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<pre>I am not a science graduate just a mere small grower and processor
however I have done a little research into the nitrogen blanket
senario and been reliably advised that nitrogen gas is in fact
lighter than air (albeit only very slightly) and as such will not lay
on the surface of an oil body as the word "blanket" would suggest.

The advise to me was that the gas should be introduced to the top of
the headspace of a sealable oil container, a vent pipe is lowered to
just above the surface of the oil to allow the air to be purged out
by the incoming gas, when a volume of gas at least equal to the
volume of the headspace has been introduced the vessel is then
sealed. When oil is drawn off the head space must be vented and then
nitrogen replenished in relation to the volume of oil removed. I
use a gas regulator calibrated in litres per minute to calculate the
volume of gas being injected. This may not be the most scientific
way of doing things but appears to work for me. I would welcome
hearing what other producers are doing.

Michael Pimm
</pre>
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