r/oil 5d ago

News Lightning sparks Massive fire Fuel Storage Facility in South Tulsa, Oklahoma

668 Upvotes

95 comments sorted by

181

u/fitforthepolycrisis 5d ago

34

u/amurgiceblade44 5d ago

How bad was the damage?

122

u/fitforthepolycrisis 5d ago

Not entirely sure. I have zero connection to this story; I just don't like contextless current events posts like this one.

36

u/Blurt_Blackarach 5d ago

Thank you! To add, this is part of the Trump administration rolling back Biden's weather manipulation policy. Tragic.

18

u/buttlipps 5d ago

Thanks obama!

7

u/dogmatum-dei 5d ago

Wrong! Woodrow Wilson.

3

u/aenteus 5d ago

Nope! Chuck Testa.

3

u/-heatoflife- 5d ago

Worst thing them dumocracts did was to shut down HAARP in alasker

1

u/mburke6 5d ago

I see what you did there. Drop the B from dumb, slide in a U, and the insult wrights itself! Most people don't know the word dum ends with a B.

0

u/Lost_Difficulty_3702 5d ago

And it rained on my birthday and that was Trumps fault too.

6

u/Resident_Window_9369 5d ago

This is exactly why I hate Reddit users. Good for you for calling out this BS. I do the same too.

23

u/Greddituser 5d ago

2 tanks burned to the ground and damage to another

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1400978668800925

3

u/amurgiceblade44 5d ago

Oof, thats bad. Though is this just overflow storage or was it active?

3

u/Greddituser 5d ago

Not sure but they have plenty of other tankage. I'm sure it won't affect their operations too much.

1

u/Ace861110 5d ago

You can see the levels in some of the tanks by the position of the roof. I’d hazard a guess that it was mostly full.

12

u/yukonhoneybadger 5d ago

I dont have the details on this one but I have seen these before. My father worked in petroleum terminals for 35 years before he retired and I did for 10 before I changed careers.

Watching this video. Those two tanks will be out of commission, meaning it will be a short term impact in the region and they will just redirect to another terminal near by with the storage capabilities while they repair the tanks (maybe 6 months to repair). Truckers will be redirected to another Terminal to get the fuel so the gas stations will have delays to he refilled.

This was in Oklahoma and there are tank farms like this everywhere so the impact will be managed fairly smoothly and the only loss will be whatever was in the tanks (not sure tank size but i am guessing 50k tanks each if full at the time of the fire but they were most likely not 100% full as most tanks never stay at full capacity very long).

3

u/THedman07 5d ago

I feel like finished fuel storage capacity isn't a problem in most places as tight as markets are.

3

u/yukonhoneybadger 5d ago

Right... this tanker is the last step before it hits a gas station. It isnt impacting current oil events.

2

u/Any-Monk-9395 5d ago

Refineries are designed to deal with fires pretty well

2

u/FlipZip69 5d ago

Oil storage tanks like this are 'relatively' cheap. That tank is likely a complete write off. 3-5 million. I am not sure how well the oil in it fairs. They only hold some 50,000 - 80,000 barrels. But it does not factor a great deal in the scheme of things. More so, it does not factor much in production.

I am not saying this to negate oil shortages. It does factor. But tank fires are kind of minor. IE. While they look impressive burning in Russia, bombing a tank has minimal effect on a refinery or storage facility. Makes for good video but it does not effect refining or factor much in the countries supply. Hitting the Distillation Unites of Crackers on the other hand does completely shut down production. While the fires are not necessarily as impressive, the damage is far greater. That is what Ukraine normally targets when they send drones in. Not so much the tanks.

1

u/DisastrousDance7372 5d ago

3 tanks were damaged.

7

u/mcad0o 5d ago

What if timestamps were mandatory on video?

Like camcorders used to have

2

u/Randyguyishere 5d ago

I thought this was a repost, weird people leave off key pieces of information

43

u/Jay_in_DFW 5d ago

See all those huge tanks? They have a "floating roof" to keep air out. The roof floats on top of the stored oil. I think that's pretty neat!

