American Petroleum Institute

Interim Study - Prevention and Suppression of Fires in Large Aboveground Atmospheric Storage Tanks - First Edition
 N PUBL 2021A

Annotation

1.1 SCOPE AND PURPOSE

This publication was prepared by the Large Aboveground Tank Fire Resource Team of the American Petroleum Institute. The members of this resource team included representatives from petroleum refining, pipeline, and tank manufacturing companies, as well as consultants and vendors. This publication applies to the storage of flammable and combustible liquids only in large aboveground atmospheric storage tanks. For purposes of this study, these tanks are defined as vertical atmospheric storage tanks having diameters of 100 feet or larger and/or storage capacities of 80,000 barrels (bbl) or greater.

The purpose of this publication is to provide an understanding of the fire prevention and suppression issues relating to the storage of flammable and combustible liquids in large aboveground atmospheric storage tanks. During the development of this document, historical data on large tank fires were solicited. Reports on tank fires were received from team members, and fire records in national and international databases were examined for relevant incidents. While the data received were extensive, this study is not inclusive of all fire-related events in large atmospheric storage tanks. Particularly excluded from this study are events that were minor in nature. For example, rim seal fire incidents on floating-roof tanks that were easily extinguished without any appreciable fire damage are often not recorded in databases. The statistics in this report are based on an analysis of known fire events reported to the resource team. The discussion on applicable concepts and strategies for successful extinguishment of fires involving large aboveground storage tanks includes an analysis of the fire data.

Because the data available on fires that did not result in appreciable fire damage involving large aboveground storage tanks are very limited, the statistical data contained in this publication should be used carefully. Readers of this study are invited to report information concerning fires involving tanks meeting the scope of this publication. Such reports would be appreciated and should be submitted to the American Petroleum Institute using the form included in Appendix A. The information should include as much of the following data as possible: