[2] Oil would be delivered by road tanker and discharged into a tank capable of holding, for example, 5000 gallons.
This oil would then be piped to each home, initially through a master pipeline, which then subdivided underground with a branch leading into each property.
A 5,000-gallon tank would usually be installed on an estate numbering up to 50 or 60 properties, although they ranged from a low of about 12 up to a high of in the thousands.
One potential problem with this system is that it was possible, through negligence, for the tank to run dry, resulting in a number of properties being left with no heat.
Central oil storage is also performed at industrial and plant locations and operations.