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Cutting a big petroleum tank

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railhead

12-19-2007 17:44:00

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I was given a 10 ft diameter by 15 foot high round tank. It is heavy guage steel. The tank was used for distillate gas to run a pump jack at a oil well. It developed a hole bigger than a basket ball in the top and was taken out of service two years ago. Since, it has sat on it's side and now I have it and want to make something out of it. It has a 2' by 3 foot flat access door I can unbolt and take off to give another opening. I want to cut the seam down the length and make a 16 by 15 foot round top bbuilding from it for a shed. advice?

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george md

12-21-2007 14:25:06

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

rail,
I had a customer that did R & R of service station tanks. His method was to park them in a meadow for a few years,then runa gas trail of75 or 100 ft lite the trail and watch
the fun. It is kinda neat to watch a 3500 or
a 5000 gallon get up and do a one leged dance.
When all the actoin settles down the tank is an unburnable atmosphere , that's when you cut the holes or the end out.

george

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railhead

12-21-2007 16:20:49

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to george md, 12-21-2007 14:25:06

another guy told me nearly the same thing today. He said he used to haul them to the scrap yard, some with gas still in them and the guy would pour a trail of gas to any opening and set it off while hiding behind a junk car. Said one day one blew and took the hood off the car the guy was behind and it nearly took off the guys head. Not hurt seriously but there was a lot of blood.

If I could think of a way to ignite it from a safe distance I would light it off tomorrow in the rain we are supposed to get. It is in the middle of a 29 acre rough pasture I have that is close to NOTHING but wheat fields. Maybe 300 yards from a road that sees a car every 5 minutes or so. I like fire works like the next guy but I don't want to be part of the show.

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135 Fan

12-21-2007 18:56:07

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-21-2007 16:20:49

That's what we've been trying to help you avoid. Sigh. Thanks George. Dave

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railhead

12-22-2007 02:15:32

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to 135 Fan, 12-21-2007 18:56:07

I realize that and appreciate it.

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PaulW_NJ

12-20-2007 13:23:47

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to jdemaris, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

railhead said: (quoted from post at 18:44:00 12/19/07) I was given a 10 ft diameter by 15 foot high round tank. It is heavy guage steel. The tank was used for distillate gas to run a pump jack at a oil well. It developed a hole bigger than a basket ball in the top and was taken out of service two years ago. Since, it has sat on it's side and now I have it and want to make something out of it. It has a 2' by 3 foot flat access door I can unbolt and take off to give another opening. I want to cut the seam down the length and make a 16 by 15 foot round top bbuilding from it for a shed. advice?

You might want to contact this guy and see how he does it. This is a great website to follow.

Link

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railhead

12-20-2007 18:35:49

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to PaulW_NJ, 12-20-2007 13:23:47

I did email him, waiting on reply. Thanks cool website. I am going to cut it with a torch one way or another.

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hd6gtom

12-20-2007 10:01:44

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

One of our local scrappers was given some old tanks that had been abandioned years ago. The person who bought the property gave them to the scrap man. The scrapman started a grass fire on the property,the local fire department came and put out the grass fire, while they were there the tank blew up killing one fireman and the scrapman. I think the lawsuits are ongoing.

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Dick Lemmon

12-20-2007 09:45:59

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

I was given a heater treater from an oil field about that size. It had a fair sized hole. Stunk like crude oil but it had not been used for a year and I just cut both ends out with a cutting torch. It never poofed but did flame on the inside where the torch was cutting but went out when you pulled the torch away for a bit. I could not see how it could poof and build enough pressure with a big hole to do any damage. That was crude oil though. I thought that they ran the pump jacks from the heater treater as well and heating the crude to separate the water when using that kind of engine. That was close to 40 years ago and they were starting to run the pump jacks with electricity in the area.

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135 Fan

12-20-2007 11:44:55

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to Dick Lemmon, 12-20-2007 09:45:59

Stunk like crude oil and you just took a torch to it. WOW! Not all explosions need to be under pressure. Personally, I don't think it's worth taking a risk cutting anything that has had flammable material in it, unless it has been properly cleaned and checked to make sure it is 100% safe to do so. There are too many reports of people getting killed or seriously injured because they never took the time or money to do things properly. Other people will say they've done things without taking any precautions many times and never had a problem. Being safe is always better. Dave

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Dick Lemmon

12-21-2007 09:09:07

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to 135 Fan, 12-20-2007 11:44:55

Not been around the oil field? Huh!

