals in service at their facility.The driving factor in selectingpolymer materials is often themost economic choice for bothuser as well as manufacturer.This where the other seal designaspects should be covered first,addressing following exposuresfor the polymer materials:

• product compatibility• abrasion resistance (when

in contact with the tankshell or other movingparts)

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Ill selected polymer materials will crack in hydrocarbon service,and materials deteriorated as in he illustration will result insignificant higher emissions, and will dramatically increase the riskof facing any rim fires. Also rainwater penetration will increase incases such as these.

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• UV-resistance• Ozone resistance

The following materials are oftenused by CTS for tank seals:PTFE (Teflon®) materialsNBR (Nitrile) rubberPE (Polyethylene)EPDM rubberNeoprene rubberViton (FPM)

There is no straight forwardsingle approach in selecting thebest available seal design, andthe proper materials for a tankseal. At CTS materialcompatibility is part of thestandard tank seal engineeringroutines as this improves sealperformance and reduces therisk on rim fires.

Fire fighting and foam damarrangements:One particular standard isworthwhile mentioningseparately, as fire fightingarrangements on externalfloating roofs and their rim gap(as this is essentially the onlypotential source for a tank fire)typically have to comply withNFPA 11.

The height of a newly fittedsecondary seal will often behigher than any foam dampresent when there was just aprimary seal. When there is arequirement to increase foamdam height to be 50 mm (2”)higher than the top of the seal asper NFPA11 than one could andshould consider increasing theheight of the foam dam.

As this is rather complicated analternative approach could be tointroduce foam ports on the sealas per NFPA11 and EN14015.These are ports in the secondarysteel compression plates wherepolymer material will burn away inthe case of a rim fire, and foamcan flow through the foam ports.This will do away of any foampenetration concern, and thefoam dam requirement now is forthe foam dam to be 50mmhigher than the foam port (seeparagraph 5.3.5.4.3.3 of NFPA11for foam dam configurations).

Another advantage of using foamports is the fact that foam willflow under the secondary seal alot earlier than when it has to

cover the secondary sealcompletely before flowing overthe top of the seal. Another interesting option onfoam injection in the area of rimseals would be to inject the foamdirectly on the seal itself. This willdo away with foam damrequirements, and eliminate theconcern on external roofcorrosion between the seal andthe foam dam. This as the foamdam with its minimal drain holesoften traps water and debrisresulting in heavy pitting betweenthe seal and the foam dam.

Please note that the risk of a fireon a well designed and installeddouble seal arrangement is veryminimal.

Controlling static electricity iscovered by a guideline under API2003.

Seal inspection, sealmaintenance and mostcommon tank seal failuremechanisms:Now having covered the verybasics of seal design, and sealmaterial selection the nextimportant aspect to cover ontank seals is tank seal inspection,and tank seal maintenance.Essentially tank seals should bedesigned as being maintenancefree during their lifetime.However to verify they are ingood condition skill is required toinspect tank seals. Especiallyprimary tank seals covered with asecondary tank seal are difficultto inspect, as the secondary tankseal can not easily be removed.

As a result of this lack ofinspection seal failures that arenot obvious, such as polymermaterials degrading behindcompression plates are often notdetected. Other inspectionaspects as easier evaluatedshould cover seal tightness,presence of product on top of thefloating roof, corrosion damageof the seal, mechanical sealdamage and other rather obviousseal performance indicators.

CTS 20 secondary seal with foam port arrangement, which willonly introduce some minor seal modifications, in stead of anextensive foam dam modification.

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In some geographical areasnowadays tank owners arerequired to document thecondition of their tank seals on aregular basis, so they can provethe tanks are operated in a safeand environmental friendly way.

For proper seal performance,and to ensure proper floatingroof performance it is ofparamount importance thatfloating roofs and their seals areproperly inspected on a basis ofregular intervals.

Tank seals and relevantinternational standards:The following internationalstandards are covering therequirements for tank seals,either any design andperformance requirements ortheir emission characteristics:

• API 650• EN 14015• BREF Storage tanks 2005

(IPPC)• EPA (Environmental

Protection Agency)• API Chapter 19 (Emission

calculation standard)

Apart from these internationalrequirements, tank seals are

often required to meet localstandards.

Summary:Tank seals for external floatingroofs are classified as primaryseals (first barrier againstevaporation) and secondary seals(second barrier againstevaporation). Primary seals are

either vapour or liquid mounted,and performance is classifiedaccording API Chapter 19.Correct seal design and propermaterial selection has a greatimpact on seal performance.Regular inspections shouldensure proper seal performanceonce in service.

