JSC Sibnefteprovod introduced in a testing mode a unique system of gas fire extinguishers. The first test took place on a linear system of production and management at the South Balik station of the Nefteyugansk control point for long-distance oil pipelines on December 10. According to the press service of the company, testing took place at the oil storage tanks no. 17 with the volume of 20,000 cubic meters that was equipped with an aluminum pontoon. At the moment, this is the only extinguishing system of its kind in Russia. Neither Transneft, nor the energy sector as a whole, have tried using this method. According to chief engineer Renat Mavlyutov at the Nefteyugansk control station, this system is fundamentally different from traditional foam-based extinguishing systems, which are used at all other facilities of the company. The new system has many differences when compared to the old system. In particular, the response time factor is of crucial significance. While the foaming solution is fed into the tank three to four minutes following the fire alarm, the carbon dioxide fills the tank’s interior within a minute and a half. The gas not only displaces the air, thereby localizing the fire, but also cools the tank’s walls. The temperature of the gas is minus 78 degrees Celsius. Carbon dioxide is stored in liquid form at a temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius in four special containers. Each can hold 25 tons of the gas. During the tests, the tank was filled with about 40 tons of carbon dioxide. The fact that the fire was extinguished was evidenced by a whitish cloud of steam that rose through the vent pipes on the roof of the tank.

According to the chief engineer of Sibnefteprovod Konstantin Zaitsev, the specialists now have to analyze the results that were obtained during the test: “Only after satisfactory results at this stage are obtained will we be able to enter the final tests of the system: to test it on a tank of oil. We must approach this step responsibly. And after that we, along with the design institute and Transneft experts, will be able to reach our final conclusion as to initiating mass production of the system.”

The employees of the Russian pipeline operator are pinning hopes on the efficiency of the gas fire extinguisher. A long-distance oil pipeline Arctic – Purpe is now under active construction in climactic zones where abnormally low temperatures are common throughout most of the year. Foam firefighting in such harsh climatic conditions is ineffective because part of the foam solution is water. From an environmental point of view, the new way of extinguishing the fire in tanks is completely safe. The carbon dioxide is dissipated in the atmosphere within a few minutes. Overall, the implementation of the system will improve the safety of the oil pumping process, and reduce fire accidents at tank farms.