Leak Shuts Down Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline

While the United States focuses on the tragedy in Arizona with Congresswoman Giffords, I have not seen this news about the Alaska oil pipeline being reported anywhere on television. Therefore, I will provide the applicable links below.

The trans-Alaska oil pipeline all but shut down Saturday after workers found a leak in a station pipe at Pump Station 1, said Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., which operates the line.

The company said workers just before 9 a.m. found oil leaking into a booster pump building. It activated a Fairbanks-based incident management team and a separate Anchorage-based crisis team to respond.

Source: Fairbanks News Miner

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From the official press release:

P.O Box 196660
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 99519-6660
TELEPHONE (907) 787-8700
Incident Name: Pump Station 1 Booster Pump Piping Incident
Source: Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
Contact: Michelle Egan – 907-787-8870

FACT SHEET NUMBER: 1
1/8/11 at 6:30 p.m.

Fact Sheet 1:
Current Status:

• No injuries have occurred.
• Pump Station 1 booster pumps have been isolated and level of spilled oil has not risen since isolation.
• Response personnel and equipment have been mobilized.
• Recovery of the oil started at approximately 4 p.m.
• Crude recovery operations are ongoing.
• North Slope producers are prorated to 5 percent production.
• No apparent impact to environment and no impact to wildlife.
• Engineers are assessing the situation and developing a plan to safely restart the pipeline.

Background:

• Crude oil spill discovered in the Booster Pump Room basement at Pump Station 1 (PS01) at approximately 8:15 a.m.
• The leak source appears to be from a below-ground piping that leads to the basement of the booster pump building. The piping is encased in concrete.
• The Operations Control Center shutdown the pipeline at 8:50 a.m.
• Fairbanks Incident Command and Anchorage Crisis Management Teams activated; Fairbanks Emergency Operations Center manned at 9:30 a.m. Incident Command will be staffed around the clock.
• Alyeska, State and Federal officers have combined to operate a Joint Information Center.
  

Incident Response Objectives:

• Safety of personnel and facilities
• Isolate the source
• Minimize environmental impact
• Ensure effective stakeholder communications
• Build a repair plan
• Address cold restart
• Restore service

Weather at Pump Station 1:

• 4 degrees; winds are 4 MPH from the South
• 84% humidity
• Visibility: 10 miles

END - #1