--- title: Best Oil Tank Sweep description: Small tank leak can cost $8,000 or more. Get the best oil tank sweep with GPR. image: https://www.currenenvironmental.com/hubfs/IMG_8524.jpg --- [![](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/hs-fs/file-13663245-jpg/images/currenheader.jpg)](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/) ## Why are some tank sweeps better than others?   aka, why metal detectors are not worth the money for tank sweeps.   You are looking at about $8000.00 worth of metal detectors and yes many people will charge you $200.00 to $250.00 to use one to scan for an oil tank.     Well metal detectors cost between $800 and $1,000.00 so they can’t charge too much because you don't get much.  Buy a metal detector and go to the beach, you will surely find some metal, coins, bottle caps, maybe a lost ring or a watch, fishing hook, etc, because that is what is buried in the sand.  You should not expect to find much else because its the beach and a metal detector makes perfect sense. ![metal detectors are poor toold for finding tanks](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/hs-fs/hubfs/metal%20detectors%20are%20poor%20toold%20for%20finding%20tanks.jpg?width=1057&name=metal%20detectors%20are%20poor%20toold%20for%20finding%20tanks.jpg)   Now go to a residential or commercial property and look for a buried tank and you will find buried utilities, pipes, metal containing soil, buried debris, rebar and wire mesh in concrete and of course metal signatures of aboveground metal features such as the house, fences, grills, parked cars, etc.   in short the metal detector will beep a lot.    Common scenario, we get hired to remove a tank that was found during a home inspection or metal detour scan.   We apply for and obtain permits, (takes a couple weeks).  Buyers and seller are present on day or removal, all to often we find no tank.   Just buried metallic geology (soil) or debris.   That is soil that has metal in it. Note the color differential of the soil?  Well the darker soils have iron sand in them, which confused the metal detector.   ![2021-06-14 09.26.37](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2021-06-14%2009.26.37.jpg?width=3024&name=2021-06-14%2009.26.37.jpg)   This tank never would have been found by a metal detector as it is not metal, but it was made in New Jersey. ![IMG_9409](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_9409.jpg?width=3024&name=IMG_9409.jpg)   Metal detector missed this tank because it was too close to the ac unit, which is metal and gave a misleading metal signature. ![abandoned filled with sand oil tank](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/hs-fs/hubfs/abandoned%20filled%20with%20sand%20oil%20tank.jpg?width=4032&name=abandoned%20filled%20with%20sand%20oil%20tank.jpg) This metal detector scan we really confident that a tank was there, turns out it was just soil with a magnetic signature. ![Capture](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Capture.png?width=726&name=Capture.png)   That is buried debris. Round piece of metal, why was it buried, no idea, but it was flat so a GPR would have noted a no round object so likely no tank. ![metal detector tank sweep](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2020-05-14%2010.13.02.jpg?width=372&name=2020-05-14%2010.13.02.jpg)   Not sure what this is   ![crushed UST removal](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/hs-fs/hubfs/crushed%20UST%20removal.jpg?width=3264&name=crushed%20UST%20removal.jpg)   Ok you get the point, metal detectors detect metal regardless of what the metal is. Commercial sites have geophysical investigations performed which at a minimum is Ground Penetrating radar.   ## Call the experts   888-301-1050   [![Call Curren Today](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/28573/f51ecbc2-6a27-4026-af06-2cfd2af0e2a6.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/28573/f51ecbc2-6a27-4026-af06-2cfd2af0e2a6) [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.currenenvironmental.com%2Fbest-oil-tank-sweep%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.currenenvironmental.com%2Fbest-oil-tank-sweep%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.currenenvironmental.com%2Fbest-oil-tank-sweep%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.currenenvironmental.com%2Fbest-oil-tank-sweep%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Best%20Oil%20Tank%20Sweep) [LSRP ](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/njdep-lsrp-licensed-site-remediation-professional/)| [ISRA ](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/NJDEP-ISRA-Industrial-Site-Recovery-Act-Process-/)| [Services](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/services/remediation/remediation-overview/) | [Tanks](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/services/ust-removal/commercial-tank-removal/) | [Remediation](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/services/remediation/remediation-overview/) | [Real Estate](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/Environmental-Issues-in-Residential-Real-Estate) | [Mold Remediation ](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/mold-remediation--/)| [Blog](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/blog/) | [Contact](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/contact-us/) | [Foam Tank Filling](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/foam-tank-filling) | [Insurance Restoration](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/insurance-restoration/) |[UST AST Closure](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/ust-ast-closure/) Curren Environmental is your environmental services company servicing Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. *Nothing on this web page, or anywhere on this website, is to be construed as giving legal advice, nor is it intended to replace the counsel of your own legal and financial advisors.   The information supplied is intended to help make you more aware of issues that you should consider and then discuss with your own legal and financial advisors. * [*Privacy Policy.*](https://www.currenenvironmental.com/curren-environmental-privacy-policy) © 2026 Curren Environmental, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.