PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY

37 3R international Special-Edition 1/2010

Challenges of Revamping Leixoes Oil
Terminal, Portugal
By Liam Knowles, Pierre Flammang, Ulf Jungclaussen
Leixoes Oil Terminal operated
by GALP Energie
GALP Energie is a Portuguese based, verti-
cally integrated energy company which oper-
ates the two refineries of Sines and Porto.
Leixoes Oil Terminal is the main import/ex-
port route for the Refinery of Porto handling
9 million Tons of product a year. The harbor
infrastructure was originally built in 1890s.
This was further extended to include 3 Berths
and related facilities in 1967 when the refin-
ery was constructed. The terminal is located
approximately 3 Km from the refinery and
connected by 17 pipelines for the transporta-
tion of various products.
As a result of GALPs strategic capital invest-
ment program to upgrade the production
capacity and efficiencies of the two refineries
over the next 3 years, it was required to up-
grade its transportation facilities. The project
budget for revamping of Leixoes Oil Terminal
was approximately 30 million.
Engineering Scope of Work
GALP awarded ILF with the contract for the
engineering of the project as a result of its
excellent references for terminal projects.
The scope of work for revamping of the load-
ing facilities in the terminal included the fol-
lowing:
Basic Engineering Design
Detailed Engineering Design
Tendering and Contract Award of Equip-
ment
Tendering and Contract Award of Main
Construction Contract
Construction Supervision
Operational Flexibility
The Leixoes Oil Terminal consists of three
berths capable of mooring various sizes of
tankers and handling various types of prod-
ucts.
Berth A: 100,000dwt, Black Products,
White Products
Berth B: 30,000dwt, Black Products,
White Products, Petrochemical Products,
LPG, Lube Oil
Berth C: 5,000dwt, White Products, Pet-
rochemical Products, LPG, Lube Oil
Due to the range of products produced in the
refinery it was important for GALP Logistics
Department to have the following aspects
included in the design of the new facilities to
reduce transport costs:
Charter a range of tanker sizes for high
demand fuels
Flexibility to load specialized products on
Berth B or C
Redundancy of Marine Loading Arms to
reduce downtime of the Berths
Loading and Unloading Capabilities
With approximately 30 products transported
through the 17 loading lines, it was not pos-
sible to have a dedicated Marine Loading Arm
(MLA) for each product due to the dimensions
of each berth and also due to the required
capital investment.
The solution developed by ILF in conjunction
with GALP Operations was to split the prod-
ucts into six distinct product groups. These
were:
Black Products
White Products
Petrochemical Products
LPG
Lube Oil
Vapour Recovery
A matrix of the 30 products was created and
an action defined for operations to follow
when changing between products. This en-
sured the strict quality requirements of each
product.
To further optimize the number of arms on
Berth B and C, a common MLA was used for
White Products and Petrochemical Products
with isolation between each product group
but the option to change groups depending
on the logistical requirements. This flexibility
also gave redundancy if required.
A vapour recovery MLA was also included in
the design for each berth for the future im-
plementation of a Volatile Organic Compound
(VOC) handling system. The final number of
arms for the three berths was 17 MLAs for
products and 3 MLAs for vapour recovery as
outlined in Table 1.
Reinjection System
To reduce the amount of waste product af-
ter completion of the loading process, a
Reinjection System was developed by ILF in
conjunction with GALP Operations. After load-
ing or unloading, the product present in the
inboard of the MLA was reinjected back into
the product line. This action greatly reduced
the volume of product entering the slop tank
on the berths. The system has resulted in en-
ergy savings for GALP because normally the
reinjected product would have been pumped
to the refinery for costly reprocessing. The
Reinjection System consisted of a reinjection
pump for each product group and a complex
series of valves to reinject the product into the
line from which it originated.
Marine Loading Arms
The MLAs were specified in accordance with
the OCIMF standard and were fitted with the
latest available technology in Emergency Re-
lease Systems (ERS). The design philosophy
of the loading arms was to have three alarm
stages should the tanker start to drift from its
original position during loading.
The most challenging type of project for any Engineering Consultancy is the design and
construction of new projects within the boundaries of existing infrastructures. An example
of this is the revamping of an operational Marine Oil Terminal with the latest state of the
art loading technology while focusing on improving operational efficiency, minimizing the
project schedule and optimizing costs for the client. In 2006, ILF Consulting Engineers of
Munich, Germany was awarded the contract for the revamping of the Leixoes Oil Terminal,
Porto, Portugal by GALP Energie.
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PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY
38 3R international Special-Edition 1/2010
The rst stage was a warning alarm which
informed the operator that the ship was
starting to drift.
If the operator did not correct the prob-
lem on time and the tanker continued to
drift until the second stage alarm, then an
Emergency Shut Down (ESD) of the Berth
was activated. This automatically stopped
the loading process in 5 seconds.
If the tanker continued to drift until the
third alarm (a distance of 3.5 m on Berth
A) then the ERS was activated. The ERS
system consisted of two valves on the
loading arm which automatically closed
in approximately 2 seconds followed by
a safe disconnection of the arm from the
tanker.
Transient Hydraulic Model
A complex transient hydraulic model of the
17 loading lines from the refinery tank farms
to the berths was completed, in order to cal-
culate the Joukovsky surge pressure caused
by an ERS or ESD action for various loading
cases. To ensure that the pressure did not
exceed the maximum allowable pressure of
the existing loading lines, a surge protection
system was installed on the berths. All MLAs
had a surge relief valve which connected to
a relief line. The relief lines from each berth
were connected to an atmospheric relief tank
located in the terminal. The ESD of the berth
also resulted in the automatic tripping of the
operating pumps in the refinery.
Control System
The original design of the terminal in 1967
was with manual operated valves to control
From the central control room or the berth,
the operator could:
Monitor the position of the loading arms
relative to the alarm stages,
Monitor the process conditions
the loading process. Included in the revamp-
