The White Falcon - 12.06.1987, Blaðsíða 5

New fuel depot
to meet growing
needs of base
by Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Hilferty
ROICC Office, Keflavik
fl new fuel depot and receiving facility is being
built at Helguvik, four miles from the base.
Designed to improve the readiness and operational
capability of the NATO Base, its construction is in
seven phases and is expected to take 12 years, at a
cost of $160 million.
The Defense Force uses three types of fuel:
diesel, aviation and gasoline. Diesel and aviation
fuel are offloaded and stored in Hvalfjordur (Whale
Bay), about 70 miles away. This fuel is taken by
coastal tanker to the Keflavik-Njardvik municipal
pier, and pumped to the base. Gasoline Is offloaded
and stored in Hafnarfjordur, then delivered to the
base by truck.
The new Helguvik facility will greatly improve the
offloading, storing and transportation of all three
fuel products used by the NATO Base.
Phase I began in January 1984 and was recently
completed. Two reinforced-concrete, steel-lined
fuel tanks, a pipeline from Helguvik to the base and
a pump station were built.
Phase II, now underway, involves building a rock
jetty, a refueling platform, various supporting
facilities for operations and fire protection, and
fuel pipelines from the platform to the depot. Jetty
construction began in June 1986. When finished it
will be able to handle ships up to 35,000 tons.
The jetty is designed to absorb the energy of
incoming waves. A thick layer of armor stone
protects the core material underneath. The design
was chosen to minimize costs by using rocks
available at Helguvik. Each armor stone weighs
between two and eight tons. Because the design is
unique, small scale model studies were conducted
in Canada, simulating the topography and worst
storm conditions anticipated in the next 100 years.
The part of the jetty above water is truly the 'tip
of the iceberg." Most of the rocks are under
water. The core is being placed by a split-bottom
barge, and the armor stone is placed by a crane.
To be sure it is placed accurately, a sophisticated
marine surveying system makes sectional profiles
every 50 feet. The core closest to shore is
developed first. As the core Is finished, the armor
stone is placed to protect it from erosion. Weather
conditions halted placement above 55 feet below sea
Aerial view of Helguvik fuel facility (U.S. Navy
photo).
level between December and April. Core material
was placed below 55 feet, where the potential for
erosion is minimal. As of April 30, approximately
half of the core material and 35 percent of the
armor stone had been placed.
The refueling platform is supported by huge
concrete caissons that rest on a level bed of gravel
55 feet below sea level. These hollow structures
are made at Straumsvik at the aluminum plant,
about 30 miles from Helguvik. The base and lower
walls of each caisson are completed on the plant's
launching platform, lowered into the water during
high tide and floated to the next staging area.
The walls are constructed in 12-foot lifts at
separate staging areas. Each area is about ten feet
deeper than the previous one. Building a lift, then
floating it during high tide to the next deeper
staging area will be repeated for all five caissons.
They will be taken by sea for final placement at
Helguvik in August. When Phase II is finished in
December 1988, the Defense Force will be able to
offload and store fuel at Helguvik and pump it
directly to the NATO Base.
Phase III began in May 1987 and is scheduled to
finish in March 1989. It involves building three
more fuel tanks, three truck-fill areas, depot
piping and site utilities. Phases IV through VII
involve building six more fuel tanks and depot
piping in Helguvik, various smaller fuel tanks and
piping on the base, demolition of the tanks at the
old Keflavik depot and removing the old fuel lines
from the base to the Keflavik commercial pier.
Upon completion of all seven phases in the mid-
1990's, the NATO Base will have enhanced its
capacity to offload and store fuel products at
Helguvik and quickly distribute this fuel to critical
locations throughout the NATO Base.
June 12, 1987
5