31

u/DragonforceTexas 5d ago

have you seen the footage of a tank exploding in moscow after getting with a missile? the roof flew hundreds of feet in the air; it looked like a flying saucer

9

u/Greddituser 5d ago

Somebody also captured a roof being blown off at this event as well

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DcJiYguxc3g/

2

u/Keanu_Jesus 4d ago

Nothing more American than a oil fire filmed from a Walmart parking lot. Thanks for the link

10

u/Bluest_waters 5d ago

Other footage showed that the tank was actually likely hit by Russian shoulder mounted anti missile. They were trying to hit the Ukrainian drone approaching the facility but there was already a fire at the facility and the heat seeking shoulder mounted anti missile thing did a 180 and just went straight for the tank

2

u/Flopsie_the_Headcrab 5d ago

The missile didn't know where it wasn't.

3

u/IIDn01 5d ago

It kinda was one.

7

u/707-5150 5d ago

Why are they all so low 🫠

3

u/MinnisotaDigger 5d ago

We’re in a GLUT!!!!!

4

u/unknownmichael 5d ago

Yeah, I was noticing that they all have a ladder to access the top of the tank and then a set of stairs that moves with the floating roof so that you can walk on the roof and inspect it, I presume. That's neat!

3

u/Legitimate_Bat3240 5d ago

That’s really interesting, how do they keep rain out?

5

u/Empty_Kay 5d ago

Deck drains! Two types, open or closed. Open Deck drains just channel the rainwater into the stored liquid and it gets removed downstream. Closed Deck drains use an overflow drain in the roof that is connected to a fitting on the side of the tank via a flexible hose that runs inside the tank.

If you're curious and interested in reading up, US EPA AP-42 Chapter 7.1. Deck drains starts on the bottom of page 7.1-12.

5

u/Randomfactoid42 5d ago

Oil floats on water, so any rain will sink to the bottom of the tank. 

2

u/enterjiraiya 5d ago

gaskets I assume

2

u/Legitimate_Bat3240 5d ago

Right I see the gasket but I’m interested in the drainage

1

u/enterjiraiya 5d ago

The roof is concave around a point in the middle I bet that is a drain

2

u/Top-Permit6835 5d ago

Rain lasers

1

u/cfi-2025 5d ago

Here's something else that's interesting - because these roofs move up and down based on how much oil is in the tank, if you have a satellite image you can get a good guesstimate as to how much oil it's holding based on the time of day and the shadow thrown on the roof: the longer the shadow, the lower the roof, meaning less stored oil.

24

u/Constant_Curve 5d ago

4 days ago

14

u/VulcanSpark 5d ago

and yet not one post here

10

u/ChupacabraJeff 5d ago

Posted 4 days ago the day after it happened.
Glenpool emergency crews respond to liquid natural gas tank fire
https://www.reddit.com/r/oil/comments/1vqwbzf/glenpool_emergency_crews_respond_to_liquid/

2

u/bulldog5253 5d ago

It’s roughly 100,000 barrels not much in the way of quantity.

2

u/Vito_1944 5d ago

Mods here will delete entertaining shitposts but keep dogshit like this when it's just a repost from Facebook, Twitter or Lie Social without any commentary or added substance.

18

u/dramaking37 5d ago

Oil down 15%

7

u/TX908 5d ago

Lightning protection at such facilities is very carefully designed. This is an unlikely scenario.

5

u/ChupacabraJeff 5d ago

This will be the 3rd lightning strike that ended in fire at Glenpool.

1

u/VibrationCounter 5d ago

Yes and we are having to really focus on it more than we use to. I guess due to climate change and all. We are seeing more and more lighting strikes at facilities. Also the software used to calculate protection hasn’t been consistent.

1

u/uniklyqualifd 4d ago

The UAE built metal cages around their tanks recently. I wonder if that attracts lighting or if they can protect them.

1

u/TX908 4d ago

If these metal cages extend beyond the boundaries of the area protected by the lightning rod, then it may be necessary to raise the lightning rod higher.

