Fuel Tank Cleaning

DP Fuel Tank Services provides a complete gas freeing and fuel tank cleaning services for all types of fuel storage tank: underground/above ground diesel and oil tanks, underground petrol tanks, commercial and domestic heating oil tanks and industrial sized heavy oil tanks.

Our preferred method of fuel tank cleaning is man entry, as we believe this is the most thorough and efficient, but we are also experienced in and equipped for high pressure jet washing without man entry. For this we use a lance with a universal swivelling head to clean without streaking. As much water as possible is cleaned and recycled to reduce disposal costs.

We tank clean for re-use, to extend the life of the tank or solve bio-fuel clogging problems, and as a preparation for scrapping the tank. We specialise in gas freeing and certification. Our preferred method of making tanks safe to work on is Nitro-foam inerting, which we believe is the best and safest way to force explosive fumes out of the tank.

If the tank is to be removed, either by us or another contractor, it will be fully exposed and inerted, enabling us to cold cut a large opening. This opening facilitates fuel tank cleaning and gas freeing and prevents any build-up of flammable gases during the tank removal.

All diesel, oil and petroleum tank cleaning projects are undertaken in strict compliance with all current health, safety and environmental regulations required by the Petroleum Officer, HSE and Environment Agency. All residues and washings are disposed of safely under ‘Duty of Care’ or EA Notifications.

DP FTS has experience in all types of tank cleaning, not just on forecourts. Our projects have varied from small tanks to immense storage vessels, so no matter what your tank and issue, we can help you.

Ultrasound testing

Once a tank has been cleaned it makes sense to inspect the inside for weaknesses that may lead to eventual leaks. This can be done by eye and ultrasound. While other available tank tests can only detect whether a tank has an existing leak, an ultrasound test can detect developing corrosion problems before a leak actually occurs and causes environmental problems and serious expense for the owner.

DP FTS operatives take multiple readings with an ultrasound probe, which give a picture of the thickness of the skin of the tank. This will indicate where the skin is becoming so thin, due to corrosion, that a leak is likely in the near future. The procedure can be done on de-gassed tanks that are remaining in the ground or above ground tanks.
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