Explorer closes in on jet quality problems

OREANDA-NEWS. July 15, 2016. Tulsa-based Explorer Pipeline said it has made "promising discoveries in the last week" that will help it find the root cause of a jet fuel degradation issue plaguing pipelines east of the Rockies.

A backlog caused by the flood of jet fuel that did not meet quality specifications led Explorer to cancel jet fuel shipments north of Tulsa on cycle 39. The pipeline said it would evaluate cancellations on other cycles on a case-by-case basis.

The problem, first noticed in March 2015, relates to the stability of the fuel at higher temperatures. The fuel batches in question have been passing a key test of thermal stability — the jet fuel thermal oxidation test (JFTOT) — at 275°C when injected into pipelines for transit. But the batches fail JFTOT at 275°C several days later when they arrive at their final destinations north of Tulsa on the Explorer, for example, or north of Atlanta on the Colonial pipeline. The batches have only been passing JFTOT at 260°C.

If the fuel fails to meet specifications it can lead to metal deposits that require more frequent maintenance of airplane engines and fuel systems.

The root cause remains unclear, but Explorer officials said they are confident it originates at the Gulf coast and is a result of commingling batches for shipment. A task force created by Explorer is conducting tests to identify specific terminals or refineries where the bad fuel is originating from.

In an online discussion of the issue today, Explorer officials indicated a short-term solution may be to commingle batches in the Gulf coast and let them sit for 15 days before testing them for final shipment.

During the webinar stakeholders discussed the three potential options currently being used to deal with the off-spec fuel: leave it in storage for as much as seven to eight days; run the fuel through a clay filter; or treat the fuel with a metal deactivation agent (MDA). All three options appear to be in wide use, according to comments made during the call.

Fuel filtering has proved effective but is expensive and time consuming, leading to bottlenecks where too much storage is tied up for treatment. Storing the fuel requires traders to compete with other products in contango for tank space. MDA treatment, while quicker and cheaper, has not always worked.

Explorer said it hopes to have other open discussions about the problem in the future.