Featured Project Bulletin: Gasoline Storage Tank – Refinery Tank Degassing – Roof Collapse
A national refinery customer sent us an urgent safety bulletin after a near-catastrophic incident:
A single contractor was hired to both degas and clean a large gasoline floating-roof tank. Under fixed-price pressure, they started high-pressure water washing while the vapor space was still at or near 100% LEL.
The water jet created static discharge → detonated the gasoline vapors → turned the tank into a giant engine with the floating roof as the piston.
Result:
- Multiple explosions (“knocking” from outside)
- Floating roof tore off landing legs and partially collapsed
- Immediate evacuation
Envent’s Non-Negotiable Rule – Now Required by This Customer and Many Others NO WATER WASHING UNTIL VAPOR SPACE IS TESTED AND CONFIRMED BELOW 50% LEL
We verify <50% LEL at multiple points before any cleaning contractor begins wash.
Why Envent Will NEVER Clean Tanks (and Why You Shouldn’t Let One Company Do Both)
| Envent – Degassing Only | Same Contractor – Degassing + Cleaning |
|---|---|
| Zero conflict of interest | Fixed-price pressure to rush degassing |
| 30+ years, zero flash fires | This incident proves the risk |
| Single focus: vapor safety | Rushing to start cleaning = more revenue |
We leave tank cleaning to the cleaning experts. You get two specialized companies with real checks and balances.
Since this incident, this customer now mandates Envent’s procedure and separate scopes in every tank cleaning bid package.
More Real-World Envent Tank & Vapor Projects
| Project | Location | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Southern California Construction Dewatering | Coastal California | View Project → |
| Texas Mobile Stormwater Treatment – Oil & Grease + BTEX | Fort Worth, Texas | View Project → |
| Texas City Emergency Flare Replacement | Texas City, Texas | View Project → |
| St. James Louisiana Air Stripper Backup | St. James, Louisiana | View Project → |
| Sour Tank Inert Degas with Pyrophoric Control | Southern California | View Project → |
| Floating Roof Gasoline Tank Degassing | Colorado | View Project → |
| Hydrocracker Flareless Turnaround | Deer Park, Texas | View Project → |
| 20-Mile Sour Crude Pipeline Degassing | West Coast | View Project → |
Ready for the safest, most compliant tank degassing in the industry? Get Envent’s Tank Degassing Procedure & <50% LEL Guarantee today. Call us at 888-997-9465 or email [email protected] — one scope, one focus: your safety.
