DLA Energy’s new pipeline strengthens fuel readiness at MacDill

After 13 years of environmental reviews, land negotiations and engineering work, crews are installing a new fuel pipeline to MacDill Air Force Base, a long-planned upgrade that Defense Logistics Agency Energy says will speed deliveries, improve safety and cut costs by replacing a corroded, 1950s-era line.

“I was excited, like on cloud nine,” said John T. Sprenkle, the DLA Energy project manager who has led the effort since 2013. “This is a win-win for DLA, the Air Force and the taxpayers because it’s going to be successful and save us money in the long run. I felt proud.”

The project traces back to a 2013 inspection that found a 70% metal loss in one of two carbon-steel lines feeding the Defense Fuel Support Point Tampa from Port Tampa Bay. Sprenkle ordered the failing line shut down for safety, cutting the base’s fuel receipt capacity in half. “With the old system, we offloaded vessels at about 4,000 barrels per hour. When we went down to that one line, it was 2,300 barrels an hour,” said Ronnie L. Brock, a DLA Energy contracting officer representative and quality assurance expert at DFSP Tampa. A typical 75,000-barrel offload stretched from roughly 18 hours to more than 32, increasing delays at the shared commercial berth and straining coordination with other suppliers serving Tampa International Airport.

A simple repair was not feasible: the original alignment crossed Picnic Island’s protected mangrove wetlands, ruling out excavation. DLA Energy, working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local stakeholders, developed a new route that required land-use deals and city approvals. Realty specialist Kris Lester led the easement effort. “My role was to figure out how we could get an easement with Chevron and how we could use the City of Tampa’s utility right-of-way,” she said. “If you believe in something and you know it’s a good idea, tenacity will work with you.”

The replacement system consists of two 8-inch Flexsteel composite pipelines described as double-walled polyethylene, a design that resists corrosion and eliminates the need for cathodic protection and recurring five-year, million-dollar internal inspections. “The inside of this pipe is so slick, it allows us to pump faster,” Sprenkle said. Brock expects offloading rates to climb to nearly 6,000 barrels per hour, cutting a 75,000-barrel receipt to about 14 hours. The time savings reduce labor costs, free up the dock more quickly for commercial partners, and shorten downtime for DFSP operations.

Customers served by the upgraded supply line include the KC-135 Stratotanker wing at MacDill, Patrick Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The new design also adds continuous leak monitoring: nitrogen fills the interstitial space between the pipe walls and pressure gauges provide round-the-clock alerts. “If there’s a problem, we almost know instantly,” Sprenkle said. “In the past, the only way we’d really know is if there’s fuel in the water or on the ground. Now we’ll be able to monitor it and react quicker.”

DLA Energy projects the twin lines will be fully operational by August 2026. The abandoned legacy pipeline will be filled with grout and associated infrastructure removed, allowing Picnic Island’s wetlands to recover. “Just the fact that I know that our nation is going to be more secure, even if it was just that little bit of minute help from me, that makes you feel good,” Lester said.

For Brock, who plans to retire in 2028, completion of the project is a career milestone. “This by far is the project that I wanted to see completed before I was gone,” he said. “Everybody’s excited.”