LASTFIRE dissociates itself from claims made by IFIF
Published: 12 January, 2011
The Large Atmospheric Storage Tanks (LASTFIRE) research consortium of 16 oil companies has published a statement to dissociate itself from claims made by the Rotterdam-based International Forum for Industrial Firefighting.
The statement followed claims made by IFIF that it had developed a special additive which delays onset of boilovers in crude oil tank fires.
In the period 22-26 March 2010 a joint IFIF/LASTFIRE test series was carried out in Asturias, Spain, to assess the effectiveness of the additive.
In the press bulletin issues by IFIF, it is claimed that the new additive enables a crude oil fire to be tackled in the same way as any other tank fire. According to IFIF, the tests in Asturias “proved that this method can be used to real fires in large storage tanks of the tank terminals in the Port of Rotterdam.” IFIF spokesperson added: “With this newly developed method oil companies can save millions.”
The LASTFIRE Group wishes to disassociate itself from the press statement issued by IFIF regarding the effectiveness of the additive. According to LASTFIRE, the available facts do not support the claims of effectiveness. However, LASTFIRE says it hopes that future test work will result in definitive proof that the special additive – or any other mechanism – can reduce the risks associated with boilovers in large diameter tanks, but currently this is not the case.
The special additive is applied using a firefighting foam carrier, and the intention of the additive is to affect the properties of burning crude oil near the surface so that the hot zone does not form in the same way as normal.
To read LASTFIRE’s position statement and IFIF’s press bulleting, download the document below, or click here.
