Posted on: 09. 30. 21
Nothing lasts forever, right? Well, when one considers the thousands of years that crude oil has rested beneath the Earth’s surface, it seems possible that oil and gas could theoretically never go bad.
So, do crude oil and gasoline go bad? Let’s take a closer look at these questions and shed some light on one of the biggest myths about oil & gas that circle around some of our most valuable materials.
There Is No “Use By” Date, But…
Although you can’t lift an oil drum lid and sniff out bad oil like you would a gallon of milk, under the right conditions and improper exposure crude oil can, in fact, go bad.
Oil doesn’t contain materials that routinely expire as other products do. However, mishandling crude oil can degrade the quality of the product and result in wasted, valuable resources.
Oil Drum Storage Matters
While oil drums are meant to store and protect oil from outside elements that could degrade it, misuse and misplacement of oil drums can eventually lead to wasted oil.
For example, storing oil drums outside in Texas is one of the worst possible situations for a product. Texas heat, combined with large amounts of water build-up from unexpected and strong thunderstorms can lead to water seeping into an oil drum, clouding up and degrading the material.
Other Ways Oil Can Degrade
Although water is one of the most common reasons behind oil degradation, other avoidable factors can also lead to a completely wasted product.
Oxidation
If your crude oil is exposed to oxygen, over time, oxygen will make its way into your oil and create the oxidation process. When this happens, the literal qualities of your oil transform and turn the product into a high viscosity sludge that shouldn’t be used under any circumstances.
Evaporation
As sturdy as crude oil seems, evaporation is a very real occurrence that can happen if oil is left exposed outdoors. In fact, when light oil spills happen, evaporation is part of the cleanup process.
Unfortunately, once evaporated, you can’t get the oil back. So, make sure that when your facility stores oil it isn’t stored in a way that leads to naturally wasted oil.
How Can You Keep Crude Oil Protected?
If your facility needs to store oil for a long period of time, temperature control and dryness are essential. Indoor storage is the most ideal location for oil drums because not only do your drums get the temperature control they need, but they are easy to keep clean, dry, and accessible when you need them.
Some other tips for storing and protecting oil drums include the following practices:
- Horizontal storage for moisture prevention
- Storing drums away from heating appliances
- Storage in an area with level flooring
Keep Your Oil and Gas Stored Securely With Pro-Gas, LLC
If you are a manager of an O&G production facility and want to guarantee that your location’s personal oil storage is secure, let the team at Pro-Gas, LLC help.
We offer skidded NGL storage solutions that make storing and moving your oils around your site a simple and safe task. Contact us today to learn more about our services and to explore our product availability in your area!
