Abstract
The study examines the urgent issue of reducing hydrocarbon losses caused by the “large” and “small” breathing of vertical-type storage tanks, which is critically important for enhancing economic efficiency and ensuring safety in Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector. An analysis of the technological parameters of the Chinarev oil field (West Kazakhstan region), currently at a late stage of development, revealed increasing risk factors, including higher water cut (53.6%) and rising gas-oil ratio (191.2 m³/t). These factors lead to an increased proportion of light fractions and higher saturated vapor pressure (15–30 kPa), which in turn cause growth in losses (0.7–1.3 t/year for a 3000-m³ vertical tank due to “large breathing”). The authors justify the use of a controlled corrugated metal-polymer chamber filled with nitrogen as a highly efficient alternative technical solution. The operating principle of the chamber is based on compensating changes in the free volume of the gas space (GS), preventing compression of the vapor-air mixture (VAM) and uncontrolled vapor emissions. Experimental studies conducted on a physical model of the tank provided quantitative evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed technology. It was determined that the controlled chamber reduces the maximum excess pressure (ΔP) by a factor of 4.6 (from 46 mm w.col. to 10 mm w.col.) with an average filling rate of Qavg≈0.000227 m³/s, effectively neutralizing the “large breathing” effect. The article substantiates the high technological and economic efficiency of implementing the controlled chamber to address a wide range of tasks, including significant reduction of product losses, preservation of product composition (due to retention of light fractions), and substantial improvement of fire and explosion safety in tank farms storing crude oil and volatile petroleum products. The results obtained have practical significance and are recommended for modernization of oil and petroleum product storage facilities.