Floating roof tanks (FRTs) are commonly used in the oil and gas industry to store various petroleum products. The roof of these tanks floats directly on the stored product to minimise vapour space and loss, and correspondingly rises and falls as product is pumped into or out of the tank.

During a direct or nearby lightning strike, high electrical currents will flow in all directions from the strike termination location and attempt to bridge the electrical gap between roof and tank shell. If a low resistance path is not available between the tank shell and roof, then a spark may be created, which could ignite flammable vapors and ultimately lead to a catastrophic fire or explosion.

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