Lightning Protection for Oil Storage Tanks and Reservoirs

This paper outlines work done in connection with planning a protection scheme for the oil storage tank farms of the General Petroleum Corporation of California. The work shows that the average annual number of storms at a given location is a constant. The dielectric property of oil has no influence in causing lightning or inducing it to strike oil in storage. Tests show that excellent protection can be obtained by towers properly installed, but they do not indicate absolute immunity against hits. The work done also shows that an extensive field program, supplemented by such laboratory work as required for understanding and assisting the field program, should be carried out to extend our knowledge of lightning phenomena and protection.