Picture clearly illustrates difficulty when inspecting seals assecondary seal is difficult to pull away from the tank shell, and thesmall inspection opening and absence of light make inspectingespecially primary seals complicated.

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Foam injection arrangement on a CTS40 seal, eliminating therequirement for a foam dam and reducing foam quantities required.

The author:Gert van Meijeren holds abachelors degree inmechanical engineering andhas been working in the fieldof atmospheric storagetanks since 1989, forDeltaflex, Econosto and nowCTS as a companyspecialised in the field oftank seals, internal floatingroofs, dome roofs and otherproducts and systems foratmospheric storage tanks. He can be contacted [email protected].


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Vopak orders dome roofs andinternal floating roofs at CTS

New Jet Fuel tank and dome dome roof (dome under construction by CTS).

CTS B.V. in Rotterdam has beenawarded contracts by VopakOil Rotterdam to supply andinstall fourteen (14)aluminium domes and five (5)direct contact aluminiuminternal floating roofs fortanks with a diameter of 42m(11 new tanks) and 32m (3existing tanks). This orderinvolves materials andservices for an investmentprogram at the Vopak OilRotterdam terminal in TheNetherlands for:

• the construction of 5 piecesof 42m diameter aluminiumdome roof tanks for Jet Fuel(200,000 cbm capacity),tanks to be equipped withdirect contact aluminiuminternal floating roofs

• the construction of 6 piecesof 42m diameter aluminiumdome roof tanks (tanks to beheated and insulated) for thestorage of Fuel Oil (240,000cbm capacity)

• the installation of 3 pieces of

32m diameter aluminiumdome roofs on existingexternal floating roof tanks

The fact that all these 14 tankswill be covered using aluminiumdome roofs will ensure thehighest standards for the storedproducts will be met, andminimum future maintenance onthese tanks will be required. Alltanks will be executed according

relevant standards such asAPI650, EN14015 and all otherrelevant standards and codes.Apart from that they will meet allenvironmental requirements,including the most stringentrequirements recently published.

For the 5 new Jet Fuel tanks theinstallation of aluminium directcontact internal floating roofsunder the aluminium dome roofswill reduce emissions of volatileorganic carbons very significantly.This where converting existingexternal floating roof tanks tointernal floating roof tanks doesensure water ingress in theproduct stored is eliminated andemissions of volatile organiccarbons are considerablyreduced as wind and sun will bedenied access to the tank by thecovering aluminium dome roof.


It is possible to jack tanks that have an aluminium dome roof.


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ARGOS OIL aluminium domescompleted in time by CTS

such as API 650 Appendix G, EN 14015 and PGS29. Thoughatmospheric vented, specificdesign changes were made forallowing Mineral Oil to condenseon the inside of the domes, sincethe tanks would be insulated, andthe domes will not be insulated.

In the 4th quarter of 2006 all 4domes were built inside thetanks, and lifted onto the tanksusing mobile cranes. While the

domes were being built, manyother construction activities weregoing on as well, such asinsulating the tanks and installinginternal piping in the tanks.

Taking only app. 4 weeks per tankthe dome project was completedwell within the time frameavailable, and without anyincidents reported. MeanwhileARGOS OIL through Verwater hasordered a 5th dome to illustratesatisfaction with the performanceby CTS on this project.


Dome lifted onto the tank by a mobile crane.

Aerial view of ARGOS OIL Mineral Oil domes supplied and built by CTS.

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In 2006 CTS was awarded acontract for 4 aluminiumdomes in a diameter of 42meach, in a program convertingexternal floating roof tanks toheated Mineral Oil tanks.Crucial in this award was thefact that CTS held an extensiverecord on similar projectsuccessfully completed forother European customers.The ARGOS OIL project has aspecial background, as ARGOSOIL is developing a presencein the terminal market, and isconverting a former Texacorefinery site as still managedby Nerefco to an independentterminal. Apart from that thetiming was very ambitious,allowing just 6 months for thecomplete project construction.

As ARGOS OIL had no experiencewith aluminium domes, CTSsupported all design aspectsdealing with the specificapplications. The domes weredesigned as per applicableinternational and Dutch codes,


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CTS seal combination for BP Amocoat In Amenas Gas Project (IAGP)

In 2005 CTS supplied a domeon a fire water tank built atthe In Amenas Gas project inAlgeria, than owned by BPSonatrach. The contract wasbuilt by MW Kellogg fromLondon, and they were verysatisfied with the approachgiven to this dome project in2005, and the CTS crew thatcame to site to built theproject.