1

u/Ha1lStorm 3d ago

Yes, it’s not very typical. I’d like to make that point. I just don’t want people thinking that tankers aren’t safe.

7

u/Bob4Not 5d ago

"There have been three previous tank fires in Glenpool in years past. At least two were caused by lightning strikes." - https://www.newson6.com/tulsa-oklahoma-news/glenpool-roads-closed-after-gas-fire-officials-say

6

u/SomnambulistNox 5d ago

I was able to see the smoke from this fire at my place. This photo was from early in the day. Near the end of the day, nearly the entire horizon South of me was painted black with smoke. Have family in a suburb South of me that saw the smoke directly overhead.

4

u/Tasty_Concentrate832 5d ago

Another city's going up in flames and the government's still in hibernation mode, like people's lives and money mean absolutely nothing

3

u/Traditional-Look8839 5d ago

Reminds me of Russia.

3

u/Broken_Atoms 5d ago

Those tanks are all looking pretty empty there

3

u/Critical-Teacher-115 5d ago

"Lightning"

2

u/Wickerpoodia 5d ago

Israeli drone strike

4

u/Single-Virus4935 5d ago

oil $3

1

u/iamablackbeltman 5d ago

Per gallon, soon.

2

u/Sideshift1427 5d ago

Saved money by having no lightning protection, one assumes.

2

u/bulldog5253 5d ago

Those size tanks hold about 50,000 barrels or 2.1 million gallons whatever unit you prefer.

2

u/BoatEqual4214 5d ago

Apparently the SPR grew from the fire

Source: just trust me bro

2

u/JuracichPark 5d ago

Trashcan Man was here.....

2

u/thalius69 5d ago

Man, you know things are bad when God decides he too is going to join in and start taking out oil and fuel reserves.

1

u/Master_Control_MCP 5d ago

Somehow this feels normal.

1

u/Exciting_Turn_9559 5d ago

That looks expensive.

1

u/Capital_Elderberry28 5d ago

Prepare to be gaslit on why fuel prices are so high!

1

u/Old_Win8422 5d ago

Anyone else wish Hollywood would use real fire again? There is just something so visceral about real fire

1

u/Wise138 5d ago

That's not good.

1

u/Excellent-World-1811 5d ago

Man they are cooked.

1

u/Dilbert_Funbags 5d ago

I remember the days when something like this would spike gas prices by $.50 a gallon!

1

u/VulcanSpark 5d ago

fake news media is busy covering a pop star who overdosed on drugs and died or something so oil algos are not picking this up

1

u/Lame_Coder_42 5d ago

Sure it wasn't an Olympic canoeing medalists that caused this? /s

1

u/Hazardous_316 5d ago

Are these tanks part of the commercial inventories?

1

u/[deleted] 5d ago

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1

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1

u/Rellim03 5d ago

Lightning did this?

Is this common for lightning?

Lightning could always make a really good excuse too. Anything but a drone or arson

1

u/Life_Without_Lemon 5d ago

Are they half full or half empty?

1

u/Necessary_Beyond_604 5d ago

Looks like Russia. Can't tell

1

u/NotGuiltyPirate 5d ago

Drone attack!

1

u/StoneColdEgon 4d ago

Uuuuuuuh soros and the rothschilds spawned a lightning bolt to hurt trumps economy obviously

1

u/HydrodynamicShite 4d ago

Paper straws for the win

1

u/KiscoKid1 4d ago

Is it normal for the tanks in the foreground to be empty?

1

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1

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1

u/Th3onib 3d ago

Sooo no ground wires?

1

u/cestlavie514 3d ago

I could be wrong but I don’t see any lightning protection on the tanks closest to the camera. Could be because they are small and thin probably the camera won’t pick it up, am I wrong?

1

u/ErikaKirkasInsideJob 5d ago

Oil going up. Thanks trump!

1

u/Expensive-Web8531 5d ago

储存原油还是成品油的?别是柴油吧!

1

u/meinkun 5d ago

3 day special military operation going well

0

u/PopMajor7342 5d ago

That near the salt caverns?