Helping a crude oil pipeline avoid hazards and get back in service.

Pipeline 63 Reactivation

One of our clients wanted to reactivate an inactive pipeline that carried crude oil from the San Joaquin Valley through the Angeles National Forest to refineries in the Los Angeles Basin and Bakersfield. Portions of the existing pipeline were taken out of service due to the risk of failure caused by the erosion of gullies and potential for landslides. Stantec was engaged to help with relocations and get the pipeline back in service. 

This project consisted of an overland relocation and multiple HDD crossings. The first was a 2,150-foot long segment that encountered a thick sequence of sedimentary rock consisting of interbedded claystones, siltstones, and arkosic sandstones with variable properties. A second portion of the pipeline needed to cross beneath the Santa Clara River. This 2,000-foot crossing passed through a thick sequence of recent and older alluvial sediments. 

We started with the CEQA, NEPA, and permitting requirements to replace and repair the segments. We then performed geotechnical investigations, including reconnaissance geologic mapping along and in the vicinity of the planned HDD profiles. As detailed geologic maps were not available, we conducted reviews of aerial photos and LIDAR to interpret the geologic and geomorphic features.