Petroleum & Chemical Storage Tanks — Asbestos Exposure Crosswalk

What This Equipment Is

Refineries, petrochemical complexes, and bulk-storage terminals operate large fleets of above-ground storage tanks holding crude oil, intermediate stocks, finished products, and process chemicals. Tank categories include:

  • Floating-roof tanks — large crude and gasoline storage with floating roofs reducing vapor losses
  • Fixed-roof tanks — most chemicals and many heated products
  • Heated tanks — for asphalt, residuum, heavy fuel oil, sulfur (see Sulfur Recovery), and other products needing steam-traced insulation to remain pumpable
  • Pressure-storage spheres / horizontal tanks — for LPG, NGL, and other vapor-pressure products
  • Cryogenic tanks — for refrigerated low-temperature storage

Tank construction and surrounding piping historically used asbestos materials, particularly for:

  • Tank-shell insulation on heated tanks — see Pipe Insulation, Block Insulation
  • Tank-bottom insulation — between the tank steel and the supporting pad
  • Pipe covering on tank-farm distribution piping
  • Manway and access-cover gaskets — see Gaskets
  • Valve packing on isolation valves throughout the tank-farm
  • Asbestos-cement panel in tank-dike walls and firewall construction

Why Tank-Farm Work Was an Asbestos Exposure Pathway

Tank inspection and maintenance follow strict API-651, API-653, and other code-based regimes — driving recurring out-of-service inspection cycles. Each cycle pulls a tank, exposes the interior, and frequently disturbs surrounding insulation, gasketing, and packing on tank-farm piping.

Tank cleaning between product changes generates fugitive dust from any disturbed insulation. Tank-bottom replacement on aged tanks involves cutting through bottom courses and exposing insulation beneath. Heated-tank rebuilds disturb full external insulation jackets.

  • Graver Tank — storage-tank OEM
  • Brown-Minneapolis Tank — storage-tank OEM
  • CB&I (Chicago Bridge & Iron) — large-tank OEM
  • Johns-Manville — insulation, asbestos-cement panel
  • Owens-Corning / Fibreboard — insulation
  • Garlock Sealing Technologies — gaskets
  • Crane Co. — valves

Documented Product References

Images sourced from publicly available product-identification reference materials. Inclusion does not constitute a finding of liability against any company.

Trust Funds That May Apply

  • Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust
  • Owens-Corning / Fibreboard Asbestos PI Trust
  • Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC Asbestos PI Trust

Trades Most Exposed at Tank-Farm Work

Tank-shop crews, pipefitters, insulators (Heat & Frost), tank inspectors, contract tank-rebuild crews, refinery operators, terminal operators.

Cross-References

Compiled from publicly filed asbestos litigation, EPA / OSHA records on refinery and terminal exposure, API tank-inspection records, and industry-publication histories. Product and company references reflect what has been alleged or documented in publicly filed litigation. This page does not constitute a finding of liability against any company. Not legal advice; consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.