Terminal Pipelines: The Beating Heart of Australian Energy

Terminals are the beating heart of Australia’s energy network — receiving and distributing the refined oil products that keep industry moving.   

With Australia importing 90% of its fuel, their reliability is critical.¹ 

And like any heart, terminals need care to keep pumping.  

These facilities have countless moving parts, including jetties, moorings, loading arms, tanks, valves, pumps, pipelines, and more.  

Pipelines are the veins and arteries. Without them, nothing flows.   

However, these lines are complex and constantly under stress.  

They wind through dense infrastructure, experience frequent flow reversals, and are vulnerable to corrosion from sea air and product changes.  

Managing all of this — under strict regulations and tight budgets — is no easy feat.  

Integrity experts must monitor and protect every meter of their line with:  

• Fatigue assessments  

• Chemical inhibitors  

• Operational changes  

• Regular inspections  

• Timely repairs  

Inspection is a critical step in maintaining the integrity of assets.  

Without knowing exactly what is going on in their pipeline, operators risk defects going undetected until it is too late. 

Two defects are of particulary concern: 

1. Geometric defects from exposure to frequent impacts and complex geometries 

2. Corrosion from contact with sea air and changing products.  

In-line inspection (ILI) enables operators to inspect their pipelines from the inside out, providing critical data that allows them to make timely repairs while safely extending the service life of their assets.  

Dexon understands the unique challenges of terminal pipelines, and our fleet of UT metal loss tools delivers precise, actionable data — even in short, complex lines.  

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References 

1. Palazzo, Albert. 2022. Over a Barrel: Australia’s Liquid Fuel Security and the Implications of Military Conflict in the Asia-Pacific. Canberra: The Australia Institute. https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/P1036-Over-a-barrel_liquid-fuel-security-WEB.pdf.