Oil tanks, particularly where drilling and fracking are concerned, cover a range of functions, but through all, liquid level sensors play a part.
General Use
Whether oil’s coming from a well or getting sourced via hydraulic drilling, tanks in the process contain this substance, as well as water and other chemicals with newer techniques.
At a very general level, a sensor:
Helps with processing flow back and wastewater
Is needed to operate certain types of equipment
Assists in preventing environmental disaster and contamination, and ensuring drinking water safety
Assists with the liquid collection, storage, and treatment
Is needed to comply with industry best practices or good-faith practices
May be used for chemical injection, hydraulic and lubricating oil reservoirs, “mud” or drilling fluid tank monitoring, and tote level monitoring.
Specialized Tanks
In drilling, sensors are key parts of specialized tank designs and functions:
- Mud Tanks – Here, “mud” gets injected into the borehole to lubricate the drill, and tanks are used to store and process the “mud,” mix fluids, and hold onto the “mud” until it’s treated. A sensor, in these instances, detects the level of the fluid or “mud” and may monitor the process or trigger an alarm in the event of an overflow.
- Effluent Tanks – During the drilling process, contaminating materials collect on the platform area and have the potential to end up in the ocean. When it rains, the contaminants flow down to an effluent tank. From here, the wastewater gets transferred to another container for disposal. In this process, sensors alert any monitor to overflow to avoid potential contamination and cleanup.
- Oil Separators – Oil directly from the borehole gets mixed with sand, various gases, and water. When these compounds are mixed together in the separation process, a specific ratio is needed. As a result, sensors determine the level of each using float targets for each layer.
- Hydraulic Oil Tanks – In drilling, hydraulic power is essential for using heavy tools and lifting platforms and cranes. All use a system of hoses and joints and have a tank for hydraulic fluid. In this scenario, the sensor prevents hydraulic fluid from leaking out.
Types of Sensors
Because of the various needs in drilling, several types of liquid level sensors are involved:
Buoyancy sensors, which float and have a stem that is in direct contact with the liquid.