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135 Fan

12-21-2007 12:00:40

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to Dick Lemmon, 12-21-2007 09:09:07

Don't want to be if there's people like you around that don't take the proper precautions. I've worked building a lot of oilfield equipment. In fact I worked at an oilfield tank shop where a painter was badly burned because a static electric shock ignited the coating he was applying inside a large tank. His helper was just coming out of the tank when it happened and luckily wasn't injured too bad. Yes, there was a big law suit. Oilfield equipment has to meet very high quality standards for a reason. I think it's a bad idea to recommend someone else do something because you did something similar without incident. Maybe you just got lucky nothing happened? If he just took a torch to the tank based on your experience, and something did happen, would you take responsibility? I can see the headlines now, Poster on tractor forum found guilty in wrongful death suit. I prefer, as well as most others on here, to error on the safe side. It's just common sense to me. Dave

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railhead

12-22-2007 13:37:33

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to 135 Fan, 12-21-2007 12:00:40

I didn't take it as he was tell me to go ahead and blow myslef to smithereens, but rather he had cut a similar tank but it held crude rather than distillate. I APPRECIATE all replies in this...Everyones life experience is different and when you can draw from this many...it is pretty darn interesting and helpful.

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led

12-20-2007 01:53:52

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

Dry Ice!!!

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s.crum

12-19-2007 22:10:03

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

Good luck my friend. what you were given is a load of liability. Although you may be in luck if you were given the tank as the original owner would still be liable for it's disposal. If you purchased the tank you are liable. If this was a liquid fuels tank as you stated, there are likely sludges and other cruds in the bottom that the EPA REALLY wants disposed of in an enviromentally responsible manner ($$$$$$).
I was offered a 5,000 and an 8,500 gallon fuel oil tank for $1 and a receipt each. After a few phone calls, I decided it wasn't worth it. Isn't like the old days when some woodchuck could dump an old rail tanker in a creek, cut the ends out and fill over the top for a bridge. Do your self a big favor, buy some trusses, 2x4s and roofing tin and build a roof.

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TomTex

12-19-2007 21:08:01

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

What you were given was nothing buy trouble, the guy who "gave" it to you is still laughing, since he was probably facing thousands of dollars to get rid of it. Also, I dond understand how you are going to make much of a shed when it is only 10 feet in diameter and 15 foot long(high)? If you cut it in half wont it only be 5 foot high? Guess I am just too dumb to figure it out. Tom

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railhead

12-20-2007 14:58:11

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to TomTex, 12-19-2007 21:08:01

well i ain't no robert einstein either but 10 feet in diameter equals 31.4 feet in circumference, cut out both ends, split it down one side, weld (or bolt) a stiffner to it on each side cut and open it up and you should come up with a shed APPROX 16 feet wide at bottom and 15 feet high at center top if my figuring is right, give or take a foot either way. Then build one endwall in it and have a small round top to put "stuff" in....just an idea of trying to make use of what is now junk.

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135 Fan

12-21-2007 00:10:16

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-20-2007 14:58:11

Assuming, I know I shouldn't, you cut it up and are still around, how are you going to open it up? The steel was put through a roller when the tank was made. I guess you're going to do, what you're going to do. Hope you don't have neighbors too close. You could end up with the worlds biggest eyesore and the county could make you get rid of it if you didn't have a permit. Anytime you do anything around here on your land, you need a permit and/or permission. You want to build a shed/lean to sort of deal. Better make sure the county approves and knows what you're making it out of. By the way, who is Robert Einstein? I've heard of Albert Einstein and you could be in the same league. He did considerable work in developing the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in W.W. II. Dave

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railhead

12-21-2007 03:17:40

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to 135 Fan, 12-21-2007 00:10:16

that is a joke....."i am no robert einstein".....a friend of mine said that once kinda proving his point...he isn't that bright. I always found it amusing.

