New DLA Energy pipeline fortifies fuel readiness at MacDill

After 13 years of navigating complex environmental studies, multi-layered partnerships and intricate engineering challenges, a state-of-the-art fuel pipeline is being installed at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, marking a monumental achievement for Defense Logistics Agency Energy and its mission to support the warfighter.

The project, which replaces a corroded 1950s-era pipeline, is a strategic victory that enhances fuel resiliency, strengthens crucial industry partnerships and saves taxpayer dollars. For the dedicated team who guided the project from a critical failure to a modern marvel, seeing the new pipe in the ground is the culmination of more than a decade of perseverance.

"I was excited, like on cloud nine," said John T. Sprenkle, the DLA Energy project manager who has steered the effort for 13 years said when asked about the project finally coming to fruition. "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 journey began in the spring of 2013 when a mandatory inspection, using a robotic tool known as a "smart pig," revealed a critical 70% metal loss in one of the two carbon-steel pipelines that deliver fuel from Port Tampa Bay to the Defense Fuel Support Point Tampa.

Sprenkle, a mechanical engineer based in Richmond, Virginia, made the immediate call to take the failing line out of service; a move that was essential for safety but instantly halved the base's fuel receipt capability.

Ronnie L. Brock, a DLA Energy contracting officer representative and quality assurance expert at Defense Fuel Support Point Tampa, saw the operational impact firsthand.

"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 Brock, a 28-year U.S. Air Force fuels veteran.

A typical 75,000-barrel offload, which once took about 18 hours, now stretched to more than 32 hours. The slowdown created logistical friction at the shared commercial dock, delaying DLA's marine vessels and straining the critical partnership with other energy suppliers that use the same berth to supply Tampa International Airport.

The solution was not a simple repair. The original pipeline ran through Picnic Island, a protected mangrove swamp, making excavation an environmental non-starter. The DLA Energy team, alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other stakeholders, embarked on a multi-year effort to design a new route and a better pipeline.

This new route required painstaking negotiations to secure land use agreements, a task championed by Kris Lester, a DLA Energy realty specialist. Her work involved forging perpetual easements rights and navigating the public hearings of the City of Tampa's council.

"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," said Lester, an Air Force veteran. "If you believe in something and you know it's a good idea, tenacity will work with you."

After extensive presentations demonstrating the project's strategic importance and minimal environmental impact, both partners agreed, paving the way for construction.

The new system features two 8-inch pipelines made of Flexsteel, a modern composite material that offers significant advantages over traditional steel. The double-walled polyethylene pipe is not susceptible to corrosion, eliminating the need for costly cathodic protection systems and the recurring five-year, million-dollar "smart pig" inspections.

"The inside of this pipe is so slick, it allows us to pump faster," Sprenkle explained.

Brock anticipates the new system will boost offloading rates to nearly 6,000 barrels per hour, cutting the time for a 75,000-barrel receipt from 32 hours to about 14. This efficiency reduces manpower costs, frees up the dock for commercial partners, and most critically, shortens the downtime for the DFSP, ensuring a more resilient supply for its customers.

Those customers include the KC-135 Stratotanker air refueling wing at MacDill, Patrick Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Flexsteel technology also brings major safety and environmental benefits. The pipe's interstitial space is filled with nitrogen and monitored by pressure gauges, creating a 24/7 leak detection system.

"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."

For Lester, knowing her work helped secure the ground for a safer, more resilient system is a source of immense pride.

"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," she said.

With the new lines expected to be fully operational by August 2026, the team is looking at a project that will serve the warfighter for decades. The old, abandoned pipeline will be filled with grout and its infrastructure removed, allowing the sensitive wetlands of Picnic Island to return to their natural state.

For Brock, who plans to retire in 2028, seeing the project he started in 2013 come to fruition is the ultimate career highlight.

"This by far is the project that I wanted to see completed before I was gone," he said. "Everybody's excited."