Tanknology Inc. hosted its first International Licensee Summit in Barcelona, Spain, February 18-20, 2019. Tanknology is the world’s largest provider of environmental compliance testing and inspection services.

This flagship event included attendees from more than fourteen countries, including Panama, the UK, Italy, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Portugal.

The Summit opened with an address from Tanknology President & CEO Allen Porter, discussing Tanknology history – and with it the development of underground storage tank regulations in the United States, market changes including a history of the retail market from 2000.

Attendees also discussed regulations around the world, preventative maintenance programs and client program choice, varying regulations, automatic tank gauge certifications and vapor recovery programs and the importance of tank calibrations. Leslie Retief of South Africa-based Tanknology SA Petroleum Solutions spoke on tank conversion methods and tank lining services.

Fuel quality was a topic of concern throughout the Summit. Given Tanknology’s industry-changing camera technology with PetroScope and TankCam, the Licensee network has a unique view into this sector.

Mark Orr of UK-based LCM Environmental spoke about their Fuel Quality Management – including on-site testing and analysis of water, particle, and bacterial content, and efforts to ensure operators are more involved with their fuel. One of LCM’s core services is tank cleaning, aided by Tanknology’s PetroScope camera. LCM is also involved in researching the long and complex supply chain related to fuel in the United Kingdom, and how biofuels may cause issues with reliability.

Rick Causey, of Tanknology Australia, discussed their fuel filtration system, along with the Australian market’s underlying concern for fuel quality – a 2015 report ranked Australia at 66 out of 100 countries based on Sulphur content of their fuels.

Similar to Australia, ultra-low Sulphur diesel is a concern in the United States. Brad Hoffman, Tanknology VP of Engineering presented on this topic. In his presentation, Hoffman stated that increased corrosion and microbial activity inside tanks were present inside of tanks, and that vapors are causing severe corrosion on submersible turbine sumps. His presentation included a new Tanknology-developed service, STS ProTec, that is designed to combat sump corrosion caused by vapors.

Tanknology Quality Manager Mike Levesque delivered a presentation on how to ensure ongoing quality in reports and from technicians, how to correctly maintain equipment and resolve common issues, and a refresher on safety procedures.

All of these topics led to in-depth, roundtable type discussions where licensees were encouraged to present their own findings, services and market perspective. It is hoped that the connections through the Summit will spark ongoing conversations on technology, processes, methodologies and research.

For more information visit www.tanknology.com

5th March 2019