BP reports overfill at GC2 at Prudhoe

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Spill Prevention and Response said Dec. 2 that BP Exploration (Alaska) reported a release at Gathering Center 2 at Prudhoe Bay.

Tank 7703, in the western operating area at Prudhoe, had an overfill which started at 5:45 a.m., DEC said.

The release was discovered by BP GC-2 control room personnel within 15 minutes. An estimated 100 barrels of crude oil was released to secondary containment.

The cause was a faulty transmitter on Tank 7703, which allowed overfill of the tank during product transfer, DEC said.

Response crews will continue 24-hour operations, using vacuum trucks for direct suction and hot water to prevent the crude oil from becoming too viscous for recovery. DEC said that as of 4:45 p.m. Dec. 2 some 15 barrels of spilled product had been recovered and said responders installed a fence around the spill area to prevent wildlife from entering.

- Petroleum News