ing project was the installation of a new
control system consisting of a central control
room for the terminal. The operator on each
berth also had access to the control system.
Table 1: Marine Loading Arm Design Details
Berth
Arm
No.
Product
Arm
Dia
(inch)
Design
Temperature
min/max
Design
Pressure
min/max
(bar g)
Arm Operation per Berth
Connection Combinations
Single 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A
A1 Black 12 -15 / +90C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
A2 Black 12 -15 / +90C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
A3 Black 12 -15 / +90C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
A4 VRU 12 -15 / +90C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u u u
A5 White 10 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u u u
A6 White 10 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u u u
B
B1 Black 10 -15 / +90C -0,5/+19,5 u u u
B2 Black 10 -15 / +90C -0,5/+19,5 u u u
B3 VRU 12 -15 / +90C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u u u
B4
White or
Chemical
10 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
B5
White or
Chemical
10 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
B6
White or
Chemical
10 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
B7 Lube 6 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u
B8 LPG 6 -42 / +70C -0,5/+40,0 u
C
C1
White or
Chemical
8 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
C2
White or
Chemical
8 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
C3
White or
Chemical
8 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
C4 VRU 8 -15 / +90C -0,5/+19,5 u u u u
C5 Lube 6 -15 / +50C -0,5/+19,5 u
C6 LPG 6 -42 / +70C -0,5/+40,0 u
Fig. 1: Refined products exported by GALP
Fig. 2: ILF IDOM
Model of Berth C
using PDMS
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PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY
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Open and close valves from the control
room
A new electrical system for the terminal was
completed by GALP in advance of the con-
struction works as a result of revamping the
berths.
Civil Issues
The original design of the berths consisted of
two concrete caissons on the sea bed con-
nected with a reinforced concrete bridge. The
first problem was that the reinforced bridge
was not designed in 1967, for the bending
moments that would be exerted from modern
loading arms. Two options were investigated
to solve the problem
Replace the concrete bridge between the
caissons with a new design capable of
handling the bending moments
Install a metal bridge structure over the
existing slab that would transfer the bend-
ing moments to the caissons.
After careful review of the options it was de-
cided that a metal bridge structure anchored
in the caissons was the best solution for the
following reason:
Reduction in the construction schedule
Reduced construction cost
One disadvantage of the metal structure
was the increased risk of corrosion over the
design life of the project due to the exposed
locations of the berths. This problem was
addressed by selection of the correct paint
specification.
In order to anchor the metal structure, it was
required to verify the type of the concrete used
in the 1967 construction of the caissons. This
was completed by taking 3m core samples at
strategic locations on the caissons. Based on
the result of the concrete testing, the anchor-
ing system to fix the structure to the caissons
was designed.
Project Procurement
Following the completion of the Basic Engi-
neering in 2007, ILF and their local partner
IDOM Portugal completed the Detailed En-
gineering Design. Due to the large quantity
of valves and piping to be constructed on
each berth, CAE software was used to build
a detailed model of the new berths in order
to optimize the layouts. Berth C had approxi-
mately 200 valves installed in an area of 8 m
X 20 m.
The procurement was split into four main
packages which were tendered on the mar-
ket. The packages consisted of the following:
Marine Loading Arms
Automated and Manual Valves
Surge Relief Valves
Fig. 3: Berth C - View from the Sea
Fig. 4: Berth C Piping and Valves
Fig. 5: Construction of Leixoes Oil Terminal 1967
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PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY
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Main Construction Contract
SCADA Package
The Main Construction Contract was ten-
dered on the Portuguese Market. The main
activities for the construction contractor were
the following:
Dismantling of Existing Loading Facili-
ties on each berth which involved about
200 tons of steel per berth that had to
be removed by oating crane to the port.
Civil works to renew the working surface
of the existing berths.
Fabrication and Installation of the steel
structures required to support the MLAs.
Installation of the MLA on each berth with
a oating barge crane.
Fabrication of the piping
Installation of the valves, piping and other
equipment.
Procurement and installation of the elec-
trical / instrumentation components.
Pre-commissioning of equipment.
Project Schedule
The project schedule was developed in con-
junction with GALP to ensure the minimum
interruptions to the refinery. The terminal is
a strategic asset for GALP for the import
and export of products to the refinery. In ad-
dition a Single Point Mooring (SPM) is also
available for the discharging of crude oil into
the refinery. It was therefore necessary for
GALP to ensure that when one berth was
taken out of service it would have the mini-
mal impact on the production planning of
the refinery.
During certain periods of the year the SPM
cannot be used due to the weather condi-
tions and it was therefore necessary to en-
sure that Berth A was available as a back-up
of the SPM during the winter months. The
summer period was therefore the only win-
dow available for the construction of Berth A.
The scheduled outage period of each berth
was approximately 4 months. On this basis
Berth A was planned to start on 1st July
2008.
Unlike Berth A, Berths B and C have the
ability to load the full range of products pro-
duced in the refinery (Refer to Figure 1).
For this reason, Berths B and C are critical
to ensure the export of products. Berths B
and C are also used to import LPG to the
refinery. The strategy agreed with GALP was
to complete Berth C in 2009 and Berth B in
2010, which would minimize the impact on
the production planning.
Construction
One of the main challenges with the revamp-
ing of the berths was the fact that the termi-
Fig. 6: Berth A after Revamping 2008
Fig. 7: Construction of Berth B 1967
Fig. 8: Berth A before revamping 2006
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PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY
41 3R international Special-Edition 1/2010
Authors:
BEng. Liam Knowles
Construction Manager
ILF Consulting Engineers




