Page 37 - FINAL Phillips 66 50 Year Book

to allow vessels dockside access, but such a channel would have had
to be continually dredged because of silting, and it became apparent
some sort of offshore facility was required.

The construction of a fixed platform was dismissed because of the
estuary’s 5 knot current, high spring tides and a considerable initial
investment. Although Conoco already operated two monobuoys, these
were in tropical waters, so the Tetney facility was especially constructed
to withstand the most severe maritime conditions, such as 20ft tides,
10ft waves and strong currents.

The plan had been formed in 1968 and work began in January 1969
under the direction of Karl Heinrich, general manager of international
engineering. Construction took place in four phases: installation of the
monobuoy; the laying of the sub-sea pipeline joining the monobuoy to
the onshore tank farm; the building of the tank farm at Tetney; and the
installation of the underground pipeline connecting the tank farm to
the refinery.

For the first time ever in undersea pipeline construction, the sea part
of the line was pulled in one continuous length rather than floated and
sunk into position. When it was put into position in June 1970, the pipe
was moved for almost four hours at 12 feet a minute over a specially
constructed causeway supported by wheels from old Sherman tanks.

Because sea temperatures in northern latitudes can go as low as 30
degrees Fahrenheit onshore and because crude oil has a higher pour
point and could solidify, the pipe was continuously lined. The line can
then be flushed with sea water by the tanker after each unloading