Author Archives: levent

Terminal Modernization

SPEC provided project development, engineering, permitting, drafting, and procurement support for the modernization of an older terminal. SPEC was brought in at the beginning of the project to develop initial scoping, perform feasibility studies, and develop cost estimates and schedules.

SPEC was involved in permitting; conversion of a public road into a private road; rehabilitation of the dock, including new marine dock arms and piping interconnections to the ship and barge facilities; new marine vapor destruction units and safety skids; design of multiple new manifolds to all sources and destinations; dedicated suction and fill lines for each tank to integrated manifolds; conversion of multiple existing tanks to different products; gas and blending; pump design and installation; connection to a pipeline; power distribution; dike containment; and installation of a new rail system. SPEC introduced laser scanning to the client to provide 3D modeling of the site, improving the site drawings and aiding in understanding of the design.

Services Provided: Project Development, Engineering, Design, Procurement and Permitting

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Northeast, USA

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Load Rack Expansion & New Ethanol Tank

SPEC provided project development, engineering, permitting, drafting, and procurement support for the gasoline throughput increase and addition of a new ethanol blending system and storage tank at a distribution terminal.  SPEC’s role included assisting in the definition of the overall project scope, permitting, design and layout of a new vacuum assist system, design of new storage and a new load rack supply pump, and the installation of a new loading system for ethanol blending into gasoline at the loading rack. SPEC’s design allowed for ethanol blending capabilities at the distribution terminal.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation and Controls, Mechanical Engineering, Design and Drafting, Permitting, Fire Protection, Procurement Support, Construction Management

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Midwest, USA

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Rail Offload Facility Design & Main Terminal Expansion

SPEC provided support for a major terminal expansion project to build a new offsite ethanol and butane rail offload facility at a greenfield location and the associated infrastructure improvements at the main terminal.  The scope of work included design of the rail site stormwater retention pond system (including facilitating flora mitigation and fauna relocation), tank containments, and all major equipment foundations.  SPEC performed the mechanical, civil, and electrical design of the new rail off load facility and for the piping system design and modification at the main terminal.  This included tank demolition/construction to accommodate increased product throughput and butane blending capability.  SPEC was responsible for hydraulic analyses, component specification and bid analysis for all major equipment (piping, valves, tanks, pumps, flow meters, instrumentation, and electrical components) and for generating the design drawing packages (IFR, IFB, IFC) and record P&ID’s.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Design and Drafting, Scanning and 3D Modeling, Permitting, Fire Protection, Procurement Support, Construction Management.

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Southeast, USA

Oil & Gas Facility Compliance & Risk Assessment

The project involved performing facility and equipment risk assessments on crude oil pipelines, pipeline pump stations, and terminal and tank facilities using the API Risk Management Methods in API Publication 353 Managing System Integrity of Terminal and Tank Facilities.  SPEC performed the risk assessments and trained the Client engineers in the risk assessment and risk mitigation techniques at crude oil gathering facilities associated with the Client’s pipeline facilities. The goal of the risk assessments was to identify high risk facilities and components and develop a screening/ranking of high-risk facilities and equipment.  The method was then used to compare risk reduction of various risk mitigation measures as outlined in API Publication 340 Liquid Release Prevention Measures for Aboveground Storage Tank Facilities. 

Services Provided: Engineering, Risk Assessment

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: China

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New Rail Car Unloading

SPEC provided multidisciplined engineering services (process, mechanical, civil, electrical) for unloading of ethanol and asphalt at a storage tank facility. The client required a backup unloading facility to supplement the existing marine unloading facility. SPEC designed the mechanical and civil portion of the rail unloading area. SPEC designed a new NG fired hot oil heater and hot oil heat tracing of the new asphalt piping. The rail car also required steam for offloading of asphalt. SPEC specified a new pre-engineered metal building to house a new steam supply system. SPEC designed a new steam generator utilizing the hot oil system, de-aerator, water treatment, blow down, etc. for the new steam system. Ethanol rail car unloading allowed the facility to receive ethanol via rail coming in on 100 car unit trains. SPEC worked with a third-party engineer on the rail track design and switching.

Services Provided: Process, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

Client: Construction Materials Company

Project Location: Northeast, USA

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Structural Assessment of Operational Equipment

SPEC’s Client required inspection of and condition survey of existing overhead conveyors at their quarry location.  SPEC provided structural engineering assessment, design, and support services to complete the structural condition surveys of the existing conveyors.  The project required SPEC to assess the condition of the conveyor structural supports, including foundations, to determine the adequacy of continued use and to determine required maintenance. SPEC designed repairs, replacement members or replacement of complete structural elements based on the condition assessments to allow the conveyor to continue to operate. SPEC provided reports and detailed drawings for the client to review and complete the project.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Civil/Structural Engineering, Design and Drafting, Safety.

Client: Mining and Construction Materials Corporation

Project Location: Northeast, USA

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Ethanol Blending Project

A Client’s Terminal was upgraded to facilitate side-stream blending 10% denatured ethanol into three grades of conventional gasoline (premium, mid, and regular) with the capability to convert to reformulated gasoline. The upgrade involved converting the existing marine offloading facility and two gas tanks to ethanol service as well as the installation of a new custody transfer truck offloading system to provide an alternative ethanol supply method. The terminal was upgraded with the facilities and capacity to load denatured ethanol trucks.

Services Provided: Process, Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical Engineering Design; Environmental Permitting; Construction Observation; Equipment and Procurement Services

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Northeast, USA

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Dock & Tank Reactivation

SPEC provided project development, engineering, permitting, drafting, procurement, and construction support for the reactivation of an existing terminal dock and tank damaged during past flooding. SPEC’s role included assisting in the definition of the overall project scope, permitting, rehabilitation of the dock unloading system, design of a new dock manifold and platform, design of new piping to tanks, installation of new pipe supports, manifolds, rehabilitation of existing idled tank into a new product, and installation of new piping to the load rack.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation and Controls, Mechanical Engineering, Design and Drafting, Permitting, Procurement Support, Construction Management

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Southeast, USA

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Pipeline Asset Separation

SPEC provided project development, engineering, permitting, drafting, procurement, and construction support for the separation of a client’s assets from those sold to a 3rd party pipeline company. SPEC’s role included assisting in the definition of the overall project scope, permitting, modification of existing pipelines and equipment, design of multiple new meter and pressure protection manifolds, and the installation of new electrical switch racks. SPEC’s project scope included coordination of design, drawings, and construction across three sites.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation and Controls, Mechanical Engineering, Design and Drafting, Permitting, Procurement Support, Construction Management

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Southeast, USA

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New Meter Skid & Pipeline Connection

SPEC provided project development, engineering, permitting, drafting, procurement, and construction support for the installation of a new meter skid system and a three-quarter mile pipeline from a 3rd party to the client at a distribution terminal. SPEC’s role included assisting in the definition of the overall project scope, permitting, conversion of swamp land into a temporary island for directional drilling of a new pipeline, design of a new meter skid and prover system, installation of a new control building, and installation of a new gas chromatograph building. SPEC designed a new meter skid and pipeline to allow for installation in swamp land and to handle potential future flooding.

Services Provided: Project Management and Design, Process Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation and Controls, Mechanical Engineering, Design and Drafting, Permitting, Fire Protection, Procurement Support, Construction Management

Client: Major Oil Company

Project Location: Southeast, USA

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