Hazardous phenomena in flammable liquid storage facilities — Deposit-specific phenomena

Petroleum logistics covers all operations involved in transporting petroleum products from their place of production to consumers. It relies in particular on the installation of oil infrastructures for the production, transport and storage of these products. The production function is performed by refineries, which transform crude oil into consumable products (fuels in particular, but not exclusively). The transport of these products is carried out by pipelines in terms of infrastructure (transport can also be carried out by barges, trains and tanker trucks). Finally, storage is provided by refineries, underground storage (caverns) and oil depots.

Storage capacity is an essential link in this logistics chain. In particular, they enable us to secure the distribution of products throughout the country, for a given period, in the event of a supply disruption. In France, almost half of all storage capacity is provided by oil depots. There are more than two hundred depots with capacities in excess of 400 m ³ scattered across the country. Some depots are located close to urban areas or roads. This network, which ensures efficient distribution to consumers, also increases the number of high-risk facilities, bringing them closer to the consumer.

Furthermore, accidents have shown that dangerous phenomena such as boil-over, pressurization and tank explosion are associated with the storage of flammable liquids in large-capacity atmospheric tanks. The accidents at Tacoa in Venezuela (1982) and Port Édouard Herriot in France (1987) illustrate the devastating potential of these phenomena. However, as this type of storage is predominant in oil depots, the probability of occurrence is relatively high. This hazard potential, combined with the large number of existing depots, makes it all the more important to quantify the effects of these phenomena.

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of these specific hazardous phenomena, and to present the main modeling approaches used in industry, as well as existing prevention measures. The probabilistic aspect of the risk associated with these installations is not addressed in this article.