Rethinking industrial tank cleaning

Western Australian Goldfields Mining and mineral processing Client confidential

A 20-metre-diameter process tank, hardened deposits up to 4–5 metres high in sections, and a cleaning programme that historically took around 14 shifts without achieving a complete clean. OHANIX combined its field experience with the purpose-built Hydra mobile boosting system and Cerberus remote-operated washdown cannon to deliver a different outcome.

From 14 shifts to 3.5 — and no confined-space entry required for the tank clean.

The results at a glance

Historical method	Earlier OHANIX clean	Hydra + Cerberus
14 shifts; incomplete	8 shifts; complete	3.5 shifts; complete
4–6 personnel	4 personnel	3 operators; no tank entry

75% fewer shifts compared with the historical programme; approximately 56% fewer than OHANIX’s earlier eight-shift clean.
The latest four-shift work period also included completion of a second tank and hot-water cleaning of an oil and grease bund.

The challenge

The tank measured approximately 20 metres in diameter. Deposits had accumulated to around 4–5 metres high in some sections, with portions exhibiting a concrete-like consistency. The material becomes progressively harder as it is exposed to air after no longer being covered by process solution. That means delay can make the remaining cleaning increasingly difficult.

Historically, the tank required around 14 shifts and still was not completely cleaned. The approach involved personnel entering the tank to carry out cleaning activities, requiring confined-space arrangements such as gas testing and monitoring, standby personnel, emergency response provisions and specialist safety equipment. Manual handling of high-pressure hoses added to the physical demands of the work.

Improving the conventional approach

At an earlier shutdown, OHANIX introduced hot-water high-pressure cleaning with an experienced crew and achieved a complete clean in eight shifts. This was a major improvement, but the work reinforced the opportunity to reduce entry-based cleaning, manual hose handling and time spent in challenging working conditions.

An idea turned into two purpose-built assets

Drawing on years of practical experience in shutdown and industrial cleaning work, the OHANIX family and crew developed Hydra and Cerberus in under 12 weeks, from concept to operational deployment. The equipment was built to address real problems witnessed in the field, not simply to introduce a new machine.

Hydra — mobile boosting platform

Hydra provides a mobile water-boosting platform to support demanding industrial cleaning applications. It is designed to work with available site water supplies and provide suitable cleaning capability to washdown equipment, including Cerberus. Detailed operating parameters and engineering configuration are proprietary and intentionally not published.

Cerberus — remotely operated washdown

Cerberus is a tracked, remotely operated cleaning platform that allows operators to direct heavy cleaning activity while remaining outside the immediate cleaning area. On this tank, the system enabled the cleaning work to be completed without personnel entering the confined space.

Deployment at the latest shutdown

The OHANIX team deployed Hydra and Cerberus together to address the hardened accumulation. Three operators completed the primary tank clean in approximately 3.5 shifts, without confined-space entry for the cleaning operation. That removed the need for the entry-specific testing, standby attendant and dedicated confined-space rescue standby previously required for this task. Applicable site controls and risk-management requirements continued to apply.

By the end of the fourth shift, the team had also completed a second tank clean and hot-water pressure cleaned an oil and grease bund.

A measurable change in approach

Measure	Historical method	Latest method
Primary tank shifts	~14 (incomplete)	3.5 (complete)
Cleaning personnel	4–6	3
Tank entry for cleaning	Required	Not required
Entry-specific monitoring / standby	Required	Not required for this clean
Additional work within 4 shifts	Not stated	Second tank + oil/grease bund