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Council seeks report on Gulf disaster Alaska industry watchdog group believes ‘lessons learned’ from Deepwater Horizon can aid its mission in Prince William Sound Wesley Loy For Petroleum News
The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council is looking to hire a contractor to write a report on “lessons learned” from the Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The nonprofit organization says it believes the report could help support its congressional mandate of promoting environmentally safe operations at Valdez, where tankers load Alaska North Slope crude at the Alyeska terminal.
Formed after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, the council has 19 member organizations including local governments plus commercial fishing, environmental, Native, and recreation and tourism groups. The council operates with $2.9 million it receives annually under a contract with Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., the energy company consortium that runs the 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline and the terminal.
The council intends to award a contract for the Gulf lessons learned report by Nov. 30. The contractor will be expected to complete a final report by March 31, 2012, the RFP says.
Focus areas The Deepwater Horizon rig exploded offshore Louisiana on April 20, 2010, while working on a BP well, killing 11 workers and unleashing the nation’s largest oil spill at an estimated 4.9 million barrels.
The council, in its RFP, says it is “interested in reviewing industry and regulatory changes” in the wake of Deepwater Horizon, and understanding how these changes might affect Prince William Sound tanker and terminal operations.
The council wants its contractor to summarize regulatory changes resulting from the Gulf spill, and identify lessons learned that might be applied to the prevention and response system in Prince William Sound.
Some specific subjects of interest from the Gulf disaster include daily oil recovery capacity, the use of dispersants and in-situ burning, the role of citizen oversight, and post-disaster mental health issues, the council RFP says.
It doesn’t specify a value for the Gulf contract.
Second study on escort tugs The council also is looking to hire a contractor to assess escort tugs and tethering systems in Prince William Sound.
Oil-laden tankers departing the Valdez terminal are required to have the escort of two powerful tugs to assist in case the tanker encounters engine or other trouble. The tugs can tow a disabled ship, with one actually tethered to the stern of the tanker to enable a quick “save.”
The council, according to an RFP, is inviting proposals for a contractor to “conduct an analysis of escort tugboat tethering systems used in Prince William Sound. This project will focus on the towing winches and towlines currently used in these systems and will identify potential alternatives that could be adopted.”
The final work product will be a report “detailing the consultant’s professional opinion regarding what would constitute the best available technology” for escort tug tethering systems, the RFP says.
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