Dipl.-Ing. Pierre Flammang
Project Manager
ILF Consulting Engineers




For further information on the project or the
services available from ILF, please contact:
Dipl.-Ing. Ulf Jungclaussen
ILF Consulting Engineers
Director Tank farms and Termi-
nals, Munich, Germany

Phone: +49 89 255594 0
Fax: +49 89 255594 144
E-mail: [email protected]
nal was in operation during the construction
activities. This resulted in the need for strict
safety procedures and careful coordination
between GALP Operations, the Main Contrac-
tor and the Port Authority. Transportation of
the MLAs was completed by sea and a barge
crane was present for the duration of the con-
struction activities.
Berth A was handed over to the Main Con-
struction Contractor on 1st July 2008 and
the first tanker of the revamped berth was
successfully loaded with Fuel on 22nd
October 2008. This represented a total
construction period of 3.5 months and an
improvement of 2 weeks over the originally
planned schedule.
Berth C was handed over to the Main Con-
struction Contractor on 18th May 2009 and
the first tanker discharged LPG on 12th
August 2008. This represented a total con-
struction period of only 3 months and an
improvement of 3 weeks over the originally
planned schedule.
The construction of Berth B is scheduled to
start in March 2010. Berth B will represent
the greatest challenge of the three berths be-
cause it is technically more complex.
To date the project has been completed with
no accident as a result of the strict HSE
policy implemented by the Client and the
Engineer.
Summary
Following the successful completion of Berths
A and C, GALP Logistics are satisfied with
the improved facilities, which have offered
increased flexibility, greater operational per-
formance and improved safety. GALP are
very pleased with the performance of the En-
gineer, who managed the project successfully
from the Basic Design Stage until the com-
missioning and handover of the Berths. The
success of the project could not have been
achieved without the assistance of the GALP
Engineering and Projects Department who
guided the project.
Key competence in export infrastructure
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During 40 years of world-wide successful engineering performance,
ILF has provided an essential contribution to a number of geopolitically
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When striving for optimum technical and economical
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as a true partner to effciently support the
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has hands-on expertise from recent projects in
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Pipeline, 310 km link between ports on
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ILF Consulting Engineers
Werner-Eckert-Str. 7
81829 Munich / GERMANY
T. +49 89 25 55 94 - 0
F. +49 89 25 55 94 - 144
[email protected]
www.ilf.com

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