We recently had the opportunity to work with East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) staff members to conduct a route survey and feasibility study to transport 18m long and 12m long simulated pipes along the proposed supply route for the forthcoming East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline. The ultimate aim was to test the feasibility of transporting 18m pipes to three (3) key locations along the route.
Our Maintenance & Construction service line designed and built a dummy 18 meter load which was loaded and pre-positioned by the Road Freight service line team at ready for early departure from Dar es Salaam Port on 21 August 2017. Phase one of the trial was to transport the load along the transit route to the Uganda Main Camp Pipe Yard (MCPY 288.5) & proposed Uganda coating yard some 1,580Km away. All potential choke points along the route were proved to be passable and the transit time of 3 days easily achievable.
The team then dead-legged back to Dodoma (2-day drive) to start phase 2. This was the more challenging task of testing the pipeline access route from Dodoma to Tanga. Transit time was 1.5 days, which included 280Km of unpaved road – 74 Km of which was slow going and could prove challenging in the wet season.
After a total of 3,327 Km and 7 days’ travel, the convoy arrived in Tanga having proven that transportation of out-of- Gauge cargo to build what will be the longest heated pipeline in the world is indeed a reality.
