DALLAS, TX — Jacobs and Shell Pipeline Company LP (Shell) deliver on their commitment to protect pipeline integrity and safety and improving coastal ecosystems with the completed installation of a living coastline system along the Ship Shoal Pipeline Corridor in Louisiana.

Located at Lost Lake, Jacobs and Shell's natural infrastructure solution consisted of installing 60 EcoBales — or lightweight, modular cylinders, created by Martin Ecosystems, which allow water to filter through — as an alternative to traditional infrastructure such as cement or bulkheads. In doing so, the project is improving marsh production and water quality, aiding in flood risk reduction and aquatic resource benefits on the Louisiana coast. This project also benefits the Ship Shoal Pipeline, a joint venture operated by Shell, which runs 31 miles to deliver 50 million barrels of crude oil per year from deep-water assets in the Gulf of Mexico to Louisiana.

"In coastal Louisiana, the ecosystem is dramatically different than it was 100 years ago, as land loss is impacting communities and the infrastructure that supports them, including critical energy assets such as pipelines," said Tom Meinhart, Jacobs Buildings and Infrastructure Americas Senior Vice President and Regional Director. "Jacobs' and Shell's natural solution not only supports these pipelines, but also serves as a model for balancing coastal infrastructure and an evolving natural environment today and for generations to come."

Jacobs served as lead design engineer, alongside Shell, Martin Ecosystems and Chet Morrison Contractors, installing the EcoBale system — made from 96,000 recycled PET plastic bottles — at Lost Lake. The solution's lightweight design further reduced the impacts to the surrounding ecosystem by requiring less personnel and equipment and by eliminating the need for dredging in shallow project areas during installation.

"A healthy marsh is needed to provide a safe and supportive environment for all coastal wildlife," said Greg Mouras, Shell Pipeline Company LP Asset Operations Manager. "A sustainable marsh provides the protection and support for our oil and gas pipelines, in turn protecting the infrastructure which provides the revenue to support our community and economy."

Jacobs, Shell and The Nature Conservancy also transformed Blue Hammock Bayou, another location along the Ship Shoal corridor, with a pilot natural infrastructure solution that stabilized the shoreline.

With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 52,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure sectors.