Ventilating Crude Oil Tank Excavation at an Oil Refinery

Project Overview

At an Australian Oil Refinery, a major maintenance operation was underway involving the removal of oily sludge from inside a crude oil storage tank. The task required cutting an access opening in the sidewall of the tank and excavating the contained sludge – a process that can release strong odours and volatile hydrocarbons into the work environment.

RVT Group was requested to provide an odour ventilation solution that would keep workers safe.

Challenge

Crude storage tanks contain trapped vapours and odours that can pose respiratory discomfort and health risks to personnel if allowed to accumulate during intrusive work. In this case, the excavation of oily sludge created a hazardous atmosphere inside and immediately around the tank opening.

The client recognised the need to manage and control airborne odours and vapours – not just for worker wellbeing but also to meet site safety and environmental expectations. The challenge was to provide effective industrial ventilation solutions and odour control in a confined, unpredictable work area where conventional ventilation may be insufficient.

Solution

To address these risks, RVT provided a Wandafilta ventilation and filtration system designed specifically for odour mitigation and air quality control.

The customised setup included

• Ventex 300M Centrifugal Fan – robust, industrial airflow capability for pulling contaminated air out of the tank environment.
• Ravex Multi-3 Upright Filtration Box – equipped with activated carbon filters engineered to adsorb odorous organic compounds and hydrocarbons.
• 300 mm Flexible Ducting – to connect the extraction system directly at source while allowing flexible positioning around the work area.
• Clamps, Capture Hood and Accessories – ensuring secure duct connection and efficient capture of contaminated air at the tank opening.

How it worked

The capture hood was positioned at the tank cut-out, directly over the work zone where sludge excavation was taking place. The Ventex 300M fans drew air through the hood and into the ducting system, directing it through the activated carbon filtration media housed in the Ravex Multi-3 unit. Once treated, the filtered air was safely discharged back into the atmosphere.

This setup ensured:

• Continuous air movement out of the work space, reducing stagnation of odorous and potentially harmful vapours.
• Selective adsorption of volatile compounds by activated carbon, significantly reducing odour impact onsite.
• Protection for personnel, helping maintain a safer and more comfortable environment for tank maintenance work.

Outcome

The provision of the Wandafilta kit effectively controlled odour and vapour levels throughout the critical phases of the sludge excavation. The combination of extraction airflow and activated carbon filtration mitigated sensory hazards and supported compliance with safety expectations.

By tailoring a temporary ventilation and filtration solution with rugged, site-appropriate components, the team maintained safe working conditions in a challenging confined space, demonstrating how a proactive hazard control solution can enhance both safety and efficiency on maintenance jobs like this.