Case Study: Storage Tank Safety Equipment Supply for a Lukoil Storage Terminal

Project Overview

Lukoil, one of the largest vertically integrated oil companies in Russia and the CIS region, operates an extensive network of crude oil and petroleum product storage terminals across Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Bulgaria. At a strategic storage terminal in western Russia, a fleet of 12 atmospheric storage tanks ranging from 5,000 m3 to 20,000 m3 required comprehensive safety equipment upgrades to meet both current Russian federal regulations (GOST R) and international best practices.

Wanan Technology was selected as the equipment supplier for this project, providing a complete package of válvulas de alivio de presión y vacío, supresores de llama, y emergency relief valves for all 12 tanks. The project emphasized cold-climate operability, GOST/EAC compliance, and integration with the terminal’s existing tank management system.

The Challenge: Cold-Climate Storage Tank Compliance

The storage terminal, located in a region with winter temperatures regularly reaching -35 C and occasional extremes of -45 C, faced several unique challenges:

• Low-Temperature Material Embrittlement: Standard carbon steel components become brittle at sub-zero temperatures, creating fracture risk in pressure-bearing safety equipment. All wetted components needed to be specified with guaranteed low-temperature impact properties per GOST R 55356.
• Ice Formation on Vent Paths: Traditional end-of-line flame arrestors and PVRVs can experience ice buildup on the flame element or valve seat, potentially blocking the vent path. This is a critical safety failure — a blocked vent on a breathing storage tank can lead to tank implosion during pump-out or rupture during filling.
• Regulatory Dual Compliance: The terminal needed to satisfy both Russian federal standards (GOST R 51330, PB 09-560) and international recommendations (API 2000 for vent sizing, API 2210 for flame arrestor application) to maintain insurance coverage for international oil shipments.
• EAC Certification: Equipment supplied to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) market requires EAC (Eurasian Conformity) certification, involving additional testing and documentation beyond standard international certifications.

Solution: Integrated PVRV + Flame Arrestor System

Wanan’s engineering approach combined Russian regulatory compliance with international design standards. Each of the 12 tanks received a tailored safety equipment package based on tank size, stored product, and operating conditions.

Pressure Vacuum Relief Valves (PVRV)

For all 12 tanks, Wanan supplied low-leakage PVRVs designed per API 2000 7th Edition with settings calculated for each tank’s maximum filling and emptying rates plus thermal breathing requirements. The valves featured:

• 316L stainless steel body with guaranteed impact testing at -50 C (well below the site’s minimum design temperature)
• PTFE diaphragm seals with cold-temperature-rated elastomer backup, providing tight shutoff with leakage rates below 0.1 SCFH (exceeding API 2000 leak criteria)
• Insulated and heat-traced jacket option on 4 tanks storing higher-pour-point products, preventing ice formation on the valve seat
• Modular weight loading system allowing field adjustment of set pressure without removing the valve from service

End-of-Line Flame Arrestors

Each PVRV was paired with a Wanan end-of-line flame arrestor, certified to ISO 16852 and ATEX, providing deflagration flame transmission protection for tanks storing flammable liquids with flash points below 37.8 C. Key features:

• 316L stainless steel crimped ribbon flame element with MESG (Maximum Experimental Safe Gap) verified for IIA gas group service
• Drain ports and weather hood design optimized for snow and ice shedding, preventing moisture accumulation that could freeze and block the flame element
• Bidirectional flame transmission certification per ISO 16852, protecting against both external-to-internal and internal-to-external flame propagation

Emergency Relief Valves (ERV)

For the 4 largest tanks (20,000 m3), Wanan supplied emergency pressure relief valves (manway cover type) per API 2000 emergency venting requirements. These provide high-capacity emergency venting in case of fire exposure or catastrophic overpressure scenarios that exceed the normal PVRV capacity:

• 500 mm (20 inch) manway cover design with spring-loaded emergency opening at 110% of design pressure
• Integrated flame arrestor element for tanks storing Class I flammable liquids
• Weight-and-spring hybrid mechanism ensuring positive re-seating after emergency venting event

Equipment Supplied

GOST & EAC Certification Compliance

All equipment supplied under this project carried full EAC (Eurasian Conformity) certification, which is mandatory for pressure equipment and safety devices supplied to EAEU member states (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan). The certification process involved:

1. Technical documentation package in Russian language, including design calculations per GOST R 55356 (pressure vacuum valve sizing) and GOST R 51330 (explosion-proof equipment).
2. Type testing at an accredited EAEU testing laboratory, including low-temperature impact testing of all pressure-bearing materials, flame transmission testing per GOST R 51330.10, and leak rate verification.
3. Factory production control audit of Wanan’s manufacturing facility by the EAC certification body, verifying quality management system compliance with GOST R ISO 9001.
4. EAC marking applied to each certified unit, with traceability to the certificate of conformity.

Additionally, all flame arrestors carried ATEX certification (EU Directive 2014/34/EU) and ISO 16852 compliance, providing dual certification for customers who may ship products to EU destinations from the terminal.

Results & Operational Impact

After installation and commissioning (completed over a 6-week shutdown window during the terminal’s annual maintenance turnaround), the following outcomes were documented over the first 12 months of operation:

• Zero vent-path freeze incidents during the first winter operating season, compared to 4-6 freeze-related vent blockages per season with the previous equipment.
• Leak rate verification on all 12 PVRVs showed actual leakage rates 60-80% below the API 2000 maximum, translating to measurable VOC emission reduction across the terminal.
• Insurance compliance — the terminal’s insurance underwriter confirmed that the upgraded safety equipment package met all requirements for continued coverage of international crude oil shipments.
• Regulatory inspection passed — Rostekhnadzor (Russian federal industrial safety regulator) conducted a routine inspection 8 months after installation and cited no findings on the tank safety equipment.

Обзор проекта (Russian Summary)

В рамках проекта по модернизации оборудования безопасности для резервуарного парка одного из нефтеперерабатывающих терминалов «Лукойл» в западной части России, компания Wanan Technology поставила комплексную систему защиты резервуаров:

• Клапаны дыхательные (КД) — 12 комплектов из нержавеющей стали 316L с рабочей температурой до -50 C, сертифицированные по ГОСТ Р и API 2000
• Огнепреградители — 12 комплектов концевого типа, сертифицированные по ISO 16852, АТЭС и ГОСТ Р 51330
• Клапаны аварийного сброса давления — 4 комплекта люкового типа Ду-500 для резервуаров объёмом 20 000 м3
• Все оборудование имеет сертификаты ЕАС (Евразийское соответствие) и полную техническую документацию на русском языке

После ввода в эксплуатацию в течение первого зимнего сезона не зафиксировано ни одного случая обледенения предохранительных клапанов, что подтверждает эффективность конструкции для эксплуатации в условиях крайнего севера.

Operating storage tanks in cold-climate or CIS-region facilities? Wanan Technology provides GOST R and EAC certified tank safety equipment including PVRVs, flame arrestors, and emergency relief valves. Our engineering team can assist with API 2000 vent sizing calculations, material selection for extreme low temperatures, and full certification documentation in Russian and English.

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