With almost 37 years of hands-on experience in storage tank inspection, Earl J. Crochet P.E., also known as The Tank Whisperer, has learned that no two tanks are alike. He compares them to vehicles, some are built for speed, others for strength, and each one has unique needs. This diversity challenges engineers to tailor inspections and maintenance to the specific history, design and use-case of each tank.
People just think they’re these big round things, but there are a lot of subtleties to the tanks.
Earl J. Crochet.
Crochet emphasizes that understanding the tank’s background, its age, product history, construction base, and environment, is key to successful storage tank management. This holistic perspective has been the foundation of his success, and it’s what allows him to quickly identify potential issues that others might overlook.
Factors that determine a tank’s lifespan
When asked about how long a tank should last, Earl answers that “there is no fixed lifespan”. He has personally worked on tanks more than 100 years old that are still in service. On the flip side, he has seen tanks fail in just five or six years. So what separates a tank that endures from one that fails early?
- Stored Product: Surprisingly, crude oil and gas themselves don’t always cause damage. The problems come from impurities, especially water.
- Water Presence: Moisture accumulation is the silent killer. It leads to tank corrosion at the base, which is often invisible until significant damage occurs.
- Tank Bottom Condition: Most failures start below the surface, literally. Corrosion at the floor is the number one threat.
- Original Design: What a tank is built on, sand, clay, concrete, has long-term effects. The more uniform the base, the better.
The invisible enemy: Water at the bottom
Most atmospheric tanks breathe daily, contracting and expanding with temperature changes. This action pulls moisture into the tank, where it condenses and settles at the bottom, and since steel and water are never a good match, this interaction accelerates internal corrosion.
Crochet points out that while the tank’s interior walls and roof are easy to inspect, it’s the unseen floor where real danger hides. Historically, inspectors had to crawl inside with a hammer, tapping the steel to hear for weakness. Now, more sophisticated tools exist, but the challenge remains, water is often underestimated.
The golden rule: Homogeneous, high and dry
Earl’s signature advice for preventing tank bottom failure is simple yet powerful: “Homogeneous, high and dry.”
- Homogeneous: Build on a consistent base, sand or concrete, not a mix of materials.
- High: Elevate the tank slightly to prevent water pooling underneath.
- Dry: Ensure drainage and ventilation around the base to keep it moisture-free.
He recalls tanks built using this approach that have kept their original floor plates for over 50 years, showing virtually no signs of tank corrosion. It’s proof that smart engineering decisions at the start can prevent costly failures decades later.
Technology and innovation in tank inspection
When Earl started his career in 1988, tank inspection was rudimentary. Over the years, he’s witnessed and contributed to a revolution in inspection of storage tanks and today, the field is filled with tools and technologies that were unthinkable decades ago.
In-service inspection: Is the future already here?
The ability to assess tank integrity without taking it out of service is a game-changer. New diagnostic tools and imaging systems are enabling more frequent, safer, and cost-effective inspections.
Taking a tank out of service for inspection is expensive and disruptive, that’s why in-service inspection has become a game-changer. New technologies allow operators to detect wall thinning, corrosion, or structural anomalies while the tank is full, saving time, money, and minimizing risk. That’s because, Earl collaborates with startups developing systems that analyze tank condition without downtime.
Robotics, AUT, MFL and more: the new standard
Crochet lists several tools that are now indispensable in tank inspection:
- MFL (Magnetic Flux Leakage): Detects corrosion or pitting by analyzing magnetic field interruptions in the steel shell or floor.
- AUT (Phased Array Ultrasonics): Provides high-resolution images to assess welds, corrosion, and thickness.
- Robotic crawlers: These devices inspect tank bottoms without requiring human entry, operating while tanks remain in service.
These technologies aren’t luxury tools, they are now the standard for modern storage tank management.
Challenges and opportunities in the storage industry
Despite these advancements, Earl points out two persistent challenges:
- Aging Infrastructure: Many tanks are exceeding their design lives. Without proactive inspection, the risk of catastrophic failure increases.
- Workforce Shortages: There’s a noticeable lack of experienced professionals. Earl warns that fewer people are choosing tanks as a career path. “Most didn’t choose tanks, they were assigned to them,” he adds with humor.
This combination of older assets and fewer qualified inspectors makes tank inspection more critical, and more complex, than ever before.
Yet, the industry has immense opportunity, and Earl points to the role of standards like API 653, which offers structured guidelines for tank inspection, repair, alteration, and reconstruction. When combined with modern technologies and training programs, the sector is well-positioned to evolve and thrive.
The tank whisperer’s advice for young engineers
Crochet has a passion for mentoring the next generation. Here are his three essential lessons:
- Design with the Long View: Tank performance is set during the design phase. Foundation materials, drainage systems, access planning are decisions that determine whether the tank lasts 10 or 100 years.
- Train with the Standards: Learning API 650 and API 653 isn’t optional, it’s essential. These standards encapsulate decades of lessons learned and best practices.
- Stay Curious, Stay Humble: Talk to old inspectors and learn from their mistakes and yours. Earl also recommends attending industry events and collaborating with startups to stay up to date.
Passion, legacy and the road ahead
For Earl J. Crochet, tanks aren’t just steel containers, they’re a calling. From his first assignment in 1988 to his leadership roles in API committees, he’s made it his life’s work to improve the safety and reliability of tank systems.
As technologies advance and the energy industry evolves, Earl sees a bright future, if we’re willing to learn from the past and embrace the new, because in the world of tank inspection, wisdom is just as important as tools.
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Source: Inspenet.
