Watching out for the ice in Cook Inlet

The U.S. Coast Guard and industry are working together to improve safety for Cook Inlet marine traffic by increasing the observation of ice conditions in the inlet, USCG announced Jan. 6. The USCG Marine Safety Detachment Kenai and Tesoro Alaska, the operator of the Nikiski oil refinery, have initiated weekly aerial ice patrols, USCG said.

“The patrols provide an overall picture as to what ice formations, thicknesses and concentrations are occurring at various locations within the inlet,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Worral, Marine Safety Detachment Kenai. “This information is used to determine the implementation of the winter ice guidelines in the inlet, which affect local mariners and facilities.”

As well as conducting the aerial patrols, the Marine Safety Detachment conducts daily on-land patrols on foot and by car, generally during the flood tides when ice floes are at their heaviest at the Nikiski dock. Coast Guard personnel conduct spot checks of vessels moored at Nikiski, to ensure that vessel operators are taking appropriate measures to mitigate the impacts of sea ice.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publishes ice forecasts for Cook Inlet three times a week, USCG said. These forecasts use reports on ice conditions provided by industrial facilities in the inlet, by vessel operators and by the marine pilots who board vessels in the inlet.

The Coast Guard uses ice condition reports and the NOAA forecasts to determine how to apply its ice guidelines and additional safety measures, to minimize the risk of a marine accident in the inlet.

The use of USCG ice guidelines resulted from the occurrence of several marine accidents in 1999 as a consequence of severe ice conditions. The Coast Guard revised its guidelines and increased its ice reporting measures after a 2006 incident when sea ice plucked the tanker Seabulk Pride from its moorings at the Nikiski dock and caused the tanker to run aground.

—Alan Bailey