ANDERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- A new $63 million underground pipeline is open for business and increasing military readiness on the U.S. territory of Guam.

Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. Martin Chapin viewed the completed pipeline project including the filter house and pipeline manifold system at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 27.

"This pipeline will have a significant impact on the future of support to our warfighters in the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility and marks the culmination of more than 10 years of planning and construction efforts," Chapin said. "This military construction project effectively doubles the pipeline throughput to Andersen Air Force Base and will, on demand, provide more than 4 million gallons of jet fuel per day."

The Guam fuel pipeline upgrade is one of many DLA Energy projects that recapitalize and reinvest in energy infrastructure.

"The original single pipeline ran from the Navy’s Defense Fuel Support Point Guam to Andersen Air Force Base dating from the 1950’s and could no longer support current requirements," said DLA Energy at Guam Commander Navy Cmdr. Bruce Kong.

"The new Guam pipeline will revitalize the energy infrastructure on the island," he said.

DLA Installation Support for DLA Energy Military Construction Engineer Dave Sue-Ling and DLA Installation Support for DLA Energy Pacific Engineer Frank Cruz are responsible for the pipeline’s planning and program development.

"The Guam pipeline offered unique challenges to its planning process," Sue-Ling said. "Much of the new pipeline went outside government property, and we had to deal with encroachment on civilian owned property and unexploded ordnance dating back to World War II."

The unexploded ordnance included projectiles ranging from an 8-inch naval gun projectile to a 20 mm projectile, a 58 mm mortar, and a couple of hand grenades. A total of 13 pieces of unexploded ordnance were discovered of both U.S. and Japanese manufacture.

The pipeline’s military construction was coordinated through the Navy, Air Force, and the USPACOM Joint Petroleum Office as part of a 2013 MILCON project. It included the addition of a second 15.7-mile pipeline to Andersen AFB from the Navy’s Tiyan Junction, DFSP Guam.

Additional infrastructure upgrades included modernizing the electrical systems, leak detection systems, filters and cathodic protection as well as adding a larger emergency generator. Three new variable, high speed, 1,000 horsepower pumps were added to the Sasa Valley Pump House to increase JP-8 fuel throughput.

The Guam pipeline will support Andersen AFB which is an important forward-based logistics support center for contingency forces deploying throughout the southwest Pacific and Indian oceans.

DLA Energy and DLA Installation Support for DLA Energy are jointly charted and responsible for funding the overseeing of maintenance, repair, sustainment, restoration, modernization and recapitalization of the military’s fuel infrastructure that contains DLA fuel.

Selecting the right military construction projects with the biggest return on investment is DLA Installation Support for DLA Energy’s job. Each year, approximately 10 to 15 construction projects are prioritized for further verification and additional funding.