How the Pipeline Will Be Built

UNEV will be an interstate common carrier Pipeline and will be constructed and operated under oversight of the U.S. Department of Transportation and Office of Pipeline Safety. UNEV will also follow the regulations established by the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal and state regulatory agencies.

Members of the UNEV project team have worked with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the lead agency on the project, to look at alignment options and construction considerations. We have also conducted extensive environmental studies to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and various other federal, state and local environmental regulations. As part of this process, stakeholders and the public have had the opportunity to comment on the project. For more information about the NEPA process or the public scoping meetings visit http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en.html.

As a long-time steward of the environment and as a good corporate citizen, Holly Corporation has led the UNEV project team to design a construction process that takes into account the special needs of various sections of the Pipeline. Holly has also worked with the UNEV project team and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to put in place a comprehensive plan of development.

The construction of the UNEV Pipeline for the most part will be the conventional trenching process, however in some areas a horizontal directional drill or bore will be used to go under roads and waterways. Holly has worked with the UNEV project team and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to put in place a plan to restore and revegetate the area when finished.

Holly is taking much care to ensure UNEV will be constructed and operated in a safe manner. The Pipeline will be constructed under the stringent guidelines required by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The 400-mile, buried UNEV Pipeline will be 12-inch diameter welded steel. All pipe used will meet the industry’s standards set by the American Petroleum Institute. Each weld will be x-rayed and before going into service the entire Pipeline will be pressured tested with water at a pressure that is at least 125 percent of the maximum operating pressure.

Bi-directional pipeline pig

The pipe will be coated using fusion-bonded epoxy or another suitable coating as recommended for the soil conditions to inhibit external corrosion. The Pipeline will also be under cathodic protection, an electrical means to inhibit corrosion, which is a secondary level of corrosion protection.

An internal inspection tool, called a smart pig, will be used to measure metal loss due to corrosion or third-party damage on a periodic basis. Corrosion coupons will be installed at each end of the Pipeline to monitor any corrosive activity. If required, corrosion inhibitor chemicals will also be injected at the Pipeline’s origin.

Surface and aerial patrols will occur every other week or at least 26 times a year. These patrols will monitor for any third-party encroachment, right-of-way condition and the condition of the line markers and above ground valves.

Holly’s control center will monitor the flow and pressure of the Pipeline 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If all communications are lost for more than one minute the Pipeline will shut down. Holly provides training to all local employees to perform the duties of a first responder. The duties emphasize protection of the public first followed by the protection of the environment.