Piney Point Fuel Terminal
Aviation Company Plans Redevelopment
Original photo from Facility Information Report prepared by Piney Point LLC.
Offshore Aviation Group announced, in a press release on September 29, the acquisition of the Piney Point Fuel Terminal. According to the release, “the company plans to transform the 320-acre waterfront property into a world-class center for unmanned systems development, testing, and operations.”
Photos from county records.
Known as OAG, Offshore Aviation operates out of Valley Lee and Piney Point, with an office located in the Paul Hall Center at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg Seamanship School. Across 1200 acres, OAG already flies unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in Piney Point and will expand their footprint with the latest land acquisition.
Offshore Aviation has previously won contract awards from the federal government. The company was awarded a $3M+ contract from the Office of Naval Research for chartered vessel support services in 2023 according to online databases detailing contract information. It also works as a sub-contractor for companies like Caci Technologies, HII Mission Technologies Corp, and Reliance Test & Technology LLC for procurement and maritime based support services.
Additionally, OAG has received permission from the FAA to fly UAS “to conduct aerial filming production for real estate marketing, feature films, television commercials, documentaries, construction surveys, 3-D mapping, and educational research and development,” as stated in publicly available FAA documents.
Current site layout.
Information released by OAG states their plans for the former fuel storage facility:
Removing storage tanks and the fuel pipeline connecting to the river;
Reopen Piney Point Creek to boaters;
Expand OAG’s commercial manufacturing of UAS;
Reopening the flight runaway for private use;
Building commercial hangers for defense contractors and universities;
Revitalizing the boat launch and pier to serve Offshore’s fleet;
No timeline has been released for this work.
Steuart Petroleum Company, established in 1904 and based in Chevy Chase, in 1949 purchased a 320-acre farm in Piney Point that would become the docking and storage tank facility for fuel. Steuart operated on the site for 45 years, importing and exporting fuel via a 1200ft pier accessed by domestic and foreign tankers. Jet fuel, home heating and industrial fuel oil, and liquid asphalt were unloaded there, stored in 28 storage tanks measuring between 90 and 310ft in diameter. With a holding capacity as high as 500,000 barrels, the terminal was one of the largest in the United States. Since the mid-90s, the property has changed hands several times, and was recently owned by Sunoco.
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