So when in 2006 one of the twoother tanks at site showedsignificant problems on a tankseal supplied in 2005 by anothermanufacturer, MW Kelloggcontacted CTS immediately tosupport this issue. When CTSstaff inspected the tanks involvedon an inspection trip, it was foundthe installed shoe plate sealbased on counter weight drivenscissor hangers was beyondrepair. As there was no

secondary seal in place an urgentrepair was required.

CTS recommended to replacethe existing primary seal with adouble seal combination, as thiswould result in several importantoperational improvements, asfollows:• lower emissions, and less

environmental impact• eliminating the risk on rim

fires• preventing rainwater and

sand ingress in the tanksinvolved

Several seal options werediscussed, and a joint decisionwas made to install a CTS30primary seal with a CTS20secondary seal. A CTS30 primaryseal is a seal based on stainlesssteel compression plates bentdownward and contacting thetank shell. These compressionplates are backed up with anspecial PTFE (Teflon®) vapourbarrier, resulting in the seal being compatible with all known media.

The latest CTS20 secondary sealdesign added to this CTS30primary seal results in a verytight and reliable tank seal.

Materials were shipped out within3 weeks from date of order, andthe job was completed with CTSsupervision at site within a fewworking days, enabling thecustomer to put the tank back inservice without having to worryon seal integrity anymore.


Top view of CTS30 sealafter installation, beforesecondary seal is fitted.

CTS20 secondary seal, showing details as foam port and shunt.

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S Y S T E M S A N D P R O D U C T S F O R I N D U S T R I A L C A R G O T R A N S F E R A N D S T O R A G E

VCA** safety assurance systemcertificate awarded to CTS

Antwerp leakage of a crude oiltank will spring to mind for themost of us.

To ensure compliance with thehigh safety standards requiredwithin terminals and refineriesthere has been a SafetyAssurance System developedcalled VCA (Safety Checklist forContractors). Under this system

companies complying with thissafety assurance system arerequired to have a system inplace securing safety at jobsites. The most importantelements of this system areas follows:• ensure all staff arefamiliar with safe workingroutines• keeping a register on alltools used at the job sites• ensuring toolbox meetingare held and recorded onprojects• registering safetyincidents, near missincidents, and other safetyrelated incidents• arrange for regularmedical survey of staffinvolved

CTS has always workedunder the VCA**standard, and has beenaudited by Lloyds Registerin the third quarter of2006. The audit resultedin CTS being awarded aVCA** certificate undernumber 661377. Thisresults in CTS being in a

position to act as maincontractor, and to comply with allcustomer requirements withrespect to certification in thisarea.


Headquarters:CTS B.V.Coventrystraat 23047 AD RotterdamThe NetherlandsTel.: +31 (0)10 2622160Fax: +31 (0)10 2622190E-mail: [email protected]

South America:CTS Chile Ltda.Puerta del Sol 55 Oficina 121, C.P. 758-006,Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Tel.: +56 (0)2 2281108Fax: +56 (0)2 2280738

Middle-East:CTS Middle East W.L.L.P. O. Box 54166AdliyaKingdom of BahrainTel.: +973 17 5314 34Fax: +973 17 5314 84

Singapore:CTS Singapore Pte. Ltd.8, Chia Ping Road#07~19/20, JTE Flatted FactorySingapore 619973Tel.: +65 (0)6262 5955Fax: +65 (0)6262 4361

Thailand:CTS Tank (Thailand) td.95/67, Soi MoobanKlangkrungNakniwat Road, Ladprao 71ThailandTel.: +66 (0)2538 7779 or

+66 (0)2538 8876 or+66 (0)2538 9978

Fax: +66 (0)2538 7919

Indonesia:CTS B.V. Indonesia Graha Anugerah Building, 8th FloorJl. Raya Pasar Minggu No.17AJakarta Selatan 12780IndonesiaTel.: (+62-21) 79198787

or 79195151Fax: (+62-21) 7944378

Working in the terminal industryrequires a special approach,putting safety first. Obviouslyquality and progress areimportant on any project, but cannever jeopardise safetyrequirements, as projects arecarried out in tank farms, storingtons of hazardous, volatile,explosive and often even toxicproducts. People experienced inthe terminal industry will

all recall major incidents thathappened in our industry becausesafety standards were ignored,or otherwise mostly humanactions resulted in majorincidents. Most recently theBuncefield terminal fire, and the

2007 - cts nederland · commissioning. the internal floating roofs are all ordered according to api...

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