A tank battery depends on steel parts most people never think about until one is missing. Production tanks need a manway for inspection and cleaning, lugs for lifting and mounting ladders, a nameplate, and safe stairs and catwalks so operators can gauge, thief, and service the tanks. SteelFront makes these components in Hutchinson, Kansas and sells them online with prices shown, so field supervisors, tank fabricators, and roustabout crews can order the exact tank battery parts they need without waiting for a quote.
What a tank battery needs from its steel components
Tank batteries take hard use year-round. The parts that matter most are the ones people stand on and the ones that hold the tank together.
- Access: round manways and rectangular cleanouts, so crews can open the tank for inspection and solids removal.
- Handling and mounting: lift lugs, ladder lugs, and mounting lugs welded to the shell.
- Identification: nameplate brackets that keep the tank data plate readable.
- Safe movement between tanks: stairways, walkway pans, toe boards, and the angle and hardware that tie them together.
- Site containment: grade bands and stakes around the tank pad.
API 12F tanks and the parts that go on them
API Specification 12F covers new shop-fabricated, vertical, cylindrical, aboveground welded steel tanks in standard sizes. It’s written for tanks that store crude oil and other liquids the production side of the industry handles. SteelFront’s 1-hole lugs and 2-hole lugs are made for use on API 12F vessels. The welded versions sit on a 1/4″ baseplate. The unwelded 1-hole and 2-hole lugs ship in raw steel for fabricators who want to weld them directly. Tank certification stays with the tank builder.
Manways and cleanouts for production tanks
Our round storage tank manway comes in diameters from 16″ to 36″, with 4″, 7″, or 12″ necks, several neck and flange thicknesses, and single- or double-punched flanges: 864 combinations in all. A matching round manway cover (1/4″ to 3/4″ thick) and a 1/8″ Fibreflex gasket complete the assembly. Order all three in the same diameter and punch pattern.
For bottom access and solids removal, the rectangular cleanout frame measures 28″ x 40″ outside with a 24″ x 36″ opening. It’s robotically welded from 2″ x 3″ x 1/4″ angle. Pair it with a cleanout cover in 1/4″ or 3/8″ plate and seal it with the 100 ft neoprene gasket roll.
Lifting, ladder and nameplate lugs
Every tank has to be set, moved, and climbed. We stock the common styles:
- Lift lug (P-lug) for forklift or cable handling, welded to a baseplate or unwelded.
- #6 triangle lug and D-ring lug for lifting.
- Ladder lugs with an oblong mounting hole, plus solid steel ladder rungs from 17-1/2″ to 25-1/2″.
- Nameplate brackets with legs for welding to the shell, or without legs for custom mounting.
Stairways and catwalks between tanks
A tank battery stairway usually combines bolt-on treads, one top step, a walkway surface across the tank tops, toe boards along the edges, and punched angle for framing. All of our bolt-on treads are 9″ x 26″:
- Bar grating treads (11 gauge) and the matching bar grating top step let snow fall through. They’re a common choice in northern basins.
- Formed-grated treads (12 gauge) and the formed-grated top step work well in mixed weather.
- Perforated grip treads (13 gauge) and the perforated top step are the lightest option.
Across the tank tops, the walkway pan comes 26″ or 48″ wide in lengths from 10″ to 120″. Edge the walkway with bent-leg toe boards or perforated toe boards (4″ tall). Join stair sections with a pitch plate and frame everything with roll-formed punched angle, which has 0.563″ holes on 2″ centers for 1/2″ bolts. Add a hex nut and bolt set to finish.
Safety standards to design around
Federal OSHA general industry rules apply to many production sites. Check with your safety department which standards cover your site. These are the requirements most relevant to tank battery access:
- Fall protection: 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1) requires protection on walking-working surfaces with an unprotected side or edge 4 feet or more above a lower level.
- Stairs: 29 CFR 1910.25 requires standard stairs to be installed at 30 to 50 degrees, with a maximum riser height of 9.5″, a minimum tread depth of 9.5″, and a minimum width of 22″. Each stair must hold at least a 1,000 lb concentrated load.
- Toeboards: 29 CFR 1910.29(k) requires toeboards at least 3.5″ high, no more than 0.25″ above the walking surface, with no opening larger than 1″, able to withstand 50 lb.
- Tank entry: OSHA’s confined space standard (29 CFR 1910.146) names tanks and vessels as examples of spaces that may have limited means of entry. That makes manway size and location a planning issue, not just a fabrication one.
SteelFront sells components; compliance of the finished structure rests with its designer and installer.
Containment and pad prep
A grade band rolled around the tank perimeter contains the pad. It’s 13 gauge steel, 6″ to 12″ wide, in 5′, 6′, or 10′ lengths, with optional stake holes. Secure it with grade band stakes made from 1-1/2″ angle, 16″ or 24″ long.
Tank battery parts checklist
- Manway, cover and gasket (same diameter and punch pattern)
- Cleanout frame, cover and neoprene gasket
- Lift, ladder and mounting lugs; nameplate bracket
- Stair treads plus one top step per stairway; pitch plates
- Walkway pans, toe boards, punched angle, bolts
- Grade bands and stakes
Find every part in Storage Tank Parts and Walkways & Stairways. Configurations we don’t list, and fully assembled stairways, are custom work for Wifco Steel Products, our parent company and manufacturer.
Shop all tank manways and cleanouts, and see manway vs manhole for how manways differ from thief hatches.
Frequently asked questions
Are SteelFront lugs made for API 12F tanks?
Our 1-hole and 2-hole lugs are made for use on API 12F vessels, in welded (on a 1/4″ baseplate) and unwelded versions. API 12F covers the tank itself: shop-welded, vertical, cylindrical aboveground steel tanks for production liquids. Whether a finished tank meets API 12F is up to the tank fabricator.
Which stair tread should I use on a tank battery in snowy country?
Bar grating treads let snow fall through the step, so they’re the usual pick where snow and ice build up. Formed-grated treads are a solid alternative for mixed climates. Perforated grip treads are the lightest option, at 13 gauge.
What is the difference between a top step and a regular step?
The top step’s rear edge is shaped to meet the walkway at the head of the stairway. Every other position takes the regular step. Every bolt-on tread style comes in both versions, so you order one top step per stairway and regular steps for the rest.
Do you sell complete tank battery catwalks?
SteelFront sells the individual components at posted prices: stair treads, walkway pans, toe boards, pitch plates, punched angle, handrail gussets and bolts. Assembled catwalks and stairways are built by Wifco Steel Products, our parent company.
What finish should I choose for oilfield walkway parts?
Most walkway and tank parts come in raw steel, pre-galvanized, or hot dip galvanized. Choose raw steel if you’ll weld the part or paint it after installation. Galvanized finishes protect against corrosion on bolt-together assemblies exposed to weather and produced fluids.