The Orca Pacific Terminal is a testament to Sky Eye’s collaborative approach and grew from one rental unit to a full-service propane distribution facility, with room for expansion.

In early 2021, a new client approached us with a challenge: Transloading Propane from railcars to trucks for distribution across Vancouver Island before a permanent Propane
storage and distribution facility was constructed. The solution began with an 8-month rental Propane Transloader, allowing for testing the new business model and procuring future contracts.

This comprehensive site solution is a testament to Sky Eye’s ability to deliver flexible, turnkey solutions to our clients.

By 2022, our client had recognized the potential of this model and contracted Sky Eye to develop their site into a comprehensive propane storage and distribution facility. Sky Eye was tasked with completing an Engineered mechanical and electrical design, fabrication, and completed on-site construction of the entire project.

At the heart of the operation was the existing rail infrastructure connected to tidewater. Propane railcars arrive on-site via barge and are stored until their contents are required to fill on-site storage bullets. The Propane is offloaded from the railcars at a permanent rail rack via a compressor and travels through a 500-meter pipeline into storage bullets. The above-ground pipeline is a vital conduit between the offload area and the new Propane facility. The contracted propane is pumped and metered onto distribution trucks from the storage bullets and then distributed throughout Vancouver Island.

This solution demonstrates our commitment to efficient and safe energy transfer and serves as a vital energy lifeline for an entire island community.

Two rail offload stations were established during the initial phase to meet existing Propane distribution needs. However, the project was designed with expansion in mind, anticipating the growth in demand for Propane distribution across the island. The facility was poised to seamlessly scale up to accommodate up to five rail offload stations thus doubling throughput, and ensuring flexibility for the future.

Two truck loading stations at the Nanaimo facility are the final stop for propane before it is distributed island-wide. Here, pumps facilitate propane transfer from the storage vessels through a Measurement Canada-certified meter package onto the waiting Propane trucks for distribution. This reliability and accuracy ensures that Propane will reach its destination safely and efficiently.

More than constructing infrastructure, this project represents the creation of a vital lifeline for the island community. Sky Eye’s ability to Engineer design, fabricate, and construct the turnkey facility in under a year, underscores our commitment to delivering timely solutions. We partnered with our client to bring their vision of a Propane distribution terminal to reality. This project is a testament to our commitment to innovation and our dedication to being the Global Leaders in Energy transfer solutions.