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Jon Hagn

12-21-2007 06:43:56

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-21-2007 03:17:40

Ok, it was intentional instead of a mistake. I hoping you would take it as a gentle tease instead of a jab.
I think it would be a good idea if you could flood that tank with C02 using dry ice or whatever to displace the oxygen in it during cutting. Have fun with your project and be safe.

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Jon Hagen

12-20-2007 23:07:32

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-20-2007 14:58:11

Now I ain't no rocket surgeon either, but wasn't Robert, Albert's smarter older brother ?? ;-)

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135 Fan

12-19-2007 20:17:59

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

Hire a commercial steam cleaning truck and use the hottest temperature possible. Before doing any cutting, have the fire department or gas company, etc. check the tank with a gas meter. It will tell you if it's safe. I had work experience with a guy that had to repair a crack inside a vessel at a refinery. If the gas meter rating would have been any higher, he wouldn't have done the job. We had to come out every 10 minutes or so because it was so hot inside. It was steamed for 2 weeks! What you're contemplating doing has all the elements to be extremely dangerous. If and only if, it is properly prepared and checked by qualified people, would I even think about taking a torch to it. You could end up with something 16 ft. X 15 ft. but it could be a hole in the ground with yourself lying in the bottom of your own grave. Be careful. Dave

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kito169

12-19-2007 19:52:24

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

My neighbor, 2 miles across pasture, had one of those. I thought it would blowu p too, when he cut it to make a culvert for a creek crossing. He had two openings in it and hooked a hose from his exhaust pipe on his pickup to it. He let the engine idle about an hour and cut the ends out with no problems. He said the exhaust removed all oxygen, which is needed for combustion. my 2 cents. Rick

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circus

12-19-2007 19:45:35

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

Fill with pure Nitrogen. My neighbor welded 6 of those beasts together. Risked his life. Spent months on the labor. Thousands of dollars. Lost all his friends. All for less space than a 2-car garage. Duh

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bill mar

12-22-2007 04:04:00

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to circus, 12-19-2007 19:45:35

how did he lose all of his friends?

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railhead

12-22-2007 14:05:23

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to bill mar, 12-22-2007 04:04:00

I have been wondering that too.....all that work could add up to a good excuse to gather and DRINK BEER. I bet that is where the thousands of dollars was spent, on beer.

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circus

12-23-2007 00:01:10

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pyramid of tanks lowers prop. value in reply to railhead, 12-22-2007 14:05:23

Friends were neighbors. Imagine selling your house 500 yards from a pyramid made from raunchy 5000 gal. tanks In your face is not funny.

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railhead

12-23-2007 17:18:44

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Re: pyramid of tanks lowers prop. value in reply to circus, 12-23-2007 00:01:10

I find it humorous.

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circus

12-24-2007 09:00:31

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raspberries in reply to railhead, 12-23-2007 17:18:44

raspberries

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RobMD

12-19-2007 19:35:52

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

Sure, just go ahead and get a torch or even a grinder and blow yourself and anyone within 500 feet to China.

Sand, water, or anything you do will not even remove the potential for combustion, I don't care if the tank has been empty for a thousand years.

Save yourself.

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frankiee

12-19-2007 18:42:10

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

I worked at a scrap yard for 7 years.
Boss often told the story of the owner of another yard in Ontario. He soaked a tank for 3 years in water and drained it. Then cut into it and it blew up.

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Logan in S.E. Texas

12-19-2007 18:14:17

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

I hate to rain on your parade railhead but what you are proposing is nothing short of deadly. UNLESS you can completely gas free it and the only way I know of to do that is to use live steam and steam it out. I work in a refinery and we have to ok tanks,pipes and vessels for hot work and that is what we use...and we have the hand held meters to check with too.

Taking the access door off and going inside is a no-no too as the atmosphere in there may not support life and it'll be to late once your inside....PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL IN DEALING WITH THIS TANK.

IF you had a high pressure STEAM cleaner with a lond wand that could reach all around inside and you took your time and cleaned it very good you might not blow yourself up cutting with a torch.....

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El Toro

12-19-2007 18:05:55

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Re: Cutting a big petroleum tank in reply to railhead, 12-19-2007 17:44:00

I would ask your local fire department about cutting on this tank since it has contained fuel.
This is to be on the safe side as some of those fumes are very explosive. Hal
PS: If it was where I worked they would need to steam clean it for 8 hours.

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