Project Overview
International-Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT), a leading liquid storage network across the United States, initiated Project Olive to expand its renewable fuels transport infrastructure. The project involved constructing three pipelines linking the St. Rose and Norco terminals in Louisiana, tasked with transporting agricultural oils, animal fats, plant-based oils, renewable diesel (green diesel), and black oil, a petroleum refining byproduct.
To maintain optimal fluid viscosity and ensure smooth transport, the pipelines required a reliable temperature-controlled, electrically traced system.
Challenges
Transporting fatty oils presents significant technical challenges. At ambient temperatures, these oils become highly viscous or wax-like, impeding efficient pumping. IMTT faced the need for:
- Continuous pipeline heating to maintain flow characteristics
- Real-time, distributed temperature monitoring along the full 5.2-mile pipeline route
- Reliable monitoring and operation across wetland environments, including horizontal directional drilling and open trenching sections.
Smartec DiTemp Harsh+ Solution
Smartec’s DiTemp Harsh+ distributed temperature sensing (DTS) system was deployed to provide continuous, high-resolution temperature data along the heated pipe. The system features:
- Four optical channels for comprehensive pipeline coverage
- Spatial resolution of 1 meter for precise anomaly detection
- Robust operation designed for harsh environmental conditions and extended temperature ranges
- Fully redundant optical and electrical circuits ensuring reliable data acquisition.
The DiTemp Harsh+ unit continuously monitors the pipeline’s temperature profile, enabling IMTT operators to maintain the required process temperatures for safe, efficient fluid transfer. This monitoring complements the electrical Skin Effect Heat Tracing system installed inside the pipeline outer jacket, which generates uniform heating by electrical current flow on the inner tube surface.
Installation and Operation
The heated pipeline, insulated and jacketed with seven internal channels—including heating circuits and fiber optic temperature sensing cables—was assembled on land and sunk into swamp areas. The combination of advanced skin-effect heating and fiber optic DTS technology provides robust, continuous temperature control essential for handling viscous renewable feedstocks safely through challenging terrains.
Outcomes and Benefits
Project Olive successfully met IMTT’s objectives:
- Maintaining controlled, uniform temperatures along the entire 5.2-mile pipeline
- Ensuring safe and efficient flow of heavy renewable oils and byproducts
- Delivering live temperature visibility through Smartec’s advanced DTS technology integrated with Roctest’s monitoring interface
- Supporting the Gulf Coast’s renewable diesel and biodiesel infrastructure growth.
Conclusion
Smartec’s DiTemp Harsh+ unit played a pivotal role in Project Olive by delivering high-precision, reliable temperature sensing critical to the pipeline’s success. The system’s durability and accuracy under harsh environmental conditions demonstrate its suitability for complex renewable fuel transport applications, facilitating IMTT’s leadership in advancing sustainable energy infrastructure.
