- 15 -
When relocating intact tanks with internal roof support
columns, the contractor must install internal bracing to support
the floor and the roof.14 The internal bracing consists of a
steel pipe frame between the tank roof support columns that
transfers the tank’s weight to the shell. Without the internal
bracing the tank roof could fall down or the tank floor could
invert during the lifting process.
5. Past Relocations of CITGO’s Tanks
Since 1993, CITGO has relocated two tanks.15 In 1993, CITGO
hired a professional tank lifter, Frank W. Hake, Inc., to
relocate tank No. 44 at the East Chicago terminal approximately
1,000 feet using the hovercraft technology. Tank No. 44 was a
55,000-barrel tank, with a height of 46 feet and a diameter of 92
feet. CITGO relocated tank No. 44 in preparation for the
transfer of the land to its former owner, Occidental Petroleum
Corp., for remediation of environmental hazards. Two other
smaller tanks were cut down and sold for scrap.
CITGO cannot substantiate the amount it paid to Frank W.
Hake, Inc., to perform the relocation of tank No. 44 but
estimated that the cost was $75,000. This estimate does not
14If the tank is only lifted off the ground, but not moved,
the internal bracing may not be necessary. Instead, the shell
can be lifted separately from the tank floor and tank roof under
each roof support column.
15During the years at issue, CITGO did not make additions or
improvements to these tanks.
Page: Previous 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 NextLast modified: May 25, 2011