DEC hosting Arctic oil pipeline conference

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, or DEC, is hosting an Arctic/Cold Regions Oil Pipeline Conference, to be held Sept. 17 to 19 in the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage. Shannon & Wilson, the consultancy company organizing the conference, says the objective of the conference is to provide a forum for established pipeline operators, government agencies and private contractors to share information about the challenges associated with the construction and operation of oil pipelines in the Arctic and in other cold regions.

Shannon & Wilson says that the conference will inform new entrants to the Alaska oil industry about the challenges of pipeline operations in the state. Conference attendees will be able to share best practices, information about proven technologies and lessons learned for dealing with pipeline challenges associated with northern climates. Federal and state government agencies will provide information about regulatory oversight of pipelines in Alaska, and about how to avoid preventable environmental impacts in the state.

Conference session topics include local stakeholder involvement in pipeline construction projects; tundra travel and seasonal land access; risk management; and Arctic pipeline design.

Information about the conference is available on the Shannon & Wilson website at www.shannonwilson.com/adec-2013-conference.

—Alan Bailey