{"id":1257,"date":"2026-09-04T06:09:47","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T06:09:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takmeeltrading.com\/blog\/?p=1257"},"modified":"2026-09-04T06:09:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T06:09:47","slug":"fpso-tank-sludge-removal-supavac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/takmeeltrading.com\/blog\/fpso-tank-sludge-removal-supavac\/","title":{"rendered":"FPSO Tank Sludge Removal: Air-Operated Vacuum Transfer for Offshore Tank Cleaning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thirty metres below deck, access becomes part of the pumping problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

So does the vertical distance back to the receiving point.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then add tank-bottom sludge, solids, restricted hatches and the need to reduce labour-intensive material handling, and an FPSO tank-cleaning operation quickly becomes more than a conventional pumping exercise.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is one of the applications where SupaVac has documented field experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Takmeel Global, that makes <\/span>FPSO tank sludge removal<\/b> an application worth evaluating around real operating parameters rather than generic pump claims.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Documented SupaVac FPSO Tank-Cleaning Case<\/b><\/h2>\n

SupaVac has published an FPSO project in which the operator’s previous sludge-removal method used buckets and winches.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the manufacturer, that method was achieving approximately three tanks during a day shift using two crews and two winches.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the project, SupaVac supplied <\/span>three SV60-V2 units configured with vent-to-atmosphere<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The pumps were lowered approximately <\/span>30 metres into the tanks through restricted access hatches<\/b> and transferred solids vertically more than 30 metres to the top deck.<\/span><\/p>\n

SupaVac reports that, in this specific application, the customer subsequently achieved:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • 7\u201310 tanks cleaned per day per crew;<\/span><\/li>\n
  • approximately 50% lower onsite personnel requirements compared with the previous method;<\/span><\/li>\n
  • a manufacturer-reported 650% acceleration in tank cleaning.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    These figures are valuable because they relate to an actual documented project.<\/span><\/p>\n

    They should <\/span>not<\/b> be presented as guaranteed results for every FPSO.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Every tank layout, sludge condition, hose route, air supply and cleaning procedure is different.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Why FPSO Sludge Removal Is a Unique Transfer Problem<\/b><\/h2>\n

    An offshore tank-cleaning system must often solve several problems simultaneously.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The material may contain:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • oily sludge;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • sediment;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • scale;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • sand;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • solids;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • slops;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • contaminated water;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • heavy hydrocarbon residue.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      At the same time, the equipment may need to operate through:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • small tank openings;<\/span><\/li>\n
      • long vertical lifts;<\/span><\/li>\n
      • limited deck area;<\/span><\/li>\n
      • complex hose routes;<\/span><\/li>\n
      • controlled waste-receiving points.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        A pump therefore cannot be evaluated only by nominal throughput.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Access and transfer geometry are equally important.<\/span><\/p>\n

        SupaVac’s Official Marine Applications<\/b><\/h2>\n

        SupaVac lists the following marine applications within its current application portfolio:<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        • FPSO tank cleaning\/desludging;<\/span><\/li>\n
        • bilge cleaning;<\/span><\/li>\n
        • spill management;<\/span><\/li>\n
        • vacuum cleaning of barge and vessel bottoms;<\/span><\/li>\n
        • barge and hull cleaning waste recovery.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Its wider oil-and-gas applications also include tank cleaning\/desludging, petrochemical tank cleaning, oil sludge and tank-bottom residue transfer, heavy crude transfer and slops sump cleaning.<\/span><\/p>\n

          This gives the technology relevance to FPSOs, FSOs, tankers, barges, shipyards and offshore maintenance contractors dealing with difficult sludge and solids.<\/span><\/p>\n

          SV30: Designed for Small FPSO Access<\/b><\/h2>\n

          The SV30 is particularly noteworthy for marine applications.<\/span><\/p>\n

          SupaVac states that the SV30 was specifically designed for small FPSO applications and can be lowered through service hatches into restricted areas for sludge removal.<\/span><\/p>\n

          The manufacturer also lists tank cleaning, bilge cleaning and tank-sludge extraction among its applications.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Its compact dimensions and 66 kg published weight make it a model worth evaluating where physical access is a dominant constraint.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Again, access alone does not determine suitability. The sludge and transfer duty must also fit the pump’s operating range.<\/span><\/p>\n

          SV60-V2: Proven in a Documented FPSO Application<\/b><\/h2>\n

          The SV60-V2 is directly relevant because it was the model used in SupaVac’s published FPSO tank-cleaning case.<\/span><\/p>\n

          The SV60-V2 is a portable compressed-air-operated solids pump with manufacturer-rated throughput up to 27 m\u00b3\/hr at SG1.0.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Its official applications include tank cleaning and sludge extraction.<\/span><\/p>\n

          In the documented FPSO project, the relatively compact units were physically lowered into the tanks and discharged material vertically to deck level.<\/span><\/p>\n

          That real-world application is more useful than simply describing the unit as a \u201cmarine pump.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Larger Marine Solids-Transfer Duties<\/b><\/h2>\n

          For heavier or larger-scale marine applications, other SupaVac models may also be evaluated.<\/span><\/p>\n

          The SV250V officially lists <\/span>barge and hull cleaning<\/b> as an application.<\/span><\/p>\n

          The SV510 lists:<\/span><\/p>\n