Upstream - API 12F storage tank, safe distance from heater treaters and combustor/flares?

[aegis4048]

I'm planning to install 4x 500 BBLD oil storage tanks with API12F standards. It will be 12'(diamter) x 25' (height) storage tanks. My colleague tells me that there's a rule of thumb of maintaining 75' from the fire tube of a heater treater to storage tanks.

Three questions

1) Where's the 75' distance for the heater treater fire tube coming from? If it's not correct, can you point me to a good reference?
2) Where can I find safety distance rule from combustor/flares to storage tanks?
3) Any other distance rules for upstream oil and gas wellsites that I should be aware of?

If a reference you recommend is +100 pages long, please help me with specific chapters to look up. Thanks!

 

[JStephen]

There is an API publication that involves setting the tanks, but I don't know if it addresses this issue:

https://www.apiwebstore.org/standards/12R1

NFPA 30 addresses spacing for tank-to-tank, but I don't know that it addresses tank-to-flame-source. It should be available for free viewing on the NFPA website, though. It is oriented more towards municipal/building code type construction than oil-field work.

 

[ProSafPlant1]

Recommended industry practice based on long-standing insurance guidelines - GAP 2.5.2 Oil and Chemical Plant Layout and Spacing, although for production properties there was a slightly less restrictive guideline

no longer published - "Gasoline Plants - Recommendations and Guidelines".

I should add that the majority of oil battery type production properties just follow the local state or province petroleum regulator's minimums. e.e in Alberta:

retired, technical library for sale on eBay -

https://www.ebay.com/usr/prosafbooks

 

[LittleInch]

Your questions

1) No idea - probably some company guideline or Process design book. good reference? You could use hazardous area guides or any number of guides like those mentioned above if you have most of Texas to layout your well site.
2) You can't. There are so many guides and prescriptive distances that unless your AHJ has one you could choose just about anything you want.
3) Rules are legislation - look up your area. In general put storage tanks down wind of fired systems and get as much distance as you can between them.

If you've got a bund around your tank then most Hazardous area classifications go to the edge of the Bund.

But if you've got 25m of distance and you can stop liquid getting to the heater treater if the tank fails then you should be ok. But look out for the wind.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.