Tank Stock Reconciliation - the missing link

To be fully effective a depot Fuel Management solution requires a totally integrated approach - accounting for every drop of fuel that is delivered into, as well as dispensed, from the storage tank.

Without a proper audit trail backed up by absolute stock reconciliation, your business could be exposed to potential financial losses from theft, abuse or undetected leakage. If not validated, any subsequent insurance claims will almost certainly be questioned. Even minor losses such as sloppy fuelling and leakage from the tank could result in prosecution and punitive clean up charges.

The Auditor GT tank management system is an integral part of the Merridale fuel management solution developed by MIS Fuel Monitoring of Wolverhampton.

“We are setting high standards because it’s the Merridale Auditor GT tank management system which underwrites the integrity of the complete fuel management facilities”
— Stephen Hannan, Sales Director, MIS Fuel Monitoring

In operation the system measures the fuel level from a pressure sensor probe suspended at the bottom of the tank. Values for the current stock and ullage (capacity available for replenishment) are displayed locally to the tanks. The Auditor GT links back to the Merridale fuel management system, enabling stock data to be automatically recorded and transferred back to the back office PC. This provides continuous tank stock data – as opposed to relying on the need to make periodic manual dips.

Oil companies now insist on a credible ‘ullage’ value in order to verify that there is sufficient capacity in the tank to complete the delivery of additional stock.

Another important benefit of the tank management system is that the data is available for the creation of a stock reconciliation chart. Effectively this enables continuous monitoring and alarms for leaks and sudden drops. Deliveries are recorded automatically so that stock status is current at all times. When delivery confirmation is received, the stock value and transaction data is costed on a 'First-in-First-out' basis, from the time of delivery.

Outstanding Accuracy
The Merridale Auditor GT tank management system is designed to meet the highest standards for stock measurement accuracy. A typical Merridale tank sensor probe has four thousand measurement and 20 calibration points (over three metres) which are written into the system software. By comparison, a standard commercial gauge provides far fewer measurement points and in some cases there are no calibration facilities. This level of system accuracy often exceeds that found on retail forecourts.

“We are setting high standards because it’s the Merridale Auditor GT tank management system which underwrites the integrity of the complete fuel management facilities,” explains Merridale sales director Stephen Hannan.

He continues: “To ensure absolute stock reconciliation, we believe that tank contents management should be fully integrated and not provisioned as an isolated accessory.”