Saval
cfi rim seal systems protect existing storage tanks in iraq 4 v2
CFI Rim Seal systems protect existing storage tanks in Iraq

CFI Rim Seal systems protect existing storage tanks in Iraq

South Oil Company (SOC) is responsible for the oil in the South of Iraq. They discovered their fixed fire safety system of the tanks isn’t enough in case of a fire.

Detailed internal risk assessment (HAZOP) of the South Oil Company tank farm showed that their manually activated fixed foam systems provided inadequate protection in case of a fire. The time to activate the current fire system would take too long and could result in uncontrollable fire scenarios. To cover this risk, we installed a fire protection gas based system that detects and extinguishes a fire within a few seconds: CFI Rim Seal Fire Protection System.

cfi rim seal systems protect existing storage tanks in iraq 2 v2
CHALLENGE

Suitable solution for large tanks

The new solution had to fit on the existing 40 tanks with varying diameters: ranging from 18 to 72 meter. In addition, the new solution could not impact normal terminal operations and must be resistant to high temperatures, up to 55 ° C.

Our Solution

An automatic detection and gas based extinguishing system was chosen that is specifically designed and certified for such rim seal fires: CFI Rim Seal Fire Protection. The extremely hot temperatures at site during the summer do not impact the CF3I gas shelf life time, making this a very suitable extinguishing medium. The system design enables detection and extinguishment within seconds, when the fire is still very small. The system is modular and mounted on existing tanks, on top of the floating ponton, without the need for any welding or hot work at site.

Project implementation

Together with our certified local Iraqi partner Uruk, specific tank details at site have been incorporated into the final design and production at our factory. The modular build of the units enabled easy installation: plug and play, on ‘live tanks’ filled with flammable products without the need for modifications to the tanks.

cfi rim seal systems protect existing storage tanks in iraq v2
Result

CFI Rim Seal Fire Protection

A reliable rim seal fire protection system that will detect and extinguish a fire within seconds of occurring that was mounted on all existing tanks during normal operations.

Applied system