During the NISTM 2025 event, Rafael Rengifo, Midstream Director at Becht, and Daniel Fleck, Senior Engineer at the same company, shared the progress of a proposal that began several years ago as part of a collaborative effort to improve the reliability of storage tanks. What began as a concern among operators is now on track to become an API-backed technical document.
As Rengifo explained, it all began with quarterly meetings between tank owners, motivated by the need to address certain issues that, although known to the industry, did not yet have adequate regulatory treatment. Among the opportunities identified, four lines of work stood out as priorities.
The topics addressed were: the reliability of floating roofs, tank-based risk management, strategic bottom repairs, and the development of a workflow to address repairs. Although all were relevant, only one made it to the stage of becoming a formal proposal: the technical study on floating roofs.
"Perhaps it was a mistake to try to move forward with all four in parallel; the proactive approach works best when it focuses on one issue at a time,"
Rengifo commented.
This process naturally led the group to prioritize the most critical issue, which then resulted in a formal proposal to the API.
Daniel Fleck took over to explain the technical scope of the problem. With years of experience in the field, he has witnessed multiple incidents involving sinking roofs and the subsequent efforts to recover them. As he explained, this type of structure has not received sufficient attention in current regulatory frameworks.
"In my career, I have seen too many floating roofs collapse. There is little systematic technical focus on how to maintain them in good condition. We need to share more events and incidents and learn collectively,"
said Fleck.
The result of this effort has been the creation of a new API document within the SCAS committee, which held its first official meeting in Anaheim, with notable attendance by operators, suppliers, and industry specialists.
The preliminary content of the document will include more than twenty sections, beginning with the standardized definition of terminology, followed by inspection and repair guidelines, design requirements, and concluding with operational aspects such as the recovery of damaged roofs.
Fleck estimates that full development will take between three and five years, given the need to build consensus and technically validate each part. Although the road ahead is long, the enthusiasm of the sector is a clear sign of its need.
One of the keys to the success of this initiative has been the open collaboration between companies and professionals. Both Rengifo and Fleck highlighted the active participation of operators and manufacturers, as well as the support of Inspenet, which has provided a digital forum to continue the technical discussion on this and other tank-related issues.
"What excites us most is to see that something that began with a few informal meetings has now become a proposal with technical backing and global reach,"
said Rengifo.
Becht is leading this initiative and has also expressed his intention to continue working on the development of the other three issues that were put on hold. The goal is to build a solid technical foundation that will enable the sector to address operational challenges proactively rather than reactively.
"We need more volunteers, more hands, and more time dedicated to these tasks. But we are convinced that the impact will be worth it,"
Fleck concluded.
With this proposal underway, Becht reaffirms its role as an important player in the technical development of the energy industry, aligning practical experience with the creation of structured solutions that benefit the entire storage and transportation ecosystem.
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Source: